Is there a Difference?

[Keepon!!!!]

Hi all hope all is well,

Just a question I would like to ask please

Is there a difference between people who drink everyday and people who binge drink once a month because both types have a addiction to alcohol dont they but in diffrent ways?????

Im confused to know whether im an alcoholic or not as I binge drink would love to hear your opinion thanks

Luv Keepon:h xxxxxx

[beatle]

Is there a Difference?

Yes, there's definitely a difference. I think it might be addressed in that book 7 weeks to Sobriety. But not sure. Anyway, if you binge drink and then don't drink for a while in between, then your body is probably not physically addicted, which means quitting will be much easier (physically). Of course you will have to deal with the mental parts though. I heard that occasional binge drinking is better for your body than continual moderate drinking that never gives your liver a rest but don't know if that is true. If you are going on a binge, taking large doses of milk thistle before, during and after will help reduce the damage to the liver.

[Guest]

Is there a Difference?

Keepon,
Am afraid I can`t answer your question, as I was a nightly btl. of wine drinker. Can only say, that as someone who drank every day, I felt an utter compulsion for wine to cross my lips on a nightly basis, so think perhaps binge-drinkers only feel that compulsion periodically.

Anyway, from what I`ve seen on the boards, there seem to be a significant no. of binge drinkers here also, so am sure they will be along to give you their opinions on this one.

Good luck,

Starlight Impress

[cassy]

Is there a Difference?

Its a strange thing the various booze patterns..I guess binge drinkers also have a faulty stop valve???

whatever the drinking pattern peopel come on this site as they are concerned with their drinking behaviours or desperate to change.

i think drinking is like a continuum,,you start of socially . sowly and over the years you build up until eventually mental/physical dependency forms out of what was a social habit.

Well i guess some people are at different stages but maybe all heading to the risk of addiction..risky stuff eh???
I watch friends knocking back the booze maybe just once a week but in large quantities who would never think it was an issue. Or couples sharing a bottle over a meal several times a week...can they stop???who knows.

I wouldnt dare asess any body elses alcohol behaviour as it has so many factors to why people pour in poison regulary doesnt it?

for now learning from others and trying to reach out to help when able..

I,ve given up labelling myself as addict, binger whatever...just concentrating on reducing my intake...Maybe one day i,ll go for AF instead of kidding myself moderation is ok!!
But for now journey on in hope..
Cassy

[Keepon!!!!]

Is there a Difference?

Thank you both

Some thing else too my mother drinks every night has done for years but she dont get drunk and she knows when to stop she says she drinks to help he relax and sleep has she works very very hard everyday im a binge drinker I hit the booze hard for a week once a month until im depressed who is doing more damage to there liver me or my mom?

[Keepon!!!!]

Is there a Difference?

I know these question seem irelevent but they go round in my head from time to time and im just curious of the facts
Anyway thanks for taking your time to read

Luv Keepon:h

[Guest]

Is there a Difference?

Kepp on, this is something i have thought about often I usually have 1-2 glasses of wine per night over a 4 hour period (I break it up into spritzers so feeling drunk or buzzed is never an issue) I used to drink 2-3 bottles of wine per night or the better part of a 5th of vodka. I think when you binge you must throw your body into some sort of shock mode. I really don't know, I am working towards one per night, period! But I haven't beem drunk in nearly 5 months. I have read that 1 drink a day does have it's health benefits.
Smiles
mar

[rachel28]

Is there a Difference?

i wish i could b a binge drinker at weekends , not a binge drinker every night an day, i dont think my livers had a rest in years, binge drinking must b bad 4 the body, must b a shock to the system,

[Cinders]

Is there a Difference?

Not irrelevant question at all!!

Keepon,

I was like the mom who drank 1 to 2 glasses of wine a night for years and years. I never got drunk and used it as a mild sedative to relax and go to sleep. Doc calls me a severe Type-A personality and I run 100 miles an hour during the day.

HOWEVER, at some point -- in my case after gastric bypass surgery -- the 1 to 2 glasses started escalating to 3 to 4 then 4 to 6, then who knows what.

Suddenly I find myself binge drinking daily. One can only wonder if I have any liver, brain, kidneys, or heart left.

Thank heavens for this site. These people have been such a help and support.

I hope I can get to where Simey is and stop the madness.

Cindi

[sujul]

Is there a Difference?

Just regarding the binge vs. daily drinking... I'm not sure of the difference in how it affects the body long term, but in terms of whether a binge drinker is a "alcoholic"--one of the definitions that I always found most useful in my work was that an alcoholic cannot consistently predict how much they will drink once they start.... They may only drink the one or two drinks they have decided to have...or they may just keep on going once they have one. The key thing here is an alcoholic simply cannot predict if they just have that wine with dinner and stop--or if they will end up drinking more than they intended and end up drunk.

Another useful rule of thumb is that an alcoholic continues to drink (either binging or daily) despite negative consequences...

So: 1) unable to consistently predict amount that will be consumed and 2) continued use/abuse despite negative consequences.

While neither of these two things addresses the entire problem or has much to do with the very serious isssue of being physically dependent (withdrawal symptoms, cravings, etc.)--I think they are nevertheless both very useful in just looking at what it means to have a serious problem with alcohol or any substance for that matter (including food).

[AAthlete]

Is there a Difference?

It really comes down to - can you stop when you want to, or once you start do you always end up getting drunk?

Whether you are a daily drinker or someone who drinks monthly, if the craving comes and you binge (and are unable to stop after you start), then most likely you are still an alcoholic. That's the kicker - the body doesn't need it but the brain has other ideas.

[Breez]

Is there a Difference?

Here's my story-I was a drinker, then a weekend drinker, then a binge drinker, a daily drinker, then a week binge drinker (with 1 or two weeks AF in between trying to quit). It started 20 yrs ago and manifested it's self. It's progressive. It's sneaky. The longer you drink, the more you need to consume. The tolerance gets high. My worst binges could of killed a cow. And coming off my binges I had the worst withdrawals from the amount my body consumed even if I had a week AF.

If alcohol dictates your life-there is a problem. If you use alcohol to get the buzz & to get drunk-there is a problem. There's a difference between people who sip & spit wine into a spittoon at wine tastings and those that prefer to gulp the whole glass down. Only the person holding the glass knows which one they truly are.

[sujul]

Is there a Difference?

Hey AAthelete--I generally agree but the only thing is that in the past I tried to convince myself that I really didn't have a problem because I didn't ALWAYS get drunk and I'd point out some occasion when in fact I had only had a couple of glasses of wine. The real problem was that I never knew whether I would do that or not! I couldn't consistently predict what the outcome of the first drink would be....one or two more--or the whole bottle plus whatever else was available!

I think that I (and maybe others) can occasionally exert a tremendous amount of self-control and not overdo it--but we can't do that on a regular basis...which confuses us and leaves our family/friends completely mystified....

[sujul]

Is there a Difference?

Ditto, Breezey!

[ducky]

Is there a Difference?

From what I have read, binge drinking (5 or more) is quite hard on the body. I think daily drinking is too, but not if it is at or below the recommended guidelines. If you have just one or two and over a period where your liver can process the A, I think it's okay. But of course most of us don't have one or two when we get started....