Question about frequency & amount of alcohol use
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
That would describe my drinking habits for about the first 8 years of my drinking. I consider that my training time. The last 2 years got increasing bad fast. The entire last year was total hell. I can't say if you have a problem or not, but at that level you are playing with fire. Your body is being forced to adapt to the alcohol. Hopefully you will not end up on the same path I am. I know though that there is nothing anyone could say that would have made me quit back then. Take care of yourself, check into what vitamins you are depriving yourself by your drinking. I am new here, but I have yet to see anyone be anything but supportive.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: "I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost ..."
Posts: 5,273
but in my opinion saying that everyone who's concerned about his/her drinking is an alcoholic,
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
that definition of binge drinking isn't that great. most average weight/height women are over .08 after 2 glasses of wine. and it takes about 3 1/2 hrs for me to consume 4 drinks & i'm sure that i'm over .08 when that happens. and no, i don't drive when i drink.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by losteverything 
I started off with just a few on days off...then a few every couple of days..then a few more on those days, then everyday..then all day. It seems like you have given so much thought and energy into alcohol. Let me ask you this...if it isn't a problem for you, do you also put this much thought and energy into, say... drinking coffee, or juice? Do you stress over when you can have your next ice cream, how many ice creams you can have? .. you have found yourself on an Addiction Recovery Website..that didn't happen by accident..
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by silentrun
That would describe my drinking habits for about the first 8 years of my drinking. I consider that my training time. The last 2 years got increasing bad fast. The entire last year was total hell. I can't say if you have a problem or not, but at that level you are playing with fire. Your body is being forced to adapt to the alcohol. Hopefully you will not end up on the same path I am. I know though that there is nothing anyone could say that would have made me quit back then. Take care of yourself, check into what vitamins you are depriving yourself by your drinking. I am new here, but I have yet to see anyone be anything but supportive.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by soberlicious
I don't even use the word alcoholic very often. I don't define myself that way either. I think Boozeybutterfly is hyperfocused on alcohol. That's my opinion. To me, the concern is not amount or frequency, but rather the lengths that one goes to in order to keep alcohol in their life. If I have a problem with latex and it breaks me out, I don't do everything possible to try and figure out how I can keep putting on rubber gloves. I don't even entertain other solutions beyond the obvious one. Quit touching latex period.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 567
I have this posted somewhere, but don't remember where.
I won't tell my story, the facts are what I found to pertain to me, the " physical craving" for more alcohol after the first drink. I find this to be a layperson's interpretation of how alcohol is metabolised.
The question is, do you relate to what's described in the following
information ?
I won't tell my story, the facts are what I found to pertain to me, the " physical craving" for more alcohol after the first drink. I find this to be a layperson's interpretation of how alcohol is metabolised.
The question is, do you relate to what's described in the following
information ?
Medical Information (not AA)
The body metabolises alcohol just like any other thing we put in (like meat).
For the normal social drinker they drink alcohol. They put it in their system.
The mind begins to signal certain organs to produce enzymes. These organs produce those enzymes and those enzymes attack the alcohol.
In the first stage it is broken down into a material called acetaldehyde.
After a period of time it is broken down to diacetic acid.
After a period of time it is broken down to acetone.
In the final stages it is broken down to a simple carbohydrate which is made up of water, sugar and carbon dioxide.
The body can use the sugar (calories – pure energy) and burns it and stores the excess as fat.
The water will be dissipated through the urinary intestinal tract.
The carbon dioxide breathed out through the lungs.
In the normal drinker this takes place at the rate of 1 oz per hour.
Theoretically speaking, the social drinker can drink 1 oz per hour forever and not get drunk.
--------------------;
The alcoholic is separated from the normal drinker by a disease called alcoholism.
That’s all the word DISEASE means - to separate you from the norm.
The alcoholic puts a drink in his/her system and the same thing begins to occur.
They put alcohol in their system.
The mind and the body senses what’s there.
The mind begins to signal certain organs to produce enzymes.
Those organs produce those enzymes and those enzymes attack the alcohol.
In the first stage it is broken down into a material called acetaldehyde.
After a period of time it is broken down to diacetic acid.
After a period of time it is broken down to acetone.
It seems as though in the body of the alcoholic, the enzymes necessary to break it from acetone to the simple carbohydrate are not there in the same quality and quantities as they are in the body of the non-alcoholic.
