how many glasses of wine = alcoholism?

Aviva92

Most people like a good glass of wine (except me because I think it tastes terrible), but how much is too much? They say 1 glass a day(6oz) is good for the heart. If you are drinking wine every day, how many glasses a day (or ounces) would be excessive? When do you become an alcoholic?

It's not how much alcohol, more the fact that an alcoholic can't NOT have a drink. It might only be one glass, but they need it every day.

okay, but if it's just one glass of wine, that isn't going to affect their life negatively so i wouldn't view that as a problem worthy of calling them an alcoholic. maybe they have some other underlying problem but alcoholic doesn't sound correct to me.

cramernh

I really liked your response and I admire your bravery and fortitude. It could not have been easy to recover and I applaud you.
God Bless!

Nope.. .it wasnt easy, in fact it was f'ing hell. Between my mother and her 'dealing' via alcohol never home, witnessing my sister incarcerated into a group home for girls, and wondering who the hell was going to come home on top of the withdrawals, it was bat-crap crazy. My grandparents opened their door to me when my mother couldnt get her act straight.

She eventually had to ease up the bottle because of working third shift and graveyard hours, lots of overtime, etc. She often never came home. I didnt see my sister for about six years, and unfortunately today - she still isnt the same.. she is still one crazed whackadoodle.

I deal with family members who think they can guilt me into seeing my mother and sister, but I simply dont need those toxic people in my life. They still turn to alcohol, they havent hit what Psychologists call "rock bottom" with their personal issues and situations and I just dont need that in my life. Am I 100%? Noooooooo, I never will be 100% - thats the reality of abuse in any method. You are never truly 100%.. maybe 85% is a good number. I still have 'demons' even today at age 38.. but I choose not to use alcohol for them.

My husband and I have been married for almost 4 years, but together for 13 years. He has been the rock when Im tumbling, that keeps me held up. Im there for him too when his demons get the best of him as well. I have rather a HUGE advantage though - I work in healthcare so access to medical/behavioral health resources is damn near close to free for the both of us. Its there when we need that extra step to be taken... we have our choice of over 300 practitioners, lets put it that way! LOL... just glad I dont need all of them!

What defines alcoholism is not a traditional text-book definition really... I see it in my own patients' documentation when Im fighting with their insurance companies to pay their claims. There is a large section of diagnosis codes available for alcoholism alone.. the subcategories where its required to have two diagnoses... is double the size listing. It traditionally begins environmentally, which develops psychologically which has an adverse reaction to physical, emotional and environmental aspects of a person's life. Their health is greatly compromised on multiple levels thus requiring the needs of different types of clinicians from both behavioral health and medical health.

Edited to include something I forgot when I posted this: the whole alcoholism issue... from my day in medical training and education classes was best described in how it affects Maslow's Heirarchy... the effects of alcohol and Maslow's Heirarchy being affected by it was FASCINATING to learn.. but also very scary too.

Litlbeast

Speaking as an alcoholic, it doesn't really depend on how much you drink. You become an alcoholic when alcohol becomes more of a priority than other things in your life, and sometimes everything. You become an alcoholic when drinking becomes your life.

*raises hand* as another recovering alcoholic, I just wanted to second this. Well-said and pretty much if you have a problem, some part of you already knows it.

Litlbeast

acxtually they mean stop for one year or more. If you say you won't drink for one year and you can't make a year, its possible there is a problem, and I say possible. People who don't have a problem with alchohol never even wonder if they have a problem.

I made it a year and a half, each time I had one of my three children. But I always went back to chronic drinking, until I went into recovery.

This isn't the proper place to quote a very important book to recovering alcoholics, but basically, no matter how a person tries to a) cut down, b) alter the behavior by what or when they drink or c) take breaks from drinking, if they are an alcoholic they will always return to having a problem with it. If it sounds harsh, that's because it is.

susanswan

When I worked on a medical floor in the hospital the doctors would ask patients how much they drank (if it was relative for their diagnosis) and it was a given that most people downplay what they drink. A person who drinks at least 2 drinks every single day is considered a "maintenance" drinker.

XXXMinnieXXX

Most people like a good glass of wine (except me because I think it tastes terrible), but how much is too much? They say 1 glass a day(6oz) is good for the heart. If you are drinking wine every day, how many glasses a day (or ounces) would be excessive? When do you become an alcoholic?

