Would you consider daily alcohol use a problem?

[c073186]

I find myself debating this with myself frequently. I often have a strong desire to have a drink on most nights, making that 5-7 nights a week, but most of the time (and always when it is a weeknight), it is just one drink. It isn't like I can't function without, it's just an urge to have one like some people crave something sweet after dinner. And according to recent evidence, it seems that having one drink a day is not necessarily bad for your health (some say it's good). But for some reason I still have this guilty feeling if I have a drink most nights... like I am doing something wrong.

What do you think? Is one drink each or most nights really a bad thing? Do many people here drink on a daily or near daily basis? I would say it's important to distinguish between having 1-2 drinks and drinking heavily every day, which is not at all what I am talking about.

 

[basesloaded190]

I'd be afraid that the desire to want a drink every day is going to turn into needing a drink everyday and then turning into needing many drinks everyday.

 

[c073186]

I'd be afraid that the desire to want a drink every day is going to turn into needing a drink everyday and then turning into needing many drinks everyday.

True, I can see that point. I guess "strong urge" may have been poorly worded. More like I just feel like having one (meaning I am not obsessing over it). I guess I can relate to the person who started the thread on drinking when bored.

 

[jwingfie]

I don't think there is anything wrong with having a beer every night. I went about 2 years of having multiple beers a night but this past january decided I wanted to get back in shape and have cut out drinking expect in social situations. I thought it would be hard to stop drinking but it honestly wasn't. Unfortunately football season starts soon so I know my drinking will increase significantly on thursday-sunday.

 

[0098386]

Personally I always thought a problem is something you can't give up that negatively effects you. It sounds like you can give up drinking that one drink a day and that it has no negative effect on you.

 

[iaymnu]

I drink every night usually together with my GF or our friends during dinner and after. Consumption daily would be about 2-4 300ml soju bottles between me and my GF. More with other. Us Korean love to drink. and smoke

If your drinking doesn't have negative impact on your life style imho you have it under control.

 

[marc11]

Here in Japan most people drink nearly every night, rather common. But there is a huge difference between enjoying a beer after a days work out on the back deck and craving a drink where you must have it.

 

[Abstract]

I'm exactly like you, and am questioning my own drinking as well.

I drink almost every day, sometimes in the middle of the day, and usually alone. It's not that I "need" a drink. I just happen to want a drink after dinner, or whenever I get home and don't have anything else to do. I'll have 1 drink, sometimes 2 drinks. I drink scotch or bourbon, neat (i.e. without ice or anything), so it's difficult for me to define what 1 drink is. One "drink" for me is approximately 2 shots, which is ~1.3 beers (if a beer bottle usually contains 1.5 "standard drinks").

If I'm watching TV, usually I'll have a drink. It's difficult for me to not drink while watching TV. A dessert-like snack is a good substitute though, which is why I feel that it's not the alcohol that I crave. I just want something. However, when I'm on the internet, I usually don't feel the urge to grab a drink, since I spend time on MR and some news websites, and may feel like commenting (i.e. typing).

 

[iStudentUK]

Personally I would be concerned if I found myself drinking every night, even if it was just a small amount. Problems with alcohol can sneak up on people, and I'd see consuming small amounts daily as a risk of falling into this.

I'd say I drink two nights a week on average, this week I have had one pint at the pub with friends after work one evening, and shared a bottle of wine at a restaurant with my fiancé.

 

[Melrose]

I would say its how much you consume than how often. I have a drink about half the time, but never to point of being inebriated. My doctor said alcohol every day is good for you. Or something. I have a cool doctor.

 

[Huntn]

The generalized definition of alcoholism is when drinking alcohol negatively effects your life. By your description it does not sound like this is where you are however, if you feel a need, compulsion, desire to consume an alcoholic drink every day, I'd say that is grounds to be alarmed. On some level it is a dependency, physical or mental.

I know several people who drink about a six pack of beer a day. One is a functional alcoholic, the other I'm not sure about. You can become resistant so that when drinking a substantial number of drinks, you are drunk, but not falling down drunk. I do know that it's a daily calorie intake you don't need.

For myself, I drink coffee all most every day. I admit this has become a habit, but worst case, coffee can't do to you what alcohol can do. Mostly I drink bear, probably 3-6 beers a month, one per occasion.

 

[.Andy]

The current australian medical guidelines are no more than 1-2 std drinks per day with days off/lesser intake being better for you. The NHMRC states that there is no level of alcohol intake that can be deemed entirely safe in terms of alcohol related disease or harm. It was pretty strong wording and when the guidelines were intially released you can imagine the outcry from the alcohol industry and its affiliates.

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ds10-alcoholqa.pdf

 

[zioxide]

1-2 beers or glasses of wine a night? no problem.

more than 3-4 per night? that's alcoholism.

 

[snberk103]

I find myself debating this with myself frequently. I often have a strong desire to have a drink on most nights, making that 5-7 nights a week, but most of the time (and always when it is a weeknight), it is just one drink. ...t.

I think the important questions is.... Can you go without a drink for week? It can become a habit, for example, to have a glass of wine with dinner - and dinner would be "wrong" should the glass of wine be absent. But habits you can decide to break relatively easily. However, if you find you can't go a week or two without a drink - that you find excuses to have one (to not make your friends feel awkward, because the bar needs to make the sale, etc) then I'd say you may potentially have a more serious issue that requires a professional opinion.

Just my non-expert 2 cents worth.

 

[G51989]

I find myself debating this with myself frequently. I often have a strong desire to have a drink on most nights, making that 5-7 nights a week, but most of the time (and always when it is a weeknight), it is just one drink. It isn't like I can't function without, it's just an urge to have one like some people crave something sweet after dinner. And according to recent evidence, it seems that having one drink a day is not necessarily bad for your health (some say it's good). But for some reason I still have this guilty feeling if I have a drink most nights... like I am doing something wrong.

What do you think? Is one drink each or most nights really a bad thing? Do many people here drink on a daily or near daily basis? I would say it's important to distinguish between having 1-2 drinks and drinking heavily every day, which is not at all what I am talking about.

I don't think you have a problem unless you really can't stop.

I typically do some drinking on the weekends if I'm not going anywhere ( not blackout drunk drinking, just do some shots, get Kinda buzzed, and pwn n00bs at this ****** game I play called Soldner. Totally using that 7000 dollar gaming rig wisely right? jk, I play new games to ). Or sometimes, you gotta drink it up and scream into your xbox headset

There was a point, about a year ago were I was doing shots every night, just because I was working 12 hour days, with no days off for about 3 months ( Big bonus check though ). And I don't do that anymore, but I almost wanna say it was a problem.

Its how you look at it, but I think your good.

 

[Tomorrow]

Speaking strictly in terms of the quantity of alcohol being consumed (one drink a day), in and of itself I wouldn't consider that a problem.

However:

I find myself debating this with myself frequently.

I often have a strong desire to have a drink on most nights

...it's just an urge to have one like some people crave something sweet after dinner.

...for some reason I still have this guilty feeling if I have a drink most nights... like I am doing something wrong.

I would consider all of these to be indicative of a problem.

 

[eric/]

Does it affect your daily life?

Can you not have a drink and be ok?

If it doesn't effect you, and you don't have an actual addiction, have at it!

 

[Peace]

Go live in France and a lot of other European countries.

 

[thekev]

1-2 beers or glasses of wine a night? no problem.

more than 3-4 per night? that's alcoholism.

Bleck... if I'm on my own I practically never drink. If I'm out with people who drink regularly so it's there, I could probably put away many per night. I definitely wouldn't drive on it.