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I enjoy a bottle of wine everyday, am I an alcoholic?

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  • 04-12-2018 1:55am
    #1
    jacksn
    Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭


    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?


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    #2
    Fordcspri23
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 60 ✭✭Fordcspri23


    Do you have regular sexual intercourse?


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    #3
    emptyhouse2222
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭emptyhouse2222


    jacksn wrote: »
    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?

    where'd ya get the money to go on holidays for a year


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    #4
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    Not necessarily, but you're upping your tolerance a lot and exposing your body to risk.

    Do you like the taste of wine so much, or do you like getting tipsy? Both maybe?

    Btw, I'm a fairly heavy drinker, but I use alcohol as a recreational drug. My liver function is below par and my iron levels are way too high.


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    #5
    emptyhouse2222
    Closed Accounts Posts: 119 ✭✭emptyhouse2222


    igCorcaigh wrote: »
    Not necessarily, but you're upping your tolerance a lot and exposing your body to risk.

    Do you like the taste of wine so much, or do you like getting tipsy? Both maybe?

    Btw, I'm a fairly heavy drinker, but I use alcohol as a recreational drug. My liver function is below par and my iron levels are way too high.

    whats with all the questions
    give the op a chance to answer the first 2 questions


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    #6
    engiweirdo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 593 ✭✭✭engiweirdo


    Fordcspri23 wrote: »
    Do you have regular sexual intercourse?
    That's a sexomaniac not an alcoholic.


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    #7
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    emptyhouse2222 wrote: »
    whats with all the questions
    give the op a chance to answer the first 2 questions

    Sorry, yes. Im a little drunk.


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    #8
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    igCorcaigh wrote: »
    Sorry, yes. Im a little drunk.

    Stunts the growth, wine does.


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    #9
    Frunchy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 153 ✭✭Frunchy


    It's five times the recommended alcohol intake for a man, so you're definitely going to increase your cancer risk, do damage to your liver and other organs.


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    #10
    theguzman
    Registered Users Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭theguzman


    Yes you are an alcoholic, you should seek help and speak to your GP, cut down on the wine it will do you no good as you are abusing it perhaps for some psychological reason.


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    #11
    D.L.R.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,284 ✭✭✭D.L.R.


    jacksn wrote: »
    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?

    no, you're a wino.


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    #12
    CinemaGuy45
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭CinemaGuy45


    theguzman wrote: »
    Yes you are an alcoholic, you should seek help and speak to your GP, cut down on the wine it will do you no good as you are abusing it perhaps for some psychological reason.


    This a serious answer and the correct answer.

    OP you posted here because you are worried and you have a dependence.
    Nothing to be ashamed of alcohol is a very addictive substance.


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    #13
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    I think the word 'alcoholic' can be self defeating.

    Alcohol is a drug that can cause damage, on many levels, if consumed too much.

    You do not need to be "addicted" to a drug for it to cause damage.

    That word is a scare tactic anyway, and is also badly deployed to other things such as sugar.


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    #14
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    I liked your use of the word dipso though :)


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    #15
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    jacksn wrote: »
    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?

    Do you rely on it?
    If yes, alcoholic
    If no, not an alcoholic.

    That aside, regardless of where you fall on that scale, a bottle of wine a day is unhealthy. You should look into cutting that down.


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    #16
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users Posts: 33,188 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    Probably erring on the unhealthy side of risk if you ask me.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



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    #17
    igCorcaigh
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,205 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    OP, good replies here, but one thing to say to you if you continue... At least have off days. A little alcohol every day can be far worse for your physical health than the odd bender, over time.

    Take a few days off during the week, so your liver has a chance to repair.

    Every day on any drug is not good.


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    #18
    Raheem Euro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 327 ✭✭Raheem Euro


    Splitting everyone into teetotlers, healthy drinkers and alcoholics is maybe a bit simplistic.
    There are degrees of problem drinking.

    Analyse the effect of drink on you in your life. Your physical fitness, mental alacrity, personal relationships, work, sleep, diet. Do you ever suffer from anxiety, depression, mood swings.
    Honestly assessing those factors will tell you if you are a problem drinker. Take a week or month off alcohol completely. See do you find that difficult.


