"high tolerance" person - VS - "alcoholic" person??
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,949
Originally Posted by Mirage74 
A high tolerance is developed after a period of consistent heavy drinking. IOW, it takes more to achieve the same level of intoxication. I'd say many or most alcoholics develop a high tolerance.
If you don't consider yourself an alcoholic but you have a high tolerance, I'd have to ask how did you develop that and why?
If you don't consider yourself an alcoholic but you have a high tolerance, I'd have to ask how did you develop that and why?
my brother in law is pretty close to the same size as me..both big guys over 220 lbs .. he has one double scotch and a glass of wine and he is snoring on the couch...my tolerance was way higher even before i started drinking
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 1,462
Originally Posted by caboblanco
well part of high tolerance is age, sex, physical shape and weight and genetics my brother in law is pretty close to the same size as me..both big guys over 220 lbs .. he has one double scotch and a glass of wine and he is snoring on the couch...my tolerance was way higher even before i started drinking
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,949
I think a low tolerance alcoholic would be hard to find..but i'm sure they do exist...some ethnic groups Native Americans and Asians never really build up a tolerance...there is a lot of alcohol related problems in the native American community..I don't know if thats why
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: illinois
Posts: 907
age, overall level of fitness, personality, hormones, medicine, level of alertness and of course drinking habits. so many variables affecting tolerance...
i really think it (the big "A") comes down to level of obsession, and harm done.
not many "normal drinkers have a problem envisioning the rest of their lives without alcohol, if that was required for whatever reason. -i once had a social drinker that they would throw alcohol out of their life before ibuprofen, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE THAT?!
-totally blew my mind.
funny, but not so funny rationalizations of an earlier version of me: "jeese, i need to cut back a bit. if i end up with a diagnosed alcohol problem,intervention or rehab, i'll NEVER be able to drink again.
me and my dumb ass drinkin buddies used to laugh and say we were "seasoning our livers!". i laughed hard at this one, while having 2 shot bloody-mary's at 10am, with black coffee chaser. a total disconnect for me, as i lost my mother to cirrohisis when i was 15, and that wasnt pretty. it disturbed a whole family.
talk about tolerance. the two-fisted saturday breakfasts sometimes preceded racquetball when we were 23years old. (i remember one morning, me and scott turned the glass court over to some pretty young ladies. us with big smiles. they walked into the box, closed the door, and started gagging at our left-over booze stench.)
i smile now writing this. but truly it's only amusing because we survived to look back.
i really think it (the big "A") comes down to level of obsession, and harm done.
not many "normal drinkers have a problem envisioning the rest of their lives without alcohol, if that was required for whatever reason. -i once had a social drinker that they would throw alcohol out of their life before ibuprofen, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE THAT?!
-totally blew my mind.
funny, but not so funny rationalizations of an earlier version of me: "jeese, i need to cut back a bit. if i end up with a diagnosed alcohol problem,intervention or rehab, i'll NEVER be able to drink again.
me and my dumb ass drinkin buddies used to laugh and say we were "seasoning our livers!". i laughed hard at this one, while having 2 shot bloody-mary's at 10am, with black coffee chaser. a total disconnect for me, as i lost my mother to cirrohisis when i was 15, and that wasnt pretty. it disturbed a whole family.
talk about tolerance. the two-fisted saturday breakfasts sometimes preceded racquetball when we were 23years old. (i remember one morning, me and scott turned the glass court over to some pretty young ladies. us with big smiles. they walked into the box, closed the door, and started gagging at our left-over booze stench.)
i smile now writing this. but truly it's only amusing because we survived to look back.
p***enger
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Posts: 19,025
Originally Posted by grubby
i guess the question i was getting at - or the "short" version of this post - was: is there a "grey" area between alco and non-alco? Or is that just like the classic "kind of pregnant" question? (i.e. you either are pregnant or you are not)
I guess that was the gist of the original post, sorry if there was any confusion
I guess that was the gist of the original post, sorry if there was any confusion
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
There is no such phrase as a high tolerance drinker.
If you want to find out answers look for the differences between alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse and alcoholism.
These are the main terms that are used by medical bodies and the sane, the rest are ones thought up by drunks lol so do disgard them in your search.
Hope this helps:-)
If you want to find out answers look for the differences between alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse and alcoholism.
These are the main terms that are used by medical bodies and the sane, the rest are ones thought up by drunks lol so do disgard them in your search.
Hope this helps:-)
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,949
Originally Posted by yeahgr8
There is no such phrase as a high tolerance drinker.
