[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How does alcoholism begin? (Page 1 of 4)
Posted: 9/15/2011 8:51:25 AM EDT
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The proper answer is that medical science isn't exactly sure.
There's anecdotal evidence to suggest that there's a genetic or hereditary disposition that can leave one more vulnerable to alcohol addiction than the general population, but there's been no conclusive genetic studies, and there's no other way to prove it. There is medical evidence to support some people having an allergy to alcohol (actually, the byproducts of fermentation - ethanol itself is not the allergen) and it's well-documented that our bodies DO adapt to alcohol intake - so it's not unreasonable to conclude that some folks' bodies adapt by developing an addiction. But as to a universal root cause? Either one doesn't exist, or it's unknown at this time. |
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No one really knows, empirically. You can say something smart ass like "Well, it starts by drinking", but it doesn't explain why some drink ALOT and have completely stopped with no trouble, and others who drink far less but have nonetheless become hopelessly addicted. Is it genetic? It could be, but nobody knows the exact details. |
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Quoted: Quoted: With a drink? I was going to say being born, but I think your answer is just as much correct.... Evidently not, because many drink (even in excess) without developing alcoholism. The reasons why some develop it and some don't are, at least to the best of my knowledge, unclear. |
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It is usually a recipe... If you have a Family history... but you still have to start and continue drinking. Depression, using it as an escape... Social drinking in excess. Lack of self control, addictive behaviors, additional drug or substance use/abuse. Which is another good point. Alcoholism is often a symptom of a separate disease, disorder, or syndrome. It often does not present alone. Which means that either there are multiple types of alcohol addiction, or that other maladies make the human body more susceptible to developing alcohol addiction. It's probably a mix of both. |
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Quoted: How does it "begin"? As in, starting to show signs of alcoholism? Id say it begins when you CANT go without a drink. I dont believe the "if you have more than 3 (or whatever) drinks a week your an alcoholic" load. Your an alcoholic when you cant stop. There is no single explanation. Not being able to go without a drink is as good as any. You may have a problem with binge drinking if when you drink you cannot STOP until you are too wasted to move. |
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With a drink? I was going to say being born, but I think your answer is just as much correct.... Evidently not, because many drink (even in excess) without developing alcoholism. The reasons why some develop it and some don't are, at least to the best of my knowledge, unclear. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous characterizes it by "an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind" in that alcoholics react differently to alcohol. Most normal drinkers (whatever the fuck that is, I never hung with em) drink a few drinks and stop. They dislike the feeling of being out of control. Alcoholics tend to feel MORE in control as their drinking progresses. An example would be why a non alcoholic will give the keys to a friend when they've a few too many Cosmos with friends and an alcoholic will cuss and fight for the right to drive after a bottle of Beam. 
This is the over simplistic version of alcoholism, brought to you by an admitted alcoholic. 
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I can tell you when you start drinking for "relief," it's not a good sign. Not always. People do plenty of things for relief or escape, not all of them harmful. Excersize, for example. Some people like the natural endorphins, and others simply like having a routine or that portion of personal time during the day. I very much enjoy relaxing with a good beer, but I'm not an alcoholic. I would say that beer is a relief for me - of course, so are dozens of other things. Almost everyone gets satisfaction, relaxation, and relief through sex, though very few people have sexual disorder issues. I'll even go so far as to say that the stereotypical "I need a drink!" statement/behavior isn't entirely dangerous. Certainly, not any more dangerous of a behavior than "I need coffee!" ETA: And to your post above - I think I understand more what you're getting at. Alcoholism does manifest differently from person to person, and so self-examination is the best diagnostic tool available. |
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Varies by experience. I can tell you when you start drinking for "relief," it's not a good sign. well, i guess every male is addicted to jerking off. but...but.....2 or 3 drinks a day is supposed to be good for you......why wouldn't.....ahh......well....nevermind 
RG |
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I think the official answer is if you ever plan to have a drink. Like when you're sitting in your office thinking "Damn, can't wait to get off work so I can have a beer with the fellas", this constitutes a "plan", as opposed to showing up somewhere and someone offers you a drink and you drink it because everyone else is. But yeah, fuck that. I can't wait til 6pm myself  |
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Quoted: I think the official answer is if you ever plan to have a drink. Like when you're sitting in your office thinking "Damn, can't wait to get off work so I can have a beer with the fellas", this constitutes a "plan", as opposed to showing up somewhere and someone offers you a drink and you drink it because everyone else is. But yeah, fuck that. I can't wait til 6pm myself  As I consider myself to be responsible, I "plan" to drink. * Do I have anything planned tomorrow morning, that would be negatively affected by drinking too much tonight? * Do I need to drive myself home? * Are all of my normal responsibilities taken care of? Is dinner made? Are the kids in bed or otherwise okay? * Am I alone with the kids, or is my sober wife present? If an emergency arises, will one of us be able to handle it? Not considering any of these things (i.e., failing to plan) seems grossly irresponsible, to me. The above criterion are the difference between not drinking at all, stopping after 1-2, or getting shit faced (as my mood may dictate). |
