How much do you need to drink to become an alcoholic?

Question

I guess I wasn't specific..
I don't drink every day and not even every weekend, but I have someone close who drinks about 2 beers every evening, more at the parties and at the weekend.

I worry and wonder how dangerous it is. If you skip drinking, lets say 1 day a week, does it prevent you from alcohol dependancy? I would really appreciate some informative, scientificaly proved answer.

Answer 1

About two years'-worth, every night. Quantity immaterial.

Answer 2

AA talks about two kinds of drinker: a chronic alcoholic (i.e. daily can't get out of bed or eat before a drink) and a periodic, which means people can go without drink for weeks, months and sometimes years without a drink, YET when they do have that first drink it sets off this chain of events which results in not being able to control it or stop after that first drink). The periodic or binge drinker is probably in just as much, if not more trouble than the chronic because at least the chronic usually knows they're f***** but the binge drinker thinks it's normal cause everyones doing it. by the way not doing your liver much good either way! see new stats on younger people with end stage liver disease!! (AA has a saying: "it's better to be in AA rooms pretending to be an alcoholic, than being outside pretending you'r not!!!"

Answer 3

I think if you're an alcoholic, then it doesn't matter what the amount is. The question is: Has your drinking affected your life negatively? If not at this moment, do you see that it potentially COULD?

For me, my drinking led to broken relationships, two DUIs, a few nites in jail, fines, jacked up car insurance, one car crash which could have been deadly (for me), blackouts, falling down and injuring myself ("unexplained bruises"), being kicked out of a grad program, having no money, up to my a ss in debt, lost jobs, eight stays in a pysch unit in the past six years, legal bills, nearly a hundred promiscuous sexual encounters, numerous "dual diagnosis" programs, living at home at age 41, parents having to help me financially, family and friends scared to death, loss of friends, bad reputation, etc etc.

It FINALLY occurred to me that "normal drinkers" don't experience these kinds of incidents.

Now I face a two-year suspension of my driver's license, have no job, and don't know what the hell I'm going to do. But I stopped drinking, and I see it getting better already, each day.

All the while, I kept saying "O it's my DEPRESSION that has caused my problems." I didn't want to admit that it was the drinking. I DO suffer from depression, this is true, but the alcohol is like pouring gas on that fire.

I didn't get in trouble every time I drank - but every time I had trouble or problems, I was either drinking, or it was related to drinking. In other words, the common denominator was always alcohol.

However, it doesn't have to get THIS BAD for one to be an alcoholic. I have seen guys go through much worse, but I have also seen people get sober who saw trouble coming, but who never got in serious trouble. I envy those latter types!

Also, it is not true that an alcoholic always drinks DAILY. Some certainly do. But I didn't drink daily, I was a "binge drinker." In other words, every few weeks I would go hog wild and drink for a few days straight. But other days and weeks, I didn't touch it all. It's different for every person.

You can go online and do numerous self-tests to see if you have a problem or not.

Great question, BTW.

Love, Jack.

Answer 4

I don't know.. I've had a bucket full of gin and tonics tonight, but I don't think I'm there yet.. I will keep trying
seriously it is not how much but it is about dependence. Do you need a drink to get through the day if you do you are probably an alcoholic.
P.S. i have had a lot of gins and I am a bit pissed but I am not an alcoholic

Answer 5

Its not really a question of how much, its how your body can or cant function without alcohol. In the third stage of alcoholism, the mitochodria in the cells actually change and the body cant function without alcohol anymore, and the body recognized alcohol as a food.
Pretty much, if you start the day drinking and cant be normal without it, you are an alcoholic.

Answer 6

you either are or aren't an alcoholic it's an addiction that can be hereditary similar to gambling,some people can drink and not be effected by needing another one, being an alcoholic is a illness it's not in the amount of alcohol you consume.
Is it binge drinking that you could be thinking about which would be different.

Answer 7

You are an alcoholic if you drink more than 4times a week and more than 2 glasses at the time, your body gets hooked, even before your mind be!

Answer 8

There is no specific amount you need to drink to be an alcoholic. An alcoholic is someone who cannot control their drinking, and alcoholism is an illness.

Answer 9

its not how much you drink its the effect it has on you.If you find you cant just have one drink ut crave for another it might be a good idea to talk to alcoholics anonymous.Alcoholism is an illness of the mind,body and spirit which can be treated .it is not a weakness.recovery is the best buzz.

Answer 10

1 pint of larger a day or 2 glasses of wine a day. The op word for an alcoholic is DAILY. Not HOW MUCH.

Answer 11

its not the amount you drink, its how often eg every day needing a drink. Also making up excuses to drink such as we need to celebrate this ot that