Therefore the breakdown rate from acetone to simple carbohydrate occurs at a much slower pace in the body of the alcoholic than it does in the normal drinker.
Maybe it’s a 1/4 oz per hour depending on the enzyme production of that particular body.
It is a well known medical fact today that the acetone ingested into the human body that stays there for an appreciable period of time will produce an actual physical craving of more of the same.
In the body of the non-alcoholic, it goes through that stage so rapidly, the craving never occurs.
In the body of the alcoholic it goes through that stage so slowly, that the acetone itself produces a physical craving for more of the same.
“When I pick up a drink the craving starts in my body, the mind say’s “go home”, the body say’s “ we can wait another 30 minutes, why don’t we have one more drink”, the mind say’s “OK”,
and we take a second drink.
We’ve got some of the acetone from the first drink still there and we have the second drink, and now we have all of the acetone from the second drink.
And the acetone level goes up, and the craving becomes stronger.
The mind say’s, “I’ve got to leave”,
the body say’s, “let’s have one more”,
the minds say’s, “OK”, and we take another drink.
We’ve got some of the first drink, most of the second drink and now all of the acetone from the third drink and the craving goes up.
We have another drink and as the evening progresses, the craving becomes harder and the ability of the mind to control the amount we’re going to drink becomes less and less.
It’s almost impossible for us to stop drinking or control the amount we consume after we have taken that first one or two drinks because of this craving.
It’s been proven by the medical profession that the acetone ingested into the human body over a period of time destroys human tissue.
It seems as though the first organs of the body it begins to destroy are the liver and the pancreas.
The medical profession has also proven that the enzymes necessary to metabolise alcohol are produced by the liver and the pancreas.
The longer we drink, the more damage we do to the liver and the pancreas and the more damage we do, the less enzyme production we have.
Our ability to control or metabolise alcohol becomes less and less.
We finally reach a stage where we simply cannot control the amount we are going to consume.
The disease is progressive due to damage to the organs of the body.
As we get older, everything that the body produces becomes less and less.
The enzymes we produced at 20, our bodies can no longer produce as we age.
"As I get older, the ability to metabolise alcohol becomes less and less whether I drink or not.
( If I pick up a drink tonight I will be in worse shape than I was when I came into AA)
The craving will be stronger.
The drinking will be harder and there will be no control whatsoever".
So for two reasons we are in the grip of a progressive disease.
1. Damage to the body by acetone itself.
2. The ageing factor.
Every survey done on alcoholics agrees with Dr Silkworth.
Our bodies are different.
The conclusion of the Doctor’s Opinion is: “if you don’t take that first drink you will never experience this craving”.
If you have this physical allergy, you cannot safely use alcohol in any form.
The body metabolises alcohol just like any other thing we put in (like meat).
For the normal social drinker they drink alcohol. They put it in their system.
The mind begins to signal certain organs to produce enzymes. These organs produce those enzymes and those enzymes attack the alcohol.
In the first stage it is broken down into a material called acetaldehyde.
After a period of time it is broken down to diacetic acid.
After a period of time it is broken down to acetone.
In the final stages it is broken down to a simple carbohydrate which is made up of water, sugar and carbon dioxide.
The body can use the sugar (calories – pure energy) and burns it and stores the excess as fat.
The water will be dissipated through the urinary intestinal tract.
The carbon dioxide breathed out through the lungs.
In the normal drinker this takes place at the rate of 1 oz per hour.
Theoretically speaking, the social drinker can drink 1 oz per hour forever and not get drunk.
--------------------;
The alcoholic is separated from the normal drinker by a disease called alcoholism.
That’s all the word DISEASE means - to separate you from the norm.
The alcoholic puts a drink in his/her system and the same thing begins to occur.
They put alcohol in their system.
The mind and the body senses what’s there.
The mind begins to signal certain organs to produce enzymes.
Those organs produce those enzymes and those enzymes attack the alcohol.
In the first stage it is broken down into a material called acetaldehyde.
After a period of time it is broken down to diacetic acid.
After a period of time it is broken down to acetone.
It seems as though in the body of the alcoholic, the enzymes necessary to break it from acetone to the simple carbohydrate are not there in the same quality and quantities as they are in the body of the non-alcoholic.
Therefore the breakdown rate from acetone to simple carbohydrate occurs at a much slower pace in the body of the alcoholic than it does in the normal drinker.