If you want to find out answers look for the differences between alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse and alcoholism.
These are the main terms that are used by medical bodies and the sane, the rest are ones thought up by drunks lol so do disgard them in your search.
Hope this helps:-)
If you want to find out answers look for the differences between alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse and alcoholism.
These are the main terms that are used by medical bodies and the sane, the rest are ones thought up by drunks lol so do disgard them in your search.
Hope this helps:-)
alcohol abuse has real no definition. It's whatever a single person feels is too much alcohol and is effecting their life or health
alcohol misuse? is this a lighter form of alcohol abuse or when someone uses alcohol to self medicate or to get a lover drunk on purpose? the definition states this as drinking more then the recommended amount of alcohol...i fail to see the real difference between this and abuse
alcoholism...no real definition here..mostly based around the disease concept of alcohol abuse...so in theory one can have it before the started drinking or even be born with it..a lifelong illness
high tolerance drinker...of course there is such a thing...why is it one person can only drink 3 cocktails and be drunk and another need to drink 18? it's a mix of recent drinking history...and all the other factors I mentioned before
can someone have a high tolerance and be a light drinker?...yes
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: North East, US
Posts: 2,310
Originally Posted by yeahgr8
If you want to find out answers look for the differences between alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse and alcoholism.
I was looking at a 25-life sentence if I was found guilty of alcoholism, luckily with my great attorney versed in alcoholic samantics I received "alcohol misuse". Now with my misdemeanor I should rehabilitate back in to the community well!
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by grubby
Alcoholic
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
...
10. SPENDS NO time thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 245
I had a very high tolerance as far as how much wine it took me to "feel" drunk. That was one of the problems I found out when I got my DUI. I was the one of the 2 of us who volunteered to go get the pizza because I felt fine compared to my BF who actually appeared drunk. Unfortunately, no matter if you don't "feel" impaired because you have a high tolerance, the breathalyzer doesn't lie, and despite me feeling perfectly fine, I blew a .2 when I got picked up for forgetting to turn the headlights on. When I took the required course after I got my DUI I found out that increasing tolerance for alcohol actually makes it worse, since you think you are not impaired when you are. increased tolerance is a curse, not a blessing.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Originally Posted by caboblanco
alcohol dependence..is physical dependence on the substance experienced through withdrawal symptoms when sustaining
alcohol abuse has real no definition. It's whatever a single person feels is too much alcohol and is effecting their life or health
alcohol misuse? is this a lighter form of alcohol abuse or when someone uses alcohol to self medicate or to get a lover drunk on purpose? the definition states this as drinking more then the recommended amount of alcohol...i fail to see the real difference between this and abuse
alcoholism...no real definition here..mostly based around the disease concept of alcohol abuse...so in theory one can have it before the started drinking or even be born with it..a lifelong illness
high tolerance drinker...of course there is such a thing...why is it one person can only drink 3 cocktails and be drunk and another need to drink 18? it's a mix of recent drinking history...and all the other factors I mentioned before
can someone have a high tolerance and be a light drinker?...yes
alcohol abuse has real no definition. It's whatever a single person feels is too much alcohol and is effecting their life or health
alcohol misuse? is this a lighter form of alcohol abuse or when someone uses alcohol to self medicate or to get a lover drunk on purpose? the definition states this as drinking more then the recommended amount of alcohol...i fail to see the real difference between this and abuse
alcoholism...no real definition here..mostly based around the disease concept of alcohol abuse...so in theory one can have it before the started drinking or even be born with it..a lifelong illness
high tolerance drinker...of course there is such a thing...why is it one person can only drink 3 cocktails and be drunk and another need to drink 18? it's a mix of recent drinking history...and all the other factors I mentioned before
can someone have a high tolerance and be a light drinker?...yes
This is the UK health service, have a look round.
Alcohol misuse - Diagnosis - NHS Choices
Here is the mention for AA who do describe alcoholism, cant see any other mention of support groups or what terminology they use?
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alcohol...Treatment.aspx
There is still no such thing as a high tolerance drinker drinker, it is a made up phrase like large quantity eater or high accelerating runner lol
What you are trying describe is a drinker that has a high tolerance for alcohol, or in my examples above an eater who can consume large quantities or a runner who can speed up quickly.
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
Originally Posted by grubby
Is there a difference between these two?? Or is it just the same thing with a different name?