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I think the official answer is if you ever plan to have a drink. Like when you're sitting in your office thinking "Damn, can't wait to get off work so I can have a beer with the fellas", this constitutes a "plan", as opposed to showing up somewhere and someone offers you a drink and you drink it because everyone else is. But yeah, fuck that. I can't wait til 6pm myself I'm thinking the guy who can't plan and has no control is more of a problem......kind of like our IT guy who was recently fired.......9AM at work was an ok time for him......totally loaded by 11AM......really any time for this guy was go time. Sad to see though.....actually a pretty sharp guy, not nasty or confrontational. Sadly had a family history it turns out. RG |
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I can tell you when you start drinking for "relief," it's not a good sign. Not always. People do plenty of things for relief or escape, not all of them harmful. Excersize, for example. Some people like the natural endorphins, and others simply like having a routine or that portion of personal time during the day. I very much enjoy relaxing with a good beer, but I'm not an alcoholic. I would say that beer is a relief for me - of course, so are dozens of other things. Almost everyone gets satisfaction, relaxation, and relief through sex, though very few people have sexual disorder issues. I'll even go so far as to say that the stereotypical "I need a drink!" statement/behavior isn't entirely dangerous. Certainly, not any more dangerous of a behavior than "I need coffee!" . Relief and relaxation are not equals. If you don't know the difference then you're probably not an alcoholic.
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Quoted: Quoted: I think the official answer is if you ever plan to have a drink. Like when you're sitting in your office thinking "Damn, can't wait to get off work so I can have a beer with the fellas", this constitutes a "plan", as opposed to showing up somewhere and someone offers you a drink and you drink it because everyone else is. But yeah, fuck that. I can't wait til 6pm myself I'm thinking the guy who can't plan and has no control is more of a problem......kind of like our IT guy who was recently fired.......9AM at work was an ok time for him......totally loaded by 11AM......really any time for this guy was go time. Sad to see though.....actually a pretty sharp guy, not nasty or confrontational. Sadly had a family history it turns out. RG Those idiots are worse and give the rest of us a bad name the people who bother me are the ones who only drink like once a month, but they feel the need to take advantage of the situation and get completely hammered, get kicked out of where ever they are, start fights and puke everywhere. I don't hang out with people like that anymore. |
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Quoted: Those idiots are worse and give the rest of us a bad name the people who bother me are the ones who only drink like once a month, but they feel the need to take advantage of the situation and get completely hammered, get kicked out of where ever they are, start fights and puke everywhere. I don't hang out with people like that anymore.Yeah, I actually prefer hanging out with the pros. The guy that isn't used to it, always winds up being a raging asshole, or a burden on the rest of the group, who now have to figure out what to do with him. |
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I think the official answer is if you ever plan to have a drink. Like when you're sitting in your office thinking "Damn, can't wait to get off work so I can have a beer with the fellas", this constitutes a "plan", as opposed to showing up somewhere and someone offers you a drink and you drink it because everyone else is. But yeah, fuck that. I can't wait til 6pm myself I'm thinking the guy who can't plan and has no control is more of a problem......kind of like our IT guy who was recently fired.......9AM at work was an ok time for him......totally loaded by 11AM......really any time for this guy was go time. Sad to see though.....actually a pretty sharp guy, not nasty or confrontational. Sadly had a family history it turns out. RG Those idiots are worse and give the rest of us a bad name the people who bother me are the ones who only drink like once a month, but they feel the need to take advantage of the situation and get completely hammered, get kicked out of where ever they are, start fights and puke everywhere. I don't hang out with people like that anymore.
Agreed. RG |
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With a drink? I was going to say being born, but I think your answer is just as much correct.... Evidently not, because many drink (even in excess) without developing alcoholism. The reasons why some develop it and some don't are, at least to the best of my knowledge, unclear. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous characterizes it by "an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind" in that alcoholics react differently to alcohol. Most normal drinkers (whatever the fuck that is, I never hung with em) drink a few drinks and stop. They dislike the feeling of being out of control. Alcoholics tend to feel MORE in control as their drinking progresses. An example would be why a non alcoholic will give the keys to a friend when they've a few too many Cosmos with friends and an alcoholic will cuss and fight for the right to drive after a bottle of Beam.
This is the over simplistic version of alcoholism, brought to you by an admitted alcoholic. I worked with a guy that was in AA. We had dinner at a bar one night and he asked, "How do you have just one drinK?" That really hit home. |
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Alcoholism begins when a person says it begins. I would say it began for me around age 12, when I got really, really drunk and really, really liked it. Yep. For me it was about 13. There was a brief period of time between that 3rd Schlitz beer and the time I started puking down the side of my friends '63 Fairlane, that I had a profuse buzz and everything was wonderful. I persued that feeling for the next 25 years. But I kept over-shooting the mark. 
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