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    #19
    leggo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,061 ✭✭✭leggo


    There’s no one hard and fast answer, which is how people convince themselves they don’t have a problem, because they try cling onto one strict definition that *they* don’t apply to to convince themselves everything is fine. People can have an issue going drinking once a week and getting polluted (drinking should never affect your life in any meaningful way beyond maybe a sore head the next day and, if it does in any way regularly, that’s a problem). People can drink 3-5 times a week in moderation and be completely fine.

    In your case OP? The metric I’d go by is “If you did this the rest of your life, would you be fine?” And a bottle of wine a night would suggest no, that can mess you up (before you even take issues that can arise from increasing your tolerance dramatically into account, which this would definitely do). So yeah, I’d say you do.

    Another easy metric to go by, because particularly in Ireland our relationship and attitude towards alcohol can be way off-kilter, is that if you think you MIGHT have a problem at all, it’s probably worth dramatically cutting back or stopping immediately, at least until you’ve figured it out.


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    #20
    elstingeo
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭elstingeo


    If you are asking yourself that question then there may be some truth behind it. Who knows. Only you.

    Prolonged moderate consumption of alcohol is known to have effects on the kidneys and liver. Alcohol is a carcinogen and can also cause cirrhosis of the liver over time.

    I am not lecturing you either. I also consume beer often. I am just stating some facts that can be found in the public domain. I am neither a Dr. or health professional.

    Maybe the attitudes to alcohol consumption are different abroad. I would be of the belief that if one could go a number or days or weeks without it and not feel a true compulsion or requirement to consume then it may just be the sign of a bad routine.

    We are all comprised of routines and habits. Some habits are better than others. It is based on time management.

    Drinking a bottle of wine over x amount of time in the evening can be a way to spend time, relieve stress or be a source of enjoyment. With that said, going for a walk, to the gym or reading a book could also fill the time spent drinking and act as a hobby.

    Try not to kid yourself with over consumption as it can happen very quickly and without any heed. I have personally seen this with some close friends and family.

    Whichever conclusion you come to, I wish you luck.


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    #21
    sheesh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭sheesh


    you can find out by doing a liver assay test ask you GP it will tell you if you are addicted and your liver function.

    drinking everyday is bad as your liver never gets a chance to recover.

    how are your hangovers? is it affecting you getting to work in the morning?

    why are you drinking a bottle a night? why not one glass and leave the rest of it till tomorrow?

    have you considered going out and doing something social and non drink related during the week instead?


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    #22
    99nsr125
    Registered Users Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭99nsr125


    jacksn wrote: »
    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?

    UK NHS standard is more than 4 units and you have a problem

    I'll find the assessment sheet if I can


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    #23
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,050 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    CinemaGuy45 wrote: »
    This a serious answer and the correct answer.

    OP you posted here because you are worried and you have a dependence.
    Nothing to be ashamed of alcohol is a very addictive substance.

    Disagree and on the face of it a complete over reaction before the OP at least tries and sees whether they can moderate their alcohol intake. A bottle of wine is 4 glasses. It is definitely well above the recommended intake but that recommendation isn’t fool proof. Similar to the 5 a day fruit and veg myth the units is an arbitrary number which can vary considerably from person to person. The biggest test is can you try and stop for a certain amount of time (at least over a month). Also has it impacted your personal and profession life. These are more indicators of a problem rather than a label based on an arbitrary calculation.


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    #24
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,207 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    joeguevara wrote: »
    Disagree and on the face of it a complete over reaction before the OP at least tries and sees whether they can moderate their alcohol intake. A bottle of wine is 4 glasses. It is definitely well above the recommended intake but that recommendation isn’t fool proof. Similar to the 5 a day fruit and veg myth the units is an arbitrary number which can vary considerably from person to person. The biggest test is can you try and stop for a certain amount of time (at least over a month). Also has it impacted your personal and profession life. These are more indicators of a problem rather than a label based on an arbitrary calculation.
    Nitpick: A bottle of wine holds six standard glasses. As to how many units of alcohol, that depends on the alcoholic content of the wine, but 10 units is a nice round number and is correct for a wine which is 13.5% alcohol, which is pretty standard.

