How often do you have to drink alchool for it to be considered a problem?

Question

I was just looking for others opinions. My hubby for the last 2 months has been drinking every night he normally has 2 or 3 at the most four 16 ounce 8.9% alchool beers. I feel that this is to much. Just looking for others opinions. Am i wrong?

Answer 1

No you are not wrong. I think drinking is no different than drugs, sooner or later his body will build tolerance to the 2 beers and it will lead to 4 than a six pack, Yes it is a problem. Why is he drinking? Is he unhappy, stressed, over worked? People don't drink everyday because they love the taste, it's to cover, hide feelings or gain confidence. Yet once he finish drinking and his high comes down he still has the same problem. I think you have the right and should mention it to him and see what his reaction is. of course you will here i can handle it it's not a problem and i will not have more than 2. There are so many people 6 feet under because of denial and because they thought they could handle it.

Answer 2

Alcoholism or rather alcohol dependency is not like being pregnant, meaning either you are or you aren't. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and it presents itself in stages. Some folks can safely drink daily, others can't. It's not necessarily how often a person drinks, but what happens when the person starts to drink. Although daily drinking can be a sign of alcoholism, loss of control after a person starts drinking is a clearer sign. The old saying goes, "one drink is too many and a thousand isn't enough."

Here's are the clinical signs of an alcohol problem:
loss of control
withdrawal symptoms when not drinking - such as tremors, night sweats, nausea/vomiting
blackouts - blackouts occur when you drink too much and cannot remember events that transpired while you were drinking.

One test to determine if alcohol is a problem is the CAGE test. Have you ever felt you ought to Cut down on your drinking or drug use? Do you get Annoyed at criticism of your drinking or drug use? Do you ever feel Guilty about your drinking or drug use? Do you ever take an Early-morning drink (eye-opener) or use drugs first thing in the morning ("a little hair of the dog that bit you") to get the day started or to eliminate the "shakes"?

If any of these answers are yes, it may be time to examine one's drinking. There are many places you can turn for help. Call your doctor, contact your local health dept or look for Alcoholics Anonymous in the white pages of your phone book. AA meetings
are everywhere and they are free.

Good luck.

Rick the Pharmacist

Answer 3

You aren't wrong. It is a problem. You pretty much know that, right? He HAS to drink every night. He may say he's had a hard day, or that he works hard-why shouldn't he be able to come home and have some beers? It's an excuse. If he didn't drink tonight......do you think he would be thinking about it all night? Would he be angry, maybe violent if there was no beer? Would he immediately run out and get some? Does he stay away from gatherings where beer will be limited or does he drink a lot before you go out? These are all signs of alcoholism.

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_find_meeting.cfm

Answer 4

Well, has he been drinking for 2 months, or have you been married for 2 months? if it's the first, then it sounds like a lot to me. 2-4 beers daily over a period of 2 months seems excessive. It sounds like something that may not really be a problem NOW, but it could develop into one. He probably has control over his drinking at the moment, since this is a recent development. I think it would be wise to explore why he is drinking so much - is he worried, depressed, unemployed? Perhaps he should see a clinician to work through some issues. If he can think of no reason for the increase in his consumption of alcohol (He's a guy, and he's going to say things like "I just feel like it", so you will need to prod), maybe he is just bored. See if you can get him out to a movie after work. Also, explain you love him and are worried. Tell him it frightens you that he has begun to drink so much and so steadily. Ask him what he needs. There must be something missing if he is sitting home and getting trashed every night. And if he becomes defensive and insists you need to mind your own business, shut up, you are just like your mother, remind him you didn't plan to marry a drunk and if things get out of hand, you are out of there. You can only "stand by your man" for so long.
On the other hand, if he has been drinking like this for a long time and you are only noticing now because you married him 2 months ago, then yes, it's still too much and the above still applies. Additionally, it seems like you didn't do enough research before saying "I do". Possible troubled times ahead. Good luck.

Answer 5

You won't know if it's really a problem until you talk to him about it. If you say "Honey, I've noticed that you're drinking more lately and I was wondering if anything was wrong" there are several ways he could react.

1] Gee have I? If it's bothering you I'll cut down. - This is the good answer.

2] I've been under some stress lately (or some other plausible excuse). - This is where you get to talk to him about what's bothering him and suggest ways to deal with it which are not drinking. Maybe he needs to change jobs, or maybe finances are tight and you need to make a budget. Whatever it is insist on seeing one night where he doesn't drink just to be sure he can do it.

3] Angry aggressive responses such as "No I'm Not!" or "It's none of your business!" or "I can handle it!" - that's an alcoholic. That's when you start going to Al-Anon and learn from other people living with alcoholics how to deal with it.

Answer 6

Every person is different and there is no ONE answer to this question.
For example, take an alcoholic, they say that one drink is too many and a thousand are not enough.
If your husband goes through any kind of 'withdrawal' if he doesn't have his beers, then he 'needs' them to function, or his body thinks that he needs them. If it's not causing problems with his or your life, job or well being, then maybe it's not a problem. Hard to answer this question.
To me personally, this drinking of the beers EVERY NIGHT could BECOME a problem and probably will further on down the road. An occasional beer is not a problem with most people, but if you drink every night sooner or later the amount increases whether or not it's the amount of beers or the amount of time you are drinking them.

Answer 7

If he has to have a drink every day then I would say it is a problem.
If he just enjoys having a beer when he comes home from a hard day's work, that's okay.
But three or four? Sounds a bit excessive.
If there is a history of alcoholism in his family, the problem will most likely (statistically, if you follow those things) get worse as time goes by.
If it is bothering you, I would talk to him. Let him know that you are worried without making it sound like you are mothering him.

Good luck, I wish you all the best!

Answer 8

Every night does seem to be more than normal. But it depends on the length of time too. Three beers over the course of a four hour period isn't an alarm, but the same number in an hour would be probably considered bad. Two beers each night is considered healthy by the medical community. But, like anything else, more than that can be an indication of a problem. You may want to see if something is bothering him, possibly work related or something. Be sure to express that you care for him, have noticed this change in his behavior, and are concerned. It may be nothing, or maybe not. You don't want it to get worse. I used to drink a sixpack every night. The wife got worried, told me, and I cut way back. Now, I'll drink while watching football on tv, or maybe two in the evening. But I limit myself. My wife means more to me than my beer. I wouldn't worry about two beers. But a string of nights with four or more all in a row, that's something else, a problem with drinking or a problem with something (or someone).

Answer 9

What amount of alcohol is a problem amount is highly subjective, one tin is a problem for me because I get migraine from alcohol!

Generally problem drinkers and alcoholics are identified not by what they drink, but the effect their drinking has on their lives.
I would say that the following are what alcohol intake should be measured against.

1. physical health. Does the drinking make them ill.
2. mental health. Is there a reliance on drinking or an effect on their moods.
3. relationships. Does the drinking impact negatively on their personal relationships.
4. finance. Does the drinking place a strain on their financial stability.
5. Career. Does the drinking adversely affect their ability to work properly.

These may provide you with some interesting questions about your own situation.

Answer 10

I think officially men can have 2 alcoholic drinks per day and women can have 1. Now i don't think as a man your allowed to have... say.... 2 long islands as ur two drinks =). any more than that is probly not good for you. but beer is a tasty beverage... is he drinking it b/c he's enjoying the fine nuances of a good beer or is he drinking it for it's effects? and if he's drinking most popular american beers he is doing the 2nd one. then I would consider that a problem and tell him how u feel. if it's important to you it should be important to him to listen to u and at least consider your opinion.