My friend drinks heavily three to four times a week but insists he's in perfect health. Is he?

Question

One of my good friends loves to go out to bars and he goes three to four times a week. Each of those times, he'll have seven or eight drinks. Whiskey is his drink of choice, though he also likes gin and beer too.

I always thought he overdid it and have tried to tell him that it isn't good for him to drink that much but he insists that he's in perfect health. Just recently he went in to see his doctor for a complete physical and he told me that the doctor said "You're in great health - whatever you're doing, keep doing it"!

I'd like to know if it's possible for someone to drink this heavily over the years and still be healthy. Also, I'd like to know what I should say to my friend to get him to think twice about drinking so much.

Answer 1

I honestly and truly doubt that he is in great health, especially since you can't see his stomach or liver at a physical. The fact is that alcohol in excess in not good for you, and neither is the mental midset that continuing to do so will be good for you. The best way to get your friend to realize what he is doing is to literally show him what hapens to your body when you have been excessively drinking over the years. A good exhibit, if is is close to you, is Body Worlds...it was amazing to see what alcohol can do to your whole system. If not, start with this:

Answer 2

If he's in perfect health now, he won't be later. That is excessive drinking and it will eventually catch up with him in the form of liver damage. By the way, it isn't right that he brags about his doctor telling him he's in great health. You know he didn't tell the doctor about his excessive drinking or the doctor would have cautioned him about his behavior. He probably would have ordered a liver enzyme study - which is a blood test not generally done during a physical. All you can do is let him know your concern about his drinking and don't go out drinking with him. It will give him mixed messages.

Answer 3

Take it from someone who knows that heavy drinking over the lifetime will eventually kill your lungs and liver no matter how young or old your friend is.
I have witness death because of drinking and smoking and the health is a "good for now" basis but not good for later by all means.
Tell your friend that as he gets older, he will lose most commom functions of his body, such as taste buds, and he will also experience weakness in his body and the heavy will contribute to these losses.
I know that you must care about your friend alot, but evaluate yourself and the kind of person that you are and maybe he is the person that needs to find this out for himself and not you.
As he gets older though, he will experience the effects of the drinking because the literature on alcohol consumption is there if you show it to him and educate him about the subject, I am sure that he will grow to learn that it is bad.
Also, you have to evaluate your friend's life and the situations that he goes through on a daily basis.
Show him the meaning of being happy in life and the drinking will stop.
Hope this helps.

Answer 4

It is quite possible that he is in perfect health at the moment. People react differently to alcohol and other carcinogens. It's the same thing as the person who smokes 2 packs a day and still manages to run 5 miles a day. (I have an uncle that used to do that) But eventually everything catches up with you. I would suggest trying to show him the effects of alcohol on his internal organs over time. Prolonged exposure to large quantities of alcohol or other drugs can cause diseases like cirrhosis of the liver.

Answer 5

Healthy now doesn't mean he'll be healthy later. My boyfriend smoked a pack a day for over a decade and the doctor tells him he's in perfect health... but in later years he could suffer from smoking related illnesses I'm sure... same goes for your friend. Maybe talk to your doctor and get some information to pass along to your friend about the ways that his lifestyle could really hurt him in later years.

Answer 6

no he is not. take it from an expert.I used to drink heavily until one day I started gaining weight,lost my appetite,and the blood vessels on my chest looked like a rosd map.They told me i had a bad liver,and I used to have to go to the hospital once a week so they could poke a big needle in my side and drain sometimes 8 liters of fluid that built up.I'm a guy and I looked like I was 9 months pregnant,you couldn't even see my belly button.all these are signs so observe your friend.I finely got a operation called a TIPS procedure,which consist of taking a good blood vessel coming out of theliver(if you still have one) and splicing it into one going to the heart.Most of all show your friend he is truly loved and that makes all the difference ,to getting him to quit drinking.I've quit 3 years ago and have never been happier.

Answer 7

No it will take a toll on his body. Anything to excess will. Plus liquor kills brain cellls that do not grow back. Its likely he didnt tell the doctor about his habits so the doctor did test for the effects of it.

You are a good friend however, you cant make a person with a drinking problem get help. They have to do it themself.

Answer 8

He may be healthy now......but, in due time his health won't be so great if he continues to drink heavily! he could develop sclerosis of the liver from drinking.

Answer 9

Mentally he is not well. He may or may not be well physically. He needs to go to a doctor and tell the doctor the situation.

Answer 10

I certainly have heard alot of myths approximately masterbation yet certainly all those issues you comprehend are all in basic terms some myths if the guy save it 2 or thrice each week it cant injury you i think of