    So, if you're taking a bottle of wine a day, you're probably getting around 70 units a week.

    You're right to say that the recommended intake is just an average; that some people have more tolerance than others, etc, etc. But 70 units a week isn't off by 10% or 20% or even 50%; someone taking 70 units a week is getting 400% of the recommended intake. You'd have to be freak of nature for this not to present significant health risks in the long term.

    Bigger issue: There's a distinction between the question "Am I an alcoholic?", which is the question asked in the OP, and "am I drinking too much?". If you're drinking too much it may be because you're an alcoholic, but the two questions are nevertheless distinct.

    For alcoholism, the clinical test is whether the patient displays two or more of a list of behaviours. The OP already ticks the box for one behaviour - drinking large amounts over long periods of time - so the question is, does he tick any other box? They are:

    - difficulty cutting down
    - acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a lot of time
    - alcohol is strongly desired
    - usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities
    - usage results in social problems
    - usage results in health problems
    - usage results in risky situations (drink-driving, unsafe sex, accidents at home)
    - withdrawal occurs when stopping
    - alcohol tolerance has occurred with use

    The OP doesn't suggest any of these problems and, if he doesn't, he would not be diagnosed as an alcoholic. But does that really matter, if he is drinking enough to harm himself?


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    #25
    DS86DS
    Closed Accounts Posts: 691 ✭✭✭DS86DS


    There are plenty of people who enjoyed their drink, smoked like a chimney and didn't eat near enough vegetables....and lived well into their 90s.


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    #26
    vetinari
    Registered Users Posts: 1,025 ✭✭✭vetinari


    In beer terms, that's nearly 4 pints a day.
    If it's really every day, then yeah you have a drinking problem.
    You could get lucky and never suffer any long term ill effects.
    Chances are though, that you will develop health issues from that level of drinking over the long term.


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    #27
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,207 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    DS86DS wrote: »
    There are plenty of people who enjoyed their drink, smoked like a chimney and didn't eat near enough vegetables....and lived well into their 90s.
    Yes, and there are plenty of people who electrocute themselves, and live to tell the tale.

    So what? Unless we have some reason to think that the OP can take a bottle of wine a day and live to his 90s, the fact that some others may do so is not of much comfort.


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    #28
    IamtheWalrus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,075 ✭✭✭IamtheWalrus


    I think it's rare to want to drink a bottle of wine everyday. I'm guessing you are now starting to need it. If it's just a post holiday habit of European sophistication, then I'd drop it straight away. It's not worth the enjoyment.


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    #29
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,417 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    DS86DS wrote: »
    There are plenty of people who enjoyed their drink, smoked like a chimney and didn't eat near enough vegetables....and lived well into their 90s.


    Most ninety year olds you'll find didn't do those things .

    Don't drink much but I'd be fairly well gone in a bottle of wine.


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    #30
    dense
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,175 ✭✭✭dense


    jacksn wrote: »
    I went on holiday to France last year, over there I enjoyed a lot of wine and since then I would have a bottle of wine every day, I feel like I can stop anytime but I do enjoy it.. am I a dipso?

    Possibly.
    You'll find out when you try to stop.

    It's too much in my opinion, or, maybe I'm just a little envious....


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    #31
    Badly Drunk Boy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,507 ✭✭✭Badly Drunk Boy


    igCorcaigh wrote: »
    I liked your use of the word dipso though :)
    Me too (no hashtag). :D It literally means 'I thirst'.
    sheesh wrote: »
    you can find out by doing a liver assay test ask you GP it will tell you if you are addicted and your liver function.
    It won't tell if you're addicted, just the state of your liver (although this might point to the fact that you might be addicted). Milk thistle is great for helping the liver to recover, or at least damage limitation. You can get it in various forms but personally, I like the Berocca-type pop-it-in-water version.


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