Maybe it’s a 1/4 oz per hour depending on the enzyme production of that particular body.
It is a well known medical fact today that the acetone ingested into the human body that stays there for an appreciable period of time will produce an actual physical craving of more of the same.
In the body of the non-alcoholic, it goes through that stage so rapidly, the craving never occurs.
In the body of the alcoholic it goes through that stage so slowly, that the acetone itself produces a physical craving for more of the same.
“When I pick up a drink the craving starts in my body, the mind say’s “go home”, the body say’s “ we can wait another 30 minutes, why don’t we have one more drink”, the mind say’s “OK”,
and we take a second drink.
We’ve got some of the acetone from the first drink still there and we have the second drink, and now we have all of the acetone from the second drink.
And the acetone level goes up, and the craving becomes stronger.
The mind say’s, “I’ve got to leave”,
the body say’s, “let’s have one more”,
the minds say’s, “OK”, and we take another drink.
We’ve got some of the first drink, most of the second drink and now all of the acetone from the third drink and the craving goes up.
We have another drink and as the evening progresses, the craving becomes harder and the ability of the mind to control the amount we’re going to drink becomes less and less.
It’s almost impossible for us to stop drinking or control the amount we consume after we have taken that first one or two drinks because of this craving.
It’s been proven by the medical profession that the acetone ingested into the human body over a period of time destroys human tissue.
It seems as though the first organs of the body it begins to destroy are the liver and the pancreas.
The medical profession has also proven that the enzymes necessary to metabolise alcohol are produced by the liver and the pancreas.
The longer we drink, the more damage we do to the liver and the pancreas and the more damage we do, the less enzyme production we have.
Our ability to control or metabolise alcohol becomes less and less.
We finally reach a stage where we simply cannot control the amount we are going to consume.
The disease is progressive due to damage to the organs of the body.
As we get older, everything that the body produces becomes less and less.
The enzymes we produced at 20, our bodies can no longer produce as we age.
"As I get older, the ability to metabolise alcohol becomes less and less whether I drink or not.
( If I pick up a drink tonight I will be in worse shape than I was when I came into AA)
The craving will be stronger.
The drinking will be harder and there will be no control whatsoever".
So for two reasons we are in the grip of a progressive disease.
1. Damage to the body by acetone itself.
2. The ageing factor.
Every survey done on alcoholics agrees with Dr Silkworth.
Our bodies are different.
The conclusion of the Doctor’s Opinion is: “if you don’t take that first drink you will never experience this craving”.
If you have this physical allergy, you cannot safely use alcohol in any form.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
thanks for all the input. just so everyone knows, my current habit of drinking and smoking has been the same for the past 12 yrs+. i'll admit to having drank & smoked more during times of stress (family member dying or trouble w/ a friend--and yes, i'm well aware this is a warning sign, drinking to cope w/ emotional situations), but i've always gone back to the same amount, same frequency after the situation was resolved or i had "gotten over it". how long does it take before you increase continuously? i'm just curious cause everyone talks about how they progressed.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
I stayed heavy but static for about 10 years - then 'I lost' it so quickly I still can't give you a time line.
I hope you're right in assuming none of our experiences apply to you.
If you ever decide you're wrong, you'll always find support here
D
I hope you're right in assuming none of our experiences apply to you.
If you ever decide you're wrong, you'll always find support here
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by Pete55
I have this posted somewhere, but don't remember where.
I won't tell my story, the facts are what I found to pertain to me, the " physical craving" for more alcohol after the first drink. I find this to be a layperson's interpretation of how alcohol is metabolised.
The question is, do you relate to what's described in the following
information ?
I won't tell my story, the facts are what I found to pertain to me, the " physical craving" for more alcohol after the first drink. I find this to be a layperson's interpretation of how alcohol is metabolised.
The question is, do you relate to what's described in the following
information ?
Keeping it simple!
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 3,282
Originally Posted by boozeybutterfly
how long does it take before you increase continuously? i'm just curious cause everyone talks about how they progressed.
I can binge drink for days at a time. I went for 5 days that is the longest. Drank myself into oblivion. I couldn't stop. I can only stop when I run out of booze.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: "I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost ..."
Posts: 5,273
that definition of binge drinking isn't that great.
I want to enjoy my life. moderation is key?
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
