KnowAFew

I understand alcoholics have different timelines. Some may drink a daily liter of vodka at age 25. Others may not reach that level until 35. Maybe others not until 45.
If an alcoholic does reach the point of always needing to drink, then he drinks at work, drives his car, legal troubles start, relationships are damaged, jobs are lost.
Using an arbitrary unit, once the alcoholic is drinking 2-3 bottles of wine a day, or 1 liter of 80 proof a day, how long does it actually take for major health damage?
How long can someone last while being a "serious" alcoholic, in the general public's eyes?

kevlarsjal2

I don't think there's a general answer to your question. It's a bit like asking how long does it take for someone with cancer to die? I think it depends on a lot of factors. I know people who drink 2-3 bottles of wine a night for decades now, who seem to have overall good health, work out, eat well, don't miss work. And in some cultures that won't even be noticed much. In parts of central and southern Europe drinking several glasses daily isn't considered alcoholic as long as you can at least wait until dinner for your first drink. Others drink heavily for "only" a few years and get seriously ill from it.
Same goes for legal troubles. Not all drinkers get themselves in that kind of trouble. Others drink rarely but once they do, they overdo it and land themselves in serious trouble every time.

PeacefulWater12

I think it varies greatly. On the persons genetics etc. How their particular body tolerates alcohol.

My husband is 78 and has been drinking since his early teens.

He is seriously ill but still alive.

I think it is not only alcohol damage that kills, it is often the horrible accidents that happen whilst a drinker is drunk that sadly kills them.

He recently had a nasty fall, was seriously injured and could not get up, had he been living on his own my feeling is that he would have been one of those awful situations where his body would have been found some months later due to neighbours noticing a odd smell. As it is, because he lives with me and I am sober, I called an ambulance for him.

thequest

It depends on other things including diet, nutrition and other drugs legal or not. I know people 'looked' fine and seemed functional but if one looked at the details of their life the signs are there. It's was obvious their priorities and money were going towards the party life never being able buy, rent or lease a nice apartment let alone house. Half their drinking friends from decades ago moved on got promotions, degrees, married, bought houses etc., their lives advanced past just graduated high school lets hang out life They can't beyond bargain basement apartments in not so great neighborhoods to say the least. Half century old adult living like a frat boy is not pretty sight.

Also keep in mind alcoholics and addict go out of their way to fool people, if they think they have you fooled they will continue their act in front of you.

The medical effects will wind up being a surprise and be more consequential than one thinks. I've seen As under 50 have a stroke, can't lower their blood pressure and have diabetic like symptoms. In all likelyhood they've already suffered medical consequences which are undiagnosed or haven't affected them YET.

velma929

Technically, we're all going to die.
My qualifier died from lung cancer. His health was already compromised by smoking and drinking, he'd had an transient ischemic attack. He was 59 years old - something was going to get him. Did he care less about smoking damage because he was drunk all the time? Or maybe he figured there's no point quitting smoking because his drinking was ruining his liver.

He coped, if you want to call it that, by continuing to narrow the aspects of his life and accepting that as normal. He'd go out and get cigarettes and beer in the morning, and drink the rest of the day. We stopped going on vacation - couldn't really afford it, and driving cut down on his drinking time. Then he stopped going to dance lessons, (he never did like ballroom dancing, but he liked the other people who attended.) Then he lost jobs...I suppose with every loss he just found a way to rationalize the new limitations on his life.

FallenAngelina

There is no answer for this. Of course there are trends, but any given individual will vary from the trend. Not all drunks have a dramatic drunkalogue.

My XABF is 60, been a serious alcoholic for decades and is in great shape. No legal troubles, no DUIs, works full time and drinks insane amounts. There doesn't seem to be any looming health scare at all that would bring him to the mythical rock bottom.

The more important question is: Why do you ask? What are you trying to figure out for your situation?

Amaranth

How long is a piece of string?

When I met my husband he was just out of rehab for heroin addiction. He was there for 6 months. He was very unwell when he went in. He stayed clean for 9 months after rehab (he was in prison) He started drinking when he got out and believed as long as he stayed off crack and heroin he would be fine.

20 years later, he has continued to drink heavily with regular of drug binges. He's fine. Constitution of an ox. He is also a smoker, has been since he was a teenager.

I on the other hand have been clean and sober for 14 years. I eat organic vegetables that I grow myself. I excercise. I meditate. I worried myself sick thinking he was going to die. I had cancer 2 years ago (from which I have recovered)

There is no formula, there are no rules, there is no logic.

woodlandlost

What an interesting thread. I agree with all people have said. I think the larger tragedy is the loss of living while under the influence. My Ex, drunk out of her skull, laying in bed, losing time with her kid....that is the tragedy. We all die, how do we feel as we contemplate that point in our lives at that moment...

KnowAFew

2 bottles of wine does not seem as bad as a bottle of vodka. But, your point is taken. You can drink for decades and not die from alcohol.
So, is it fair to take exception to claims that "Alcoholic? You WILL die!" Actually, not necessarily, as many examples just in this thread.
People drink all day, yet live past life expectancy, so it's a bit disingenuous to say all alcoholics will die of alcohol. Many counterexamples out there prove this claim wrong.
Yes, alcoholics have tons of serious problems, but dying early does not seem to be one of them, as like a heroin addict.

What about the case of someone who only spirals after age 35? These folks often already have nice homes they lose. Since progressive disease, I bet this is more common than a teenage alcoholic who spiraled so early and never established a life. I'd think that is much more rare.

Another example that refutes "Alcohol will KILL you". No, not necessarily. You can live on for decades and be a raging A.
Why do I ask? I have a friend who is spiraling. Alcohol has ruined his life, and he needs to get into recovery. That is plain as day.
But, I want to know how realistic actual death is. It seems the truth is that he could die tomorrow or in 40 years.

HopeUnending

There is no cookie cutter answer. Because the disease affects each person differently based on many factors such as the way the alcoholism manifests or genetics.
My AH should be dead. Concusions from falls while drunk, stroke, punctured lungs, liver enzhymes through the roof. Had 4 DUIs, 3 rehab stints drugs and alcohol- drugs he did kick, several detox centers. But he's relatively ok, continues benders of a fifth a day for days. He's 44 been drinking since 15, heavily since early 20's. Every time he's in the ER, has labs drawn the doctors tell him he's killing himself. He knows. He drinks anyway. Eventually he will die as we all do, suddenly or with lots of suffering, who knows. Death to my AH is not that worrisome to him, he's told me, he'll finally be free from addiction. He's just not done with drinking, it frustrates the hell out of me and his family. I can't make him stop drinking no more than I can make him start drinking.

trailmix

That is true.

DiggingForFire

It’s an easier question to guess at once they are sick. If they get sick. But even then it’s hard to say. A huge percentage of heavy drinkers develop liver disease but only like 20% of those develop cirrhosis, which is asymptotic for most people until it’s very advanced. But even knowing how long a particular diagnosis usually gives a person on average means little about any one person.

What may seem like an inevitable path when you see a bunch of examples is super different person to person and trying to game it out isn’t helpful or usually accurate.