Alcoholism - Bone question

[callum13]

Hey all, thought alot about posting as it is not an agony aunt forum but i know squaddies drink like fish and who doesnt like a nice pint?, could turn into a serious debate.

For the past 3-4 months I have drank 2-3 cans of fosters piss or carling almost every night over the space of about 3 hours to "chill out" im training 5 days a week and hardly ever get drunk when i told my binge drinking mate this today who goes out and get bladdered over the weekend him and half of the gym was giving it the "liver will pack up by time your 30" etc. Now comes the bone question:- Is this a fine/harmful limit or is this verging on Alcoholism, I could go without but i do like a nice cold pint and would rather not unless this is bad for me or going to cause serious problems in the long run.
I posted this because i was getting worried when i felt guilty opening up a can while sat in the sun at about 1400 and was told this is the first sign of Alcoholism.

Thanks

 

[box-of-frogs]

Moderation every night - don't see the drama myself! Its not like its Stella or some other proper lager - you are drinking gnats pish!

Edit for being a spelling mong......

 

[PANZER_SOLDAT]

If you don't shake like a dog sh!tting chicken bones after 4 hours without consumption,Dr Panzer says you are ok. A slight tremble is ok, can be put down to 'exhaustion' of either w@nking or opening too many cans previously

 

[stick]

Hi

Take a look at this....

http://www.knowyourlimits.gov.uk/stay_safe/units.html

stick

 

[mcclurg]

A male should have no more than 21 units a week. A pint is 2. Do the maths

 

[Sentinel]

Callum,

When you drink alcohol a chemical reaction happens in your stomach. If you are an alcoholic, you get the desire to drink more and more. You will wake up in the middle of the night to drink alcohol and your entire life will revolve around drinking. If you are not an alcoholic then that chemcial reaction can mean different things - it makes me fall asleep, for others it makes them violent.

However, you can change the chemical reaction in your stomach. It may change with age, due to expereinces (post traumatic stress), due to the death of loved one etc. We all have the potential to be an alcoholic, we just don't know until it hits us.

If you think you're drinking to much then your ARE drinking to much and the sensible thing is to cut back and enjoy alcohol in moderation. Otherwise you risk changing that chemical reaction and you don't want to risk that.....

 

[hong_kong_fuey]

It's not necessarily the amount of drinking that determines alcoholism, though obviously there's a limit. I think the issue of whether drinking is a problem can be determined by answering some questions. Three important ones are:

1. Can you go without a drink for days or weeks without a problem?
2. Do you hide your drinking from those around you?
3. Do you have a limp dick? (kidding, but it is a sign of chronic alcohol abuse).

At least you're questioning the amount you drink, and that seems responsible to me.

Take this test here:

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tests/a/quiz_alcoholic.htm

 

[cloudbuster]

I posted this because i was getting worried when i felt guilty opening up a can while sat in the sun at about 1400 and was told this is the first sign of Alcoholism.

Alcoholism is where you wake up in a morning and need a drink. You can't get through a minute of the day without that buzz. You'll drink anything, as long as it gives you a buzz.

That's alchoholism.

Popping a can at 14:00 isn't. Needing alcohol to get through life is.

 

[callum13]

Aye cheers for the info lads, Just going to stop for a few days to see if i get the "craving" if i have trouble i will start getting worried but i obviously worry too much
to regards to other questions its sensible amount i wont let myself drink more than 4 cans and i go from waking up to about 2200 without even thinking of having a can just seems i fancy after 2200 till i go to sleep in my "chill out" period.
hong_kong_fuey

1. Can you go without a drink for days or weeks without a problem? Never have done for a few months but im not tonight and will see if i can do a week should be no problem
2. Do you hide your drinking from those around you? no
3. Do you have a limp dick? (kidding, but it is a sign of chronic alcohol abuse). Not yet! :O

Cheers

 

[EX_STAB]

I'm fond of a drink but when I had to work in a "dry" country it didn't bother me at all. Drinking at the level you describe is habitual rather than chronic. Much the same as slumping in the sofa after dinner and reaching for the newspaper etc.

If you get to the stage where you need a drink before you do something you've got a problem.

I would say that if you keep off the spirits and strong lagers you're unlikely to develop a problem without being aware of it.

I think the government guidelines are a bit of a nonsense - it's the New Puritans in charge don't forget!

Chin Chin!