It's not how much alcohol, more the fact that an alcoholic can't NOT have a drink. It might only be one glass, but they need it every day.

Not true for all slcoholics...

zebisis

Hm. Well this is surprising, but you all seem to agree.
So a long as I have the ability to stop, I can get black-out drunk every night for fun, every single day, and I'm not an alcoholic. I like this definition.

If you get black-out drunk then you will not have the conscious ability to stop.

If you black out every night, you WILL NOT have the ability to stop, because your body will become dependant on the alcohol. Thinking you can stop is not the same as stopping without any physical symptoms.

I was a severe alcoholic for many years, recovering now.

There is abuse, and there is addiction. There is a fine line between the two.

zrmac804

When I worked on a medical floor in the hospital the doctors would ask patients how much they drank (if it was relative for their diagnosis) and it was a given that most people downplay what they drink. A person who drinks at least 2 drinks every single day is considered a "maintenance" drinker.

Haha, yeah, most experienced doctors and nurses have a rule: "You automatically multiply by three the number of drinks the patient claims to have daily."

jetscreaminagain

alcoholism isn't a number of drinks per day, or per week. it is a dependency on alcohol. needing a few drinks to go to sleep, needed a few drinks to wake up, or a few drinks to get through the day or certain events are indicators of alcoholism.

the inability to stop drinking is another indicator of alcohol. lying about your consumption of alcohol is another. keeping your drinking a secret is another too.

so if I drink 20 oz of vodka every single day after work because I like it, but have the ability to stop if I want to, then I'm not an alcoholic?

Only if you aren't kidding yourself about your ability to quit at any point. And at that rate of consumption, the likelihood you actually CAN quit is pretty low.

elijhasmomma

1) I drink, but not excessively, and
2) Trying to get outside opinions because yes, I am trying to gauge a person and their habits

I am majoring in Addiction Studies. Let me give you a few clinical definitions that may hopefully help. Being an alcoholic is being an addict. It's a chemical addiction since it alters the way your mind works. There is no exact definition of what an addiction is, as they say it is indeed a "working" definition. But three of the textbook definitions include: 1. An addiction is an abnormal love and trust relationship with an object or event in an attempt to control that which cannot be controlled. 2. Addiction is an increasing desire for something with an accompanying decreasing ability to satisfy. 3. Substance abuse is defined as a maldaptive use of chemicals that impacts one or more (out of four) major life domains and responsibilities.
To say someone drinks because they are depressed, and depression is what causes alcoholism or vice versa, well they must be ahead of the game because this is just as the "which came first the chicken or the egg" bit. It is not quite clear yet which causes the other. One may become depressed when they realize they can't quit drinking, one may continue to drink when they realize or feel depressed. It's a cause and effect theory that is still being studied. Addictions occur when they are reinforced, whether be it positvely or negatively. two of the major principles of the disease concept of alcoholism includes the inevitable loss of control and the ability to abstain from alcohol.
There are four distinct phases of alcoholism:
1. Prealcoholic phase: this stage the person begins to lose initial control over alcohol consumption. With continued overindulgence..
2: Prodromal pahse: characterized by such behaviors as clandestine drinking, increased tolerance, chugging or gulping behaviors, and blackouts. Associated emotional/cognitive responses include guilt, preoccupation with drinking, and such distortions as rationalization. Physical dependence is the hallmark of the third stage.
3. Crucial phase: At this point the individual has lost control of his or her drinking, as well as have had some personality changes. Characteristics include sacrificed friends, family, and career opportunities for continuous drinking--protective behavior over one's supply of alcohol-negligence of physical and emotional health-and decreased self esteem.
4. Chronic phase: morning drinking is common, ethical standards and laws are broken, memory loss occurs, hallucinations and tremors happen, and may turn to alternate substances (rubbing alcohol, mouthwash) when other alcoholic beverages are unavailable.

Tolerance nor withdrawls need to be present in order to be classified as an addiction. Instead, there is two criteria which are necessary for the designation of chemical addiction-recurrent failure to control the use of one or more drugs, and continuation of drug use despite substantial harmful consequences. Individuals meeting criteria for substance abuse will likely experience one of the following over the course of 12 months: role failure-avoiding responsibilities (with detrimental consequences) in such areas as home, school, or work-chemical use during dangerous situations, such as driving or operating heavy machinery-or continue to abuse chemicals even when doing so significantly deteriorates important relationships or impacts social concerns.

Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more. This pattern of drinking usually corresponds to 5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on a single occasion for women, generally within about 2 hours.


To establish a more precise use of the term alcoholism, a 23-member multidisciplinary committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine conducted a 2-year study of the definition of alcoholism in the light of current concepts. The goals of the committee were to create by consensus a revised definition that is (1) scientifically valid, (2) clinically useful, and (3) understandable by the general public. Therefore, the committee agreed to define alcoholism as a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial. Each of these symptoms may be continuous or periodic.


A standard drink is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in
•12-ounces of beer.
•8-ounces of malt liquor.
•5-ounces of wine.
•1.5-ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey)

One 12-ounce beer has about the same amount of alcohol as one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. It is the amount of alcohol consumed that affects a person most, not the type of alcoholic drink.
For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 2 drinks per day. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 1 drink per day.

Hope this helps some!! Let me know if you have ANY questions. :flowerforyou:

ETA: There is the topic of cross addiction, whereby one addiction is substitued with another, but is a topic for another day. It is rare that you find an addict with only one addiction or problem. Most addicts have an addictive personality which causes them to draw nearer to their addictions, be it chemical or a process addiction. Often times, there is a family member who also has an addiction or may be the trigger for the addict's lack of self-control/will power.

SomeoneSomeplace

As an alcoholic I don't know that alcoholism can be judged by how much you drink but how it's affecting your life and if it feels out of control...

But I will say I could drink an entire bottle of wine at 115 pounds with VERY little effect so... that could put things in perspective a bit.

elijhasmomma

But I will say I could drink an entire bottle of wine at 115 pounds with VERY little effect so... that could put things in perspective a bit.

It says a lot actually. I am glad you can recognize this. This is a maldaptive pattern of behavior. Your tolerance is extremely high. Tolerance is defined as the need for markedly increased amounts or intensities of the behavior to achieve the desired effect and markedly diminished effect with continued involvement in the behavior at the same level of intensity. This is a possible case of an increasing desire for something with an accompanying decreasing ability to satisfy that desire.
Good luck to you and hang in there! (hoping not to have offended)

slkehl

If you drink on a daily basis, 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women is generally considered fine for one's health.

But it's really your mentality. If every day you're at work constantly thinking about that one ice cold beer in the fridge, you might have more issues than the person who goes out on Halloween and gets hammered.

sillybeachgirl

If you can do that everyday and still function, get to work on time, and not have your life be affect in anyway than no you are not, and I would also say if you can do that you're also awesome

bycron77

This response is directed at NormalSaneFLG.

I hate to say it (and I'm really not trying to be mean, I'm trying to be helpful, albeit blunt), but phrases like "I can stop anytime I want to" mean jack **** when it comes to addiction, when it comes to alcohol or any other drug. What is the operational definition of "I can stop anytime I want to?" What is a definition that is objectively observable to others, one that is not based solely on an internal psychological experience that we have to take your word for? It's easy to say you can stop anytime you want to. How do you know? Have you tried? Have you tried but then found some reason (i.e, justification/excuse) why you weren't really trying to stop and has that reason allowed you to justify drinking on that particularly day/night? Do you find any day/night that you want to drink you can find a good reason if you try hard enough? Do you feel guilty when you wake up the next day? That includes deep down feelings (i.e., you know you feel guilty, but you've kind of managed to convince yourself that you don't). Are you doing it to relieve psychological pain/stress (e.g., from work)? Is the idea of spending that night/day not drinking somewhat frightening/anxiety-provoking given that in similar situations you typically drink and feel you would have nothing to look forward to if you didn't drink?

Ultimately, it's a gut feeling. If you know you're trying to bull**** yourself and are looking for proof that you're not, then the fact is that you are not succeeding at bull****ting yourself and that you really do have a problem. Anything you do enough is a habit. A habit is just something you do because that is what you have done in previous similar situations and because that is what feels most comfortable and familiar and natural to you. E.g., every time you have a fight with your boss you go home and drink. In this case, if you have a fight with your boss, it takes concerted effort to go home and not drink. That is, you are trying to buck your usual coping mechanism. Don't look at it on moral terms. Just be blunt and honest with yourself. Addiction tends to be more psychological than people expect. People think it's physical, but the psychological aspect is often more powerful. For most people, it's hard to not drink when they're used to it because that is the only way they know they will feel okay again. Most alcoholics don't get life-threatening DTs or seizures. They simply can't live life without alcohol.