As i am coming up on 100 sober days i have been reading up a lot to reinforce my knowledge base, i see these two phrases come up a lot in the articles i Google........ not necessarily in the same sentence or section of the page, which makes me wonder if there is any difference between the two. A lot of the articles i read seem to describe these two separately, which is why I thought i would make a post and ask about it.
Can a person simply have a temporary high tolerance (physical) that goes away on it's own or returns to the normal range with a multi-week or multi-month break from the stuff? Or is it just another word for alcoholic? Are they mutually exclusive?
So far, from what i have been gathering on SR and from various random Google research i have the following generic and basic understanding of this whole alcohol thing:
Alcoholic
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
4. has no particular reason to drink heavily or over-indulge, simply does it to get buzzed or to "feel good"
5. lack of control; they "just cant help" but to turn into the liquor store parking lot, buy another round, drink the whole box or bottle
6. subtle changes in behavior like hiding booze bottles, lying, deception, loss of motivation
7. drinking interferes with their life in some way, usually in a negative way
8. may experience or has experienced legal troubles or run-ins with "the law" involving alcohol in some way
9. hangovers and lack of energy are a regular thing
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
11. when the alcohol is suddenly not available or taken away, they experience noticeable withdrawal symptoms
12. suffers from PAWS long after the initial break-up
Normal or "casual" drinker
1. drinks mostly during holidays like Christmas, special dinners like thanksgiving or business-meeting type dinners, Super Bowl party, or other special occasions like weddings and graduations........... might drink once a week at the MOST, usually on a Friday or Saturday
2. 1-3 drinks at the most when they do drink
3. only gets "heavily drunk" very rarely, once in a blue moon kind of thing....... typically these kinds of binges happen when younger or during college years
4. subsequent "heavy drinking" incidents are usually in response to a LEGITIMATE stressful/traumatic event such as divorce, death in family, loss of job, getting "wiped out" financially by a sudden downturn in the economy, etc etc etc
5. it is not a habit, maybe temporarily during younger/experimental years as mentioned above, but it does not continue once adult life begins
6. rarely experiences a hangover except maybe after one of those "heavily drunk" episodes
7. no constant 24/7 thinking about alcohol or "looking forward to it"
8. when alcohol is suddenly not available or is taken out of the picture, nothing happens
9. no long-term effects or symptoms
"High tolerance" drinker
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
...
10. ???
Help me out with this SR, i am a little confused?
Perhaps someone can chime in on this and provide some clarification?
As i am coming up on 100 sober days i have been reading up a lot to reinforce my knowledge base, i see these two phrases come up a lot in the articles i Google........ not necessarily in the same sentence or section of the page, which makes me wonder if there is any difference between the two. A lot of the articles i read seem to describe these two separately, which is why I thought i would make a post and ask about it.
Can a person simply have a temporary high tolerance (physical) that goes away on it's own or returns to the normal range with a multi-week or multi-month break from the stuff? Or is it just another word for alcoholic? Are they mutually exclusive?
So far, from what i have been gathering on SR and from various random Google research i have the following generic and basic understanding of this whole alcohol thing:
Alcoholic
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
4. has no particular reason to drink heavily or over-indulge, simply does it to get buzzed or to "feel good"
5. lack of control; they "just cant help" but to turn into the liquor store parking lot, buy another round, drink the whole box or bottle
6. subtle changes in behavior like hiding booze bottles, lying, deception, loss of motivation
7. drinking interferes with their life in some way, usually in a negative way
8. may experience or has experienced legal troubles or run-ins with "the law" involving alcohol in some way
9. hangovers and lack of energy are a regular thing
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
11. when the alcohol is suddenly not available or taken away, they experience noticeable withdrawal symptoms
12. suffers from PAWS long after the initial break-up
Normal or "casual" drinker
1. drinks mostly during holidays like Christmas, special dinners like thanksgiving or business-meeting type dinners, Super Bowl party, or other special occasions like weddings and graduations........... might drink once a week at the MOST, usually on a Friday or Saturday
2. 1-3 drinks at the most when they do drink
3. only gets "heavily drunk" very rarely, once in a blue moon kind of thing....... typically these kinds of binges happen when younger or during college years
4. subsequent "heavy drinking" incidents are usually in response to a LEGITIMATE stressful/traumatic event such as divorce, death in family, loss of job, getting "wiped out" financially by a sudden downturn in the economy, etc etc etc
5. it is not a habit, maybe temporarily during younger/experimental years as mentioned above, but it does not continue once adult life begins
6. rarely experiences a hangover except maybe after one of those "heavily drunk" episodes
7. no constant 24/7 thinking about alcohol or "looking forward to it"
8. when alcohol is suddenly not available or is taken out of the picture, nothing happens
9. no long-term effects or symptoms
"High tolerance" drinker
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
...
