Am I an alcoholic? / How much do you drink?

[King_Cone]

Hi,

I was curious if I have a drinking problem, or if I only drink slightly more than "most"

Although I've certainly slammed bottles and bottles of vodka over the years, my alcohol of choice over the past year or so has been beer.

I drink (EXCLUSIVELY) Hurricane High Gravity Lager. It's a 8.1% alcohol beer, and I purchase it in 24 oz. cans.

I may be a bit off, but my understanding is that a "regular" beer (budweiser) is about 4 % alcohol and 12 oz.

That being said, my hurricanes are twice the alcohol and twice the volume of a normal beer. Therefore whenever I drink one can of Hurricane it's actually 4 "regular" beers.

I've cut back a bit recently, but just a while back I would drink 3 cans of this a day- which equals approx. 90 cans per month, which equates to 360 "regular" beers per month. If someone told me they drank 360 beers a month I'd say they were a RAGING alcoholic. I didn't feel I was drinking excessively but the numbers don't lie- 360 beers per month seems kind of outrageous to me?

Now, at present, I only drink a maximum of two cans per day and some days only one can. So although I'd still like to cut back even more, I feel I'm not doing too bad.

I should mention, that I never, ever, drink to get drunk- just a nice buzz. It's not like I pound it all at once, I stretch it out over a 2-3 hour period.

I was reading about drinking issues over the past few days, and I guess that if you have more than 14 drinks per week your considered a HEAVY drinker. I easily have the equivalent of 50 or more drinks per week, so I guess that means I'm a heavy drinker x's 4 ?

Do any of you guys drink as much as I do? I don't feel I have a drinking problem, or that I'm doing damage to my health, so I just wanted to know how much other people consume per week/month.

Thanks in advance for any input

[megabyteme]

Welcome King_Can, errr, King_Cone!

Yeah, that seems like quite a bit- especially since it is every night. I think the fact that you have been doing some comparing to "the norm" indicates that you have had a suspicion that you were drinking to excess.

I don't know you and it isn't up to me to give you any kind of label, but you can ask yourself some questions that don't focus entirely on the amount you consume, but rather the real-life effects. Things I would recommend considering:

How much do you spend each month on beer? What could you do with this money if you were to save it over 5, or even 10 years- the amount will stagger you. It doesn't sound like you drink cheap stuff.

How old are you? Have you progressed through life like a "normal" person- buying a house, relationship, school, kids, meeting your "hopes and dreams" for your expectations at this time of your life. Is alcohol getting in the way of any of these things?

How is your health? Are you over-weight? Decent over-all? Do you eat a healthy diet?

I would also ask if there is come underlying reason why you want this "buzz" every night. Do you like your job/people you work with? Have excessive bills? Essentially, are you masking anything that you don't like about your life?

I don't expect any answers here. I intend this mainly for your own self-analysis. Good luck regardless of your answers!

[MagicNakor]

This:



is one of my favourite beers. Of course I'm a bit buzzed on vodka right now so I probably shouldnt' be posting in this thread However, I will say that cost-wise, BC bud is much cheaper, and so for my "vice budget" for the month, I spend on smokeable rather than drinkable. I like to think it's better for you healthwise, but I suppose only time will tell there

[MagicNakor]

Ew, too many faces.

[Albo Da Kid]

If you're at the point where you're wondering if you have a problem, it usually means that you definitely do have a problem.

Try and slow down a little by little. Find a hobby or something instead of drinking everytime u get bored. Good luck!

[QPD]

Medically speaking there is a way to check this.It's called the abstinence trial.All you have to do is stay sober for 24 H straight and then taste just a small glass ( 100ml of alchool - beer of whatever you want) If you can stop there for the next 24 h then you are clean.If you go crazy for another glass( in the next few hours), then you should get treated.My wife's a shrink.I know what I am talking about!

[IdolEyes787]

I would also ask if there is come underlying reason why you want this "buzz" every night. Do you like your job/people you work with? Have excessive bills? Essentially, are you masking anything that you don't like about your life?

Exactly excessive drinking is for a reason . Know the reason , ( hopefully) solve the problem.Btw if you say that you don't have any problems and you drink with such regularity simply because you enjoy it then you are in denial and really have issues.
Same holds true if it wasn't compulsive drinking but instead compulsive exercise or sex . It's not what you feel the need to do but rather the need itself.

[IdolEyes787]

PS seeking advice from some anonymous twit on the internet( who may or may not know what he is talking about ) concerning serious , life -effecting things is potentially more dangerous sillier than drinking 2 beers a night.

[megabyteme]

PS seeking advice from some anonymous twit on the internet( who may or may not know what he is talking about ) concerning serious , life -effecting things is potentially more dangerous sillier than drinking 2 beers a night.

I am NOT anonymous.

Anyway, the OP was probably drunk off his ass when he made the post.

[Biggles]

There is small Scottish brewery that specialises in death by beer. It does indeed say 32% on the bottle and it is called tactical nuclear penguin ..... what's not to like?