Sources: Worked at a substance abuse clinic. Personal struggles with prescription stimulant addiction (1.5 years in recovery).

hearthwood

You become an alcoholic when you can't stop drinking. You find excuses to drink, you start questioning yourself about your drinking, a bad sign, and then alcohol no longer is your friend, but your weakness, and then it starts affecting your relationship with your friends, family and your job. That's when you know you have a drinking problem, just like any other drug addiction. 1 glass of wine a day is good for your heart, notice it doesn't say two or more.

bycron77

This response is directed at NormalSaneFLG.

I hate to say it (and I'm really not trying to be mean, I'm trying to be helpful, albeit blunt), but phrases like "I can stop anytime I want to" mean jack **** when it comes to addiction, when it comes to alcohol or any other drug. What is the operational definition of "I can stop anytime I want to?" What is a definition that is objectively observable to others, one that is not based solely on an internal psychological experience that we have to take your word for? It's easy to say you can stop anytime you want to. How do you know? Have you tried? Have you tried but then found some reason (i.e, justification/excuse) why you weren't really trying to stop and has that reason allowed you to justify drinking on that particularly day/night? Do you find any day/night that you want to drink you can find a good reason if you try hard enough? Do you feel guilty when you wake up the next day? That includes deep down feelings (i.e., you know you feel guilty, but you've kind of managed to convince yourself that you don't). Are you doing it to relieve psychological pain/stress (e.g., from work)? Is the idea of spending that night/day not drinking somewhat frightening/anxiety-provoking given that in similar situations you typically drink and feel you would have nothing to look forward to if you didn't drink?

Ultimately, it's a gut feeling. If you know you're trying to bull**** yourself and are looking for proof that you're not, then the fact is that you are not succeeding at bull****ting yourself and that you really do have a problem. Anything you do enough is a habit. A habit is just something you do because that is what you have done in previous similar situations and because that is what feels most comfortable and familiar and natural to you. E.g., every time you have a fight with your boss you go home and drink. In this case, if you have a fight with your boss, it takes concerted effort to go home and not drink. That is, you are trying to buck your usual coping mechanism. Don't look at it on moral terms. Just be blunt and honest with yourself. Addiction tends to be more psychological than people expect. People think it's physical, but the psychological aspect is often more powerful. For most people, it's hard to not drink when they're used to it because that is the only way they know they will feel okay again. Most alcoholics don't get life-threatening DTs or seizures. They simply can't live life without alcohol.

Sources: Worked at a substance abuse clinic. Personal struggles with prescription stimulant addiction (1.5 years in recovery).

bycron77

This is me, bycron77, responding to my own post as a followup. Focusing on technicalities like how many ounces you drink a day is not the best way to get an honest answer once you get past a certain point. For instance, I don't think I would consider anyone who has one drink a day to be an alcoholic, including somehow I know who says, "I have one drink a day, whether I need it or not." But by the time you get to three or four drinks a day, depending on your motivations, you probably could be an alcoholic. We all know the term "functional alcoholic." And alcohol is different from other drugs in that it is legal and socially acceptable. You don't hear about a lot of "functional" tweakers or crackheads. In any event, alcohol can still have an extremely negative impact on your life (and if you're worried about it, then it probably is causing problems) even if you're "functional." I recall, for instance, reading about a housewife alcoholic who basically went all day without drinking, but every single night after she put her kids to bed she would have three bottles of wine. Whether or not she was so physically addicted she'd get severe withdrawals (and I don't think she was at that point, if you are really highly physically addicted to alcohol and you're going to quit, you need to go to a detox because it can be fatal, alcohol and benzodiazepines, or "benzos" -- e.g., Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan -- and other tranquilizer withdrawals are among the few withdrawals that can be fatal). She was an alcoholic largely because so much of what got her through the day was those three bottles of wine she had to look forward to at the end of it.

Alatariel75

I'm sure Normal is pleased that you were here to answer his 2 year old question... unfortunately, he's deactivated.