Epsilon Alcoholic

[TCCT]

Does anyone know of any info/research/background about epsilon alcoholism?
My husband is a periodic binge drinker -- going weeks sometimes months inbetween "episodes" -- but periodically drinking to dangerous excess and blacking out, becoming abusive -- "HELL BUZZ" as his college friends used to call it (that was15 years ago....). I am finding little info and am desparate to understand this condition.

[boozehag]

Epsilon Alcoholic

Hi there
I have never heard of that term before but have you googled it - it seems that it is basically binge drinking? Reproduced some stuff below that came up on googl. But does it really matter what the technical classification is - it is still alcohol abuse by another name? On this site you will find many varieties or patterns of alcohol abuse - you name it we have got it. Like everything else in life there is no one size that fits all. Your husband needs to seek help but obviously he himself has to want to. There is a thread on this site for family members affected by alcohol which might be useful to you. Not sure if this is any help at all.
Regards
BH

Epsilon alcoholics
Quarter drunkard. This type of drunkard can get along for weeks without any alcohol, however, with crises or depressions it comes to a loss of control and excessive consumption of alcohol, often oven a period of several days.

More modern psychiatric classifications take place according the ICD-10 F10.xx (international classification of diseases) or according DSM-IV (diagnostic and statistic manual of psychiatric illnesses). The latter contains a coding and a criteria catalag. The partner often gets the state of a so-called "co-alcoholic": In order to play the role of an intact family, the alcohol problem of the partner is ignored, played down or completly covered.

Epsilon alcoholism is periodic alcoholism, otherwise known as binge drinking. This type of alcoholism results in a great deal of physical and emotional damage during periods of consumption, but there may be few consequences during non-drinking periods. For Jellinek, only the gamma and delta types of alcoholism could be classified as disease, although he was careful to caution that his theory was a working hypothesis in need of empirical testing and refinement (Lender, 1979; Miller, 1982).

[ana0j]

Epsilon Alcoholic

ahmm.

hi. why they like to drink alcohol?

[iAmBecoming]

Epsilon Alcoholic

I've heard that this type of alcoholism is very difficult to treat. It's probably because of lack of consequences.

[BradyKelly]

Epsilon Alcoholic

I think I may be epsilon. I don't normally crave alcohol at all, and easily go for weeks without drinking, or wanting to, until one day, after I've drunk a lot and withdrawal begins; then I just carry on in a vicious circle, because every morning the withdrawal begins again, and so does the drinking.

[sammymaguire]

Re: Epsilon Alcoholic

It is associated with mood disorders. If you google fluctuating alcohol use and hypomania/dysphoric hypomania you can read about it. I have it .lamicctal/abilify maintena and to a lesser extent sertraline rewired my brain and I can drink normally again. I had it for 20 years. ps it is also known as episodic alcoholism

[Anjicia]

Re: Epsilon Alcoholic

I think that is me also i can go for days weeks even and then once i start drinking it can go for days or over a week i must google this as it may help. i just refer to myself as a binge drinker but any up to date but safe researched info would be a help. Thanks all x

[Anjicia]

Re: Epsilon Alcoholic

Just discovered this is an old post and i am new here but may be others will see and get some benefit.