 

[grumpyoldb]

For the past 3-4 months I have drank 2-3 cans of fosters urine or carling almost every night over the space of about 3 hours

Feckin lightweight. Try 2-3 cans per hour, and work your way up to sommat decent like Stella, then you may be on yer way.

 

[JoseyWales]

Everyone lives on the shy side of life instead of the sly side. Tonight I have drunk 2 bottles of Montana Sauvignon Blanc and eaten just about S.F.A.

I will still get up for work in the morning.

 

[hong_kong_fuey]

Everyone lives on the shy side of life instead of the sly side. Tonight I have drunk 2 bottles of Montana Sauvignon Blanc and eaten just about S.F.A.

I will still get up for work in the morning.

Yeah, to be able to pay for those next two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. We couldn't resort to the Blue Nun, now could we, Josey? That's pride for you..

 

[jon1467]

Only about a 10-20% of heavy drinkers (that's alot more than 20-30 Units per week) will develop Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis and about a third will have no hepatic (liver) consequences. Crack on I say.

http://www.gpnotebook.com/simplepage.cfm?ID=-1281753088

 

[pyrogenica]

I've known 6 real alcoholics in my life, all but one are dead, the other - an old mucker of mine - suffered a serious stroke and, whist he has recovered, he hasn't touched a drop for two years. Tells me it's been the worst two years of his life.

I reckon it's a good idea to give it a break every so often, especially if it's starting to become habitual.

 

[JoseyWales]

Take plenty of water on board and you will wash it all out.

 

[JoseyWales]

George Haines at the 'Vishen' farm died at the ripe old age of 92. He took whiskey in his tea along with milk. If you visited him you got the same.

If you want to go earlier - carry on.

 

[sandmanfez]

A male should have no more than 21 units a week. A pint is 2. Do the maths

Theres no real scientific basis for those figures, they've just been plucked out of thin air.
There are three groups of people in this world, heavy drinkers, moderate drinkers and teetotalers.
Heavy drinkers die youngest, (no surprise there) followed by teetotalers. Moderate drinkers live the longest.
The latest scientific studies suggest that a man drinking a bottle of wine a night can expect to live as long as a non-drinker.
I'm 41, I drink about 50 units a week, as a young man I was routinely doubling or trebling that figure.
My health is still something I take very seriously. Eyes, bloodshot? no, check. Broken facial capillaries? no, check. Biannual physical, P2, check.
Drink up son, its later than you think.

 

[JoseyWales]

I couldn't give a toss - the way I see it, a few good years and then out.

Who wants to stick around to end up in a nursing home suffering the cold bath treatment.

As Heinz Guderian said;

' Ticket to the end station'.

 

[smiffy_the_ferret]

This is a case of do-as-I-say, not do-as-I-do. I present myself as a cautionary tale.

Despite my avatar, I am not a doctor, only a bio-scientist focusing on human health.

The 21 -unit/week rules was worked out on a "what can you do your entire life without shortening it" basis. There's another table the BMA publishes to medics, but *doesn't* want the general public to see. Apart from being too pissed/hungover to work/drive-to-work the next day there's little long-term harm in drinking up-to 50 units/week, if you're a young, strong male, (I'm sure a lot of squaddies notched that up in the good old days of BAOR) for periods of 6-24 months.

Like I said: it's do-as-I-say, not do-as-I-do. I've been drinking a fair bit more than usual, possibly breaking the 50U/week level a few times, since my Professor canceled my PhD funding; as-far-as-I've-heard he's given it to his daughter's boyfriend. This, coupled with the fact that my turds are a fairly light shade of tan, suggests that my Haeme metabolism (takes place in the liver) may be compromised (I told y'all I'm a disgustingly clinical scientist...). However, these are stessors, and make me reach for the bottle. Cue viscous spiral...

If you can take an extended alcohol-break, then "go-you!".
I do so, but not as often as I should, i.e. once/fortnight instead of twice/week. I'm trying to remember the last time I had two consecutive nights *both* booze-free. Ho-hum. Perhaps I should follow your example?

Take home message: If you're under 48 Units/week, exercising regularly, taking at least one night off-booze/ week and eating right, you're probably OK (I am not a doctor)
As several posters hinted, if you can spend one booze-free night you're OK. As a truly alcoholic house-mate said to me a few years ago; it's when you wake up with a full bladder, but need to drink most of a bottle of wine in order to face the stagger to the loo, that's when you have a problem!