Author Topic: How much is too much alcohol?  (Read 19624 times)

arebelspy

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #50 on: April 29, 2014, 06:39:18 AM »
Winers?
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GuitarStv

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #51 on: April 29, 2014, 06:45:54 AM »
Seems like a lot to me.

Try not drinking any booze for a month, and see how you feel.  If it ends up that you have extreme difficulty doing this, maybe re-examine your habit.  If there's no problem giving up your drinking, then there's probably no problem with the amount that you're having.

James

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #52 on: April 29, 2014, 07:15:25 AM »
I have asked myself the same question some weeks. I will get off work on a post call day, deal with the kids for a few hours, and by evening I'm ready for a couple beers. Then I wonder if having a couple beers on a weeknight is healthy. Especially if I am also having a few on the weekend.


On the other hand, I also go some weeks with only a beer or two all week.


Regarding cost, I'm brewing up a batch of hard cider right now, hoping that will stand in for some beer without causing me to drink a lot more. We will see.


Just good to be asking yourself the question, and probably best to make sure you can go a week without wine every so often just to make sure you are keeping it under control.

worms

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #53 on: April 29, 2014, 09:03:35 AM »
I guess the medical advice varies around the globe, but it seems to be fairly well accepted that a couple of alcohol-free days a week is good practice, to give the liver a little down-time and as a check against the risk of addiction.

Everyone varies, but I can't agree with the wine-box advice, it just means that it is always on tap, and my consumption would increase in that scenario.

dcheesi

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #54 on: April 29, 2014, 09:05:15 AM »
At one point I was in the habit of having a few drinks every night after work. One of the things I realized was that often when I was craving a beer, what my body really wanted was food/carbs. Once I had a good dinner in me, those cravings went away. I was just used to my first night-time calories coming from beverages, since it's much quicker to pop a top than it is to cook dinner.

ShortInSeattle

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #55 on: April 29, 2014, 09:08:49 AM »
Here is a link to a good self-assessment to help you evaluate dependency.  http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/learn-about-alcohol/alcohol-abuse-self-test

I grew up with alcoholics, and I'd say that 3-4 drinks per day was pretty much the baseline for them. Weeknights were typically "under control" with heavier amounts on the weekends. Then during social events, out with friends, at picnics, at sporting events... the numbers would go way up.

Then as the disease progresses, add in some late night drinking...
Then a six pack after work some nights... just to take the edge off...
Then you can't really relax without a drink in your hand...
Then your social life starts to revolve around other heavy drinkers... because having fun without a drink isn't really possible...

Alcoholism is progressive - so a "rising" number of drinks per day to get the same effect could be a problem.

Alcoholism has a genetic component as well, so you might look to your family tree for clues.

I think it's awesome that you're asking the question.  Better safe that sorry!

I agree that the "month off" plan sounds like a good first step.  If it's no big deal - no harm no foul.  If you find yourself antsy and hatching secret plans to find some wine when no one is looking - you've got some dependency issues.

Good luck!

jnik

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #56 on: April 29, 2014, 02:57:18 PM »
Quote
Asking patients how many times in the past year they consumed five or more drinks in a day (for men), and four or more (for women) is just as effective as administering a longer screening questionnaire in uncovering alcohol dependence, according to Dr. Richard Saitz of the Boston University School of Public Health.
Ha! When I was at BU, we called that "Tuesday."

DaKini

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #57 on: April 30, 2014, 02:41:14 AM »
After scaling down on alcohol (i never drank that much after my teen years and early  20s and particularly after getting in a relationship) i now can observe the heavy effect alcohol causes to my organism:
I feel slightly drunk after one glass of wine or a small bottle of beer (bavarian "small" is 0.5 liter with about 5% alc vol.).
Even this quantity causes my sleep quality to be much worse, i usually feel much more tired and its much harder to get out of bed.
What is astonishing to me is how small i valued those effects at the times when i drank much more compared to how massive i value them nowadays. That was a huge shift, but it is not easy to notice the effects because hedonic adaption works here too. You are just used to the effects so much you cannot feel them conciously.

Since i discovered this i usually don't drink alcohol during the week and only rarely on weekends; probably once every two or three weeks.

rocklebock

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Re: How much is too much alcohol?
« Reply #58 on: April 30, 2014, 10:20:30 PM »
Oenophiles, guys. They're called oenophiles.