10. ???
Help me out with this SR, i am a little confused?
Perhaps someone can chime in on this and provide some clarification?
You asked if tolerance can be reversed. I did try to get drunk at 3 months and physically I just couldn't do it. My stomach blew right out on me. I read somewhere that the stomach lining will actually thicken with alcohol abuse. So yes my body had reversed the tolerance. My brain on the other hand was SCREAMING for more. I had straight acid from the back of my throat to the bottom of my stomach and had to dump the bottle because my brain just didn't care it wanted it no matter the consequences.
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
Originally Posted by resolute50
I was very much a normie till I crossed that line. I didn't drink any differently than anybody else my age was doing.
So, IMO, even those that appear to be a normie can become a full blown alcoholic later in life.
So, IMO, even those that appear to be a normie can become a full blown alcoholic later in life.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 143
Originally Posted by grubby
Is there a difference between these two?? Or is it just the same thing with a different name?
As i am coming up on 100 sober days i have been reading up a lot to reinforce my knowledge base, i see these two phrases come up a lot in the articles i Google........ not necessarily in the same sentence or section of the page, which makes me wonder if there is any difference between the two. A lot of the articles i read seem to describe these two separately, which is why I thought i would make a post and ask about it.
Can a person simply have a temporary high tolerance (physical) that goes away on it's own or returns to the normal range with a multi-week or multi-month break from the stuff? Or is it just another word for alcoholic? Are they mutually exclusive?
So far, from what i have been gathering on SR and from various random Google research i have the following generic and basic understanding of this whole alcohol thing:
Alcoholic
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
4. has no particular reason to drink heavily or over-indulge, simply does it to get buzzed or to "feel good"
5. lack of control; they "just cant help" but to turn into the liquor store parking lot, buy another round, drink the whole box or bottle
6. subtle changes in behavior like hiding booze bottles, lying, deception, loss of motivation
7. drinking interferes with their life in some way, usually in a negative way
8. may experience or has experienced legal troubles or run-ins with "the law" involving alcohol in some way
9. hangovers and lack of energy are a regular thing
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
11. when the alcohol is suddenly not available or taken away, they experience noticeable withdrawal symptoms
12. suffers from PAWS long after the initial break-up
Normal or "casual" drinker
1. drinks mostly during holidays like Christmas, special dinners like thanksgiving or business-meeting type dinners, Super Bowl party, or other special occasions like weddings and graduations........... might drink once a week at the MOST, usually on a Friday or Saturday
2. 1-3 drinks at the most when they do drink
3. only gets "heavily drunk" very rarely, once in a blue moon kind of thing....... typically these kinds of binges happen when younger or during college years
4. subsequent "heavy drinking" incidents are usually in response to a LEGITIMATE stressful/traumatic event such as divorce, death in family, loss of job, getting "wiped out" financially by a sudden downturn in the economy, etc etc etc
5. it is not a habit, maybe temporarily during younger/experimental years as mentioned above, but it does not continue once adult life begins
6. rarely experiences a hangover except maybe after one of those "heavily drunk" episodes
7. no constant 24/7 thinking about alcohol or "looking forward to it"
8. when alcohol is suddenly not available or is taken out of the picture, nothing happens
9. no long-term effects or symptoms
"High tolerance" drinker
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
...
10. ???
Help me out with this SR, i am a little confused?
Perhaps someone can chime in on this and provide some clarification?
As i am coming up on 100 sober days i have been reading up a lot to reinforce my knowledge base, i see these two phrases come up a lot in the articles i Google........ not necessarily in the same sentence or section of the page, which makes me wonder if there is any difference between the two. A lot of the articles i read seem to describe these two separately, which is why I thought i would make a post and ask about it.
Can a person simply have a temporary high tolerance (physical) that goes away on it's own or returns to the normal range with a multi-week or multi-month break from the stuff? Or is it just another word for alcoholic? Are they mutually exclusive?
