How Much Can A Alcoholic Drink?
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Join Date: May 2017
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How Much Can A Alcoholic Drink?
My husband has switched from his slow but steady beer drinking to vodka. He is completely different on hard liquor. He claims he's stressed out about his upcoming court date and possible jail time. I estimate he is drinking a 1.75 liter bottle every 2 days! How can his body even handle this?? He goes on these binges 3x-4x a year. He is missing work and is holed off in the basement. My youngest is angry that he missed his soccer match. I'm getting ready to have a party for my oldest daughters graduation. I plan on waiting out this binge and force him into detox. He cannot attend the graduation party (and we will have alcohol) in his current state. Guess I'm just venting and at a lose. 
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
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so you FORCE him into detox....then what? detox is a three day drying out period. not a plan for continued sobriety. plus it doesn't appear that your AH is interested in quitting any time soon.
how awful for your kids. and YOU!!! have you considered asking him to leave and go take his vodka somewhere else?
how awful for your kids. and YOU!!! have you considered asking him to leave and go take his vodka somewhere else?
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Join Date: May 2012
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You can't force him into detox, and it's clear he doesn't seem to care about anything but the booze.
I think you really need to start thinking about what's best for you and your children. Do you really want them to grow up in this?
I think you really need to start thinking about what's best for you and your children. Do you really want them to grow up in this?
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 994
I estimate he is drinking a 1.75 liter bottle every 2 days! How can his body even handle this??
M exbf who had no known alcohol issues at the time was drinking more than that a day!! I broke up with him. I already married one alcoholic and got out and had no wish for a re-run. Their bodies can handle it until they can't anymore. Question is what do you want from life? You cannot force him to detox. He will only stop if and when he decides. You only have power over your actions.
M exbf who had no known alcohol issues at the time was drinking more than that a day!! I broke up with him. I already married one alcoholic and got out and had no wish for a re-run. Their bodies can handle it until they can't anymore. Question is what do you want from life? You cannot force him to detox. He will only stop if and when he decides. You only have power over your actions.
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Beach
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I don't think alcoholism is gauged by the amount someone drinks, but rather by the habits and behaviours that are formed due to their substance abuse.
My exhusband is an alcoholic and I regularly saw him drink 40+ ounces of vodka a day... he held a good job and kept the bills paid. He only ever had one DUI despite driving drunk for 30 years so far. Its stunning how much a person can drink and "get away" with it.
If his drinking is a problem for you it really doesn't matter whether or not he is an alcoholic or how much he actually drinks. YOU have a problem with his drinking, its negatively affecting you, your children, your entire families' joy ( or lack there of) for life. That is a very valid concern.
You can't change him, only he can do that. You CAN change YOU and the ways you react to his drinking.
I hope you have a support system in place. You may want to look into attending Alanon meetings. Also reading the book "Codependent No More" by Melodie Beattie. ( It's a life changer of a book)
Wishing you the best of luck dealing with life while being married to an alcoholic. I lived that life for a long time. It sucked.
My exhusband is an alcoholic and I regularly saw him drink 40+ ounces of vodka a day... he held a good job and kept the bills paid. He only ever had one DUI despite driving drunk for 30 years so far. Its stunning how much a person can drink and "get away" with it.
If his drinking is a problem for you it really doesn't matter whether or not he is an alcoholic or how much he actually drinks. YOU have a problem with his drinking, its negatively affecting you, your children, your entire families' joy ( or lack there of) for life. That is a very valid concern.
You can't change him, only he can do that. You CAN change YOU and the ways you react to his drinking.
I hope you have a support system in place. You may want to look into attending Alanon meetings. Also reading the book "Codependent No More" by Melodie Beattie. ( It's a life changer of a book)
Wishing you the best of luck dealing with life while being married to an alcoholic. I lived that life for a long time. It sucked.
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,699
Thats how much vodka my ex was drinking when I left. And he had been drinking about that much for years...and still managing to hold a job and maintain a house.
THey can drink A LOT....for a long time....until they can't.
Like the others said - you can't force him into detox. You can only change you.
It doesn't matter how much, it only matters that it is too much for you!
THey can drink A LOT....for a long time....until they can't.
Like the others said - you can't force him into detox. You can only change you.
It doesn't matter how much, it only matters that it is too much for you!
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
Posts: 11,589
graduation party (and we will have alcohol)
high school graduation or college graduation?
your AH is going to drink no matter what day or what occasion. i'm curious why you would not consider an alcohol FREE event?
high school graduation or college graduation?
your AH is going to drink no matter what day or what occasion. i'm curious why you would not consider an alcohol FREE event?
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
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so, the breathalyzer on the van didnt stop him and the "slowing donw his drinking" didnt happen for long. the many times in rehab and alcoholism is progressing:"he's stressed out about his upcoming court date and possible jail time." yet,"He goes on these binges 3x-4x a year."
and
" I estimate he is still drinking between 8-12 strong ice beers per day. "
hes NOT binging. period.
i hope you dont think forcing him into detox is going to make him want to get and stay sober.
i had absolutely no reason to stop drinking when i had people around me doing for me what i could do for myself AND making excuses for me. people joining in my pity party helped me sink deeper into alcoholism.
as they got sicker,too.
to answer your question,
How Much Can A Alcoholic Drink?
not enough.
now heres a question for you:
how far down into the hole can an alcoholic drag an enabling codependant?
and
" I estimate he is still drinking between 8-12 strong ice beers per day. "
hes NOT binging. period.
i hope you dont think forcing him into detox is going to make him want to get and stay sober.
i had absolutely no reason to stop drinking when i had people around me doing for me what i could do for myself AND making excuses for me. people joining in my pity party helped me sink deeper into alcoholism.
as they got sicker,too.
to answer your question,
How Much Can A Alcoholic Drink?
not enough.
now heres a question for you:
how far down into the hole can an alcoholic drag an enabling codependant?
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Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2
I was drinking 1 1/2 liters of Vodka every 2 days for 2 years (not working, drinking from "wake up till crash" on and off all day, hardly eating or sleeping. I went 'cold turkey' 30 days ago and feel/eat/sleep better every day
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 208
My husband drinks the entire bottle in a day, so I understand the frustration. However, this is his 6th DUI. Forcing him into detox isn't going to help him. He's not ready to be helped. You previously stated that you keep your kids mostly unaffected by his disease, but whether they show it or not, they are deeply affected (soccer game, not going to be allowed at the graduation party, etc.) Their father is missing out on some of the most important milestones in their lives. Not only that, but if he doesn't get help, he's going to end up killing someone. He's a ticking time bomb.
You can't force him to quit drinking. You have to put your family and yourself first. Get yourself to al-anon (there's alateen too!) and start helping yourself.
You can't force him to quit drinking. You have to put your family and yourself first. Get yourself to al-anon (there's alateen too!) and start helping yourself.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
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For some reason, when I read the title of the thread, my first thought was "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
And the answer is the same--quite a lot.
And yes, serving alcohol at the party seems, well, unseemly, to say the least.
And the answer is the same--quite a lot.
And yes, serving alcohol at the party seems, well, unseemly, to say the least.
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