Alrighty, here's my lifestyle question with a long intro. I went to an annual checkup with a new doctor the other day and she asked me how many ounces of alcohol I had in a week. hello? ounces?? Can I have a bigger standard of measure, please? I'm a single person living in a fun town. I go out probably 3-4 nights a week. On average, I'll have around 4 drinks (well, beers), sometimes more. I don't consider myself an alcoholic, but you know, when I say "I have about 16-20 beers on any given week," it sort of sounds like I have problem. Let me just say that I have a professional, full time job and have never missed work due to hangovers (okay, once or twice), but in general, I function normally, no DWI's, great relationships with friends, family, boyfriend, etc. So, my question is? How much drinking is too much? Am I sporting classic symptoms of alcholism denial or just having fun?

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Answers

Some current theories say that a drink is a drink, whether it's a shot of whiskey, a glass of wine, or a pint of beer. I.e., if 3 will get you noticeably drunk, 1 is a drink. When my wife was pregnant, she was told that moderate drinking was okay, moderate being 2 drinks. The doctor didn't care whether it was beer, wine, or bourbon.

This was in Walnut Creek, California, if that makes any difference.

My personal opinion: There are three levels of Too Drunk.

Too Drunk: Wondering whether or not you're going to throw up. Not fun any more.

Way too drunk: Actually throwing up. Past not fun and into health hazard.

Wayyyy too freaking goddamn drunk: Going to sleep on the bathroom floor with the lights on so you can be sure to make it to the toilet the next time you have to throw up.

I'm on a lifelong crusade not to get way too drunk ever, ever again.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

If it's not causing problems in other areas of your life, it doesn't sound like you have an alcohol abuse problem.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Have fun. As long as you're not the fifty-year-old leathery barfly still trying to pick up the bartender, then you're fine. (Of course, the barfly's fine in my book too.)

We live in a culture of boring moderation and abstemiousness (abstention?) where you're morally inferior if you smoke (in some parts of North America, anyway). I say have fun -- the more fun you have the more fun you are.

(though of course I agree that the puking thing's no good, and, you know, there always has to be a disclaimer about being responsible, etc.)

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Hell, I have the same lifestyle you do. I live in a city that is cold and rainy about 300 days out of the year. Thus, it logically follows that most of the social life revolves around drinking in places that are not cold and rainy, aka bars. A couple of months ago my boyfriend and I tried to figure out the last time we had gone a night without a beer. Surprise! It was three months earlier when I fell asleep at 7pm directly after work.

So basically sweetie, there's no problem there. Although I must say that I have learned, repeatedly, that 5 shots of Jim Beam = WAAAY too freaking drunk. I'm so not post-adolescent yet.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

I think you're doing ok, as long as you can still have a good time stone cold sober.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

If you're not driving drunk; if you're not missing work because you're drunk or hung over; if you're not waking up in strange beds with no idea who's next to you and realizing you didn't use a condom; and if you're not staying away from friends, family and activities just so you can drink - you probably don't have a problem.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

If you don't drive drunk, if you don't go home with twelve guys on a regular basis, and if you can remember virtually everything the next morning then you're fine. In fact, I'd say you need another drink.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

How much do you weigh? And how much is "a beer"? For about three years I drank on average about eight pints a week. I could drink three pints in an evening and not be sick -- four pints would be pushing it, five would be over the line. Course, I was dancing a lot, drank lots of water and ate good food, and I also weighed more than the average party girl (165) and had a high percentage of bodyfat. That all made a difference in how I tolerated the alcohol.

It's so hard to define addiction for another person: but, if you find yourself drinking throughout the day; if you can't get through *any* social situation without a drink; if you have withdrawal symptoms when you don't drink for a week; if you pass out or get sick or have hangovers regularly; then you might want to start thinking about whether you want a drug controlling your life.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

Just last week at my check-up, my doctor said a healthy woman can have one alcoholic drink a day without risk to brain cells/liver/whatever else alcohol damages. She did not, for the record, think it was funny when I asked "What if I save all my week's drinks for Saturday night?"

Basically my doctor was like "think about it, does even a minor hangover feel good or natural? your body is having a negative reaction there." I guess you should keep in mind that alcohol can affect your health, whether or not you're an alcoholic. One drink a day seems pretty low, so it might be best to think more in terms of moderation.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2000

I'd say it depends on a few factors...your age, your life outside of drinking and your behavior while drinking. I drank heavily from the ages of 17-20 and I think that was pretty normal for that stage in my life (high school/college). I knew it was time to stop drinking when I started feeling like I needed to have alcohol at an even to make it worth attneding and/or fun. I also knew it was time to hang up the old frosty mug when I noticed how damn loud and obnoxious I got while drinking. I mean, I'm still loud and obnoxious but now it's a choosen way of life rather than a passive/agressive drunken bender type behavior.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2000