So far, from what i have been gathering on SR and from various random Google research i have the following generic and basic understanding of this whole alcohol thing:
Alcoholic
1. drinks with a high frequency, every day or every other day......... in some cases, all day long
2. drinks in high to very-high doses compared to non-alcoholic or "casual" drinkers
3. gets "heavily drunk" fairly frequently
4. has no particular reason to drink heavily or over-indulge, simply does it to get buzzed or to "feel good"
5. lack of control; they "just cant help" but to turn into the liquor store parking lot, buy another round, drink the whole box or bottle
6. subtle changes in behavior like hiding booze bottles, lying, deception, loss of motivation
7. drinking interferes with their life in some way, usually in a negative way
8. may experience or has experienced legal troubles or run-ins with "the law" involving alcohol in some way
9. hangovers and lack of energy are a regular thing
10. unusual amount of time spent thinking or obsessing about alcohol, "looking forward to" the next drink
11. when the alcohol is suddenly not available or taken away, they experience noticeable withdrawal symptoms
12. suffers from PAWS long after the initial break-up
Normal or "casual" drinker
1. drinks mostly during holidays like Christmas, special dinners like thanksgiving or business-meeting type dinners, Super Bowl party, or other special occasions like weddings and graduations........... might drink once a week at the MOST, usually on a Friday or Saturday
2. 1-3 drinks at the most when they do drink
3. only gets "heavily drunk" very rarely, once in a blue moon kind of thing....... typically these kinds of binges happen when younger or during college years
4. subsequent "heavy drinking" incidents are usually in response to a LEGITIMATE stressful/traumatic event such as divorce, death in family, loss of job, getting "wiped out" financially by a sudden downturn in the economy, etc etc etc
5. it is not a habit, maybe temporarily during younger/experimental years as mentioned above, but it does not continue once adult life begins
6. rarely experiences a hangover except maybe after one of those "heavily drunk" episodes
7. no constant 24/7 thinking about alcohol or "looking forward to it"
8. when alcohol is suddenly not available or is taken out of the picture, nothing happens
9. no long-term effects or symptoms
"High tolerance" drinker
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
...
10. ???
Help me out with this SR, i am a little confused?
Perhaps someone can chime in on this and provide some clarification?
I am 11 of those 12 in the "alcoholic" class definately and sometimes all 12.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,949
Originally Posted by yeahgr8
Here you are mate:-)
This is the UK health service, have a look round.
Alcohol misuse - Diagnosis - NHS Choices
Here is the mention for AA who do describe alcoholism, cant see any other mention of support groups or what terminology they use?
Alcohol misuse - Treatment - NHS Choices
There is still no such thing as a high tolerance drinker drinker, it is a made up phrase like large quantity eater or high accelerating runner lol
What you are trying describe is a drinker that has a high tolerance for alcohol, or in my examples above an eater who can consume large quantities or a runner who can speed up quickly.
This is the UK health service, have a look round.
Alcohol misuse - Diagnosis - NHS Choices
Here is the mention for AA who do describe alcoholism, cant see any other mention of support groups or what terminology they use?
Alcohol misuse - Treatment - NHS Choices
There is still no such thing as a high tolerance drinker drinker, it is a made up phrase like large quantity eater or high accelerating runner lol
What you are trying describe is a drinker that has a high tolerance for alcohol, or in my examples above an eater who can consume large quantities or a runner who can speed up quickly.
Alcoholism on the other hand I hate to say is made up..there is no clear definition. the science its based on is just conjecture and theory. If you know a definition of alcoholism that clearly defined and based on nothing but fact..i love to see it
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,417
Originally Posted by caboblanco
high tolerance drinker is not a made up phrase. Its totally straight forward. Someone who has a high tolerance for alcohol..why is that so threatening? I had a high tolerance before i even started drinking.
Alcoholism on the other hand I hate to say is made up..there is no clear definition. the science its based on is just conjecture and theory. If you know a definition of alcoholism that clearly defined and based on nothing but fact..i love to see it
Alcoholism on the other hand I hate to say is made up..there is no clear definition. the science its based on is just conjecture and theory. If you know a definition of alcoholism that clearly defined and based on nothing but fact..i love to see it
I also was one of those "high tolerance" drinkers for years.
In my case, the fact that it took two bottles of wine to get drunk was
almost a source of pride for me when I was younger.
I could drink with big boys, party and play poker all night with my neat vodka or bourbon, and so on.
Most women in my circle didn't consume 1/2 of what I did or could in a night.
But it did catch up to me in the end, and the amount of booze I was putting away did have a negative physical impact increasingly as I got older.
No more bottle of Stoly followed up by a 10 mile run the next morning by the end. More like shakes and dry heaves for two days.
I suppose a better measuring stick for me has been not how much I consumed,
but how much of a problem it caused in my life.
When I applied that rubric to my drinking habits, I knew I had to stop.
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