zjw

Yeah I have one friend who while he was depressed ramped up his drinking tremendously started drinking 7 am drank all day etc.. this went on for months one day he snapped out of it realized what he was doing and put the kabash on it. now he drinks what many would consider to be normal again.

I think he is playing with fire.

iggy24

this thread may express the need drug and alcohol abusers have to think everybody is at high risk or that the addiction epedemic is caused by a widespread and cunning disease. I assure you the vast majority of people even celebrities are not addicts or ever had a problem with substances. There are studies out there to look at. I find it's better to worry about myself. I don't think blowing up the problem to extreme worldwide epedemic proportions helps..It just take the responsibility off the individual and makes the problem seem MUCH larger then it is for anybody

biminiblue

Well, the more humans there are, the more crowded into cities and stressed we are - the more likely the numbers will continue to rise. Nature/nurture? I think it's both and either a genetic predisposition or a psychological trigger can and will cause problem drinking for a large number of people given the time and resources.

zjw

I think there is some truth to that. the nature of our society is burn the candle at both ends then look for some sort of quick fix to feel better and keep the candle lit.

I've had to slow down quit playing that game myself Then I realized i no longer needed some kind of quick fix.

ESD907

I don't think as many as we'd all wish, but not as many as some think. probably like any figure 10% of total pop of adults. when I say 'wish'...I don't wish ill on anyone..I meant we don't want to be alone. I'd prefer none, obviously.

IOAA2

Hi. There is a difference between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic.

For a long time I tried to convince myself I was a heavy drinker but failed.

BE WELL

Wholesome

I think that as long as there are substances out there where people can change their consciousness then people are going to be doing it... people have been doing it since the beginning. Whether or not it becomes a problem is based on the person and I think that even that can change in the course of a persons life where sometimes it's a problem and sometimes it's not. I also think that morality and substance use are not necessarily linked... although I do think when under the influence people do things they wouldn't do otherwise. But a lot more people than go reported use drugs and alcohol to alter their minds than are recorded.

Soberwolf

I believe your statement is false also and not backed up how.....in all respect can you speak for millions ?

iggy24

well government surveys and research for one thing

Soberwolf

No offence meant but i disagree and am leaving it there

iggy24

.

iggy24

Alcohol Facts and Statistics | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

FeenixxRising

Sober, I would disagree that I'm speaking for millions, rather I'm speaking about millions. Let's look at the US population which is ~ 316 million people. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ~ 51% of Americans drink regularly. That's 161 million people who drink at least 12 drinks per year. Also, according to the CDC, 7% of all Americans have a drinking problem, so that's 22 million people.

So of the 161 million people who drink regularly in the US, 22 million have a drinking problem. That leaves 139 million Americans who drink regularly who do not have a problem. Hence my statement that millions of people are able to drink their entire lives without developing an addiction.

Now we could argue numbers all day long, but that would be unproductive IMO. However, my statement was meant to refute thisisme's comment in his post above that "anyone who drinks is alcoholic". Whatever, the actual numbers, I believe most of us on this site can agree that there are many people who can drink on a more less regular basis and not develop a serious drinking problem. And I believe science and statistics back up that belief. Moreover, my observations of drinkers I've known most of my life correspond to the statistics. Most of my friends and family have been drinking more or less on a regular basis for decades and have not developed a drinking problem. I, on the other hand, was one of those 7% who did develop a problem. Such is life; some of us have just been dealt a different hand than others when it comes to our ability to control our drinking.

Alcoholism Statistics – Drug Abuse Facts and Information Sources

thisisme

"everyone who drinks is alcoholic".

This is a reference to the insidious nature of addiction. It is also a reference the the progressive nature of our affliction.
It is also posted here, on a site dedicated to sobriety.

Most importantly to me is it's an opinion from someone who has been sober for 8 years and has never slipped. It is clearly a reference to Allen Carr and his methods. Not everyone here is "AA". That's what makes this site great.

Please don't argue about it.

ardy

my Father was a terrible drinker all his teen to death life... my 4 sisters are drinkers and do not see the problem.. I have 5 nephews 4 are major drinkers and 3 nieces that are major drinkers.. my Daughter has wine in the evening...but my sons are both major drinkers.. Moose falls asleep and Ivan ends up with gout. so is it a family thing.. yep you betcha and will it continue.. until ones like us say.. ding the round is over and time to not do it anymore.. well we give it that ole college try for days months even years at a time.. try... hugs and prayers and we can only do the positive step for ourself and that is all.. yep...

drywhistle

thisisme,

I just want to say I agree 100% with what you state as I've just finished Allen Carr's audiobook...it really made me rethink some of the conceptions I had ingrained in me about alcohol [ab]use.

I think you touched a nerve when you stated that "everyone who drinks is alcoholic". I believe Carr mentions that it is really a waste of time to try to debate this with someone who has not yet opened their mind to what alcohol truly is...a poison that offers absolutely no benefits.

Before I read the book I probably would have taken issue with your statement as well...it's that envy of the "lucky, normal drinker" thing that I had for so many years as well.

However, being a nooby here I will be doing more reading/listening to others views and comments than debating, at least for a while lol.

Thanks everyone for all the great posts on these forums, I've spent almost my whole first day just reading!

ru12

I've read Carr's book and found it very helpful to me. He believes that everyone that drinks regularly has a problem. That is his belief. I know drinking alcohol was a problem for me so I stopped.

RecklessEric

My doctor told me that roughly 10 percent of the population are alcoholic or potentially alcoholic.

But personally, I don't think that can be accurate.
If there isn't an accepted definition about what is an alcoholic, how can there be such a definite statistic.

Then again, I don't really care, to be honest.
What does matter is how we get on with it.

CAPTAINZING2000

The scene from the movie Flight when, Washington was int the hotel nailed it spot on.

This is from page 21 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous
BIG BOOK-CHAPTER TWO P21.ASP

Gottalife

Yes Eric, it's a bit of a moving target. The rule of thumb around here was about 9% of drinkers will become/are alcoholic, and I believe that leans towards the more extreme end of problem drinking.

However, new research released this year apparently shows that 20% of our entire population has a diagnosable alcohol use disorder. this seems to cover everything from severe alcoholism to youthful high spirits. But I would doubt very much if 20% of our population are suffering from alcoholism as I understand it.

Another thing I have read is that there is a cultural factor in that some countries have higher rates of alcholism than others.