wtf? 5 drinks in two weeks is binge drinking??

[Denver_Bronco]

Denver, would you say that a person that gets stoned once a year is a pothead?  I'm assuming not.  But if you go out and get drunk once a year, you are a binge drinker.  You aren't an alcoholic, though. 

No a person with a history of abusing that drug is a pothead. If you smoked from 6 am to 6pm as a 18 year old and now you only smoke once a year, guess what ? Still a pothead.....

[TonyB0D]

Alcoholism is such a joke. No one is addicted to barley, they just use booze to cover up whatever problems they have.

what kind of stupid, uneducated, ignorant statement is that?

[Ryan]

ditto ^^

[YoFuggedaboutit]

http://www.startribune.com/389/story/276785.html

According to a University of Minnesota student survey in February, 45 percent of students binge-drink. That means they had five or more drinks in one sitting within the previous two weeks.

apparently i'm a binge drinker.

i'm gonna need a few drinks to think about this...

Five drinks in one sitting doesn't do a damned thing to me.  I need a minimum of eight to actually feel a buzz.

[Phishfan]

Alcoholism is such a joke. No one is addicted to barley, they just use booze to cover up whatever problems they have.

This is either terrible sarcasm or you just plain don't understand addiction.

[Ryan]

Five drinks in one sitting doesn't do a damned thing to me.  I need a minimum of eight to actually feel a buzz.

Do you drink wine coolers or something?  Or are you an alcoholic?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Do you drink wine coolers or something?  Or are you an alcoholic?

No.  Now that I've read the definitions posted above, I would actually classify myself as a binge drinker.  I've sometimes gone for MONTHS without touching any alcohol.  I am not dependent on it in any way, shape or form.  I just tend to knock them back really quick when partying.  Dave, Ms Dave, Brian, and Fausto can attest to that.  When we all met up in Tampa, I must've had like 12 beers the night before the Dolphins game.  Big mistake..... my energy was drained the next day.

[TonyB0D]

Do you drink wine coolers or something? Or are you an alcoholic?

apparently you've never seen a picture of Tommy.....he's quite a large man....

[run_to_win]

alcoholism is a product of a person personality. it's the beast within.

to people that are prone to alcoholism, it doesn't matter how often or how much they drink.

If they know they're prone, but they drink anyway.... then is it a choice or a disease?

For example, many of us have the "genetic defect" that we cannot tolerate a piece of lead penetrating our skulls at high velocity.  Therefore we CHOOSE not to participate in "Russian Roulette".   

[Phishfan]

If they know they're prone, but they drink anyway.... then is it a choice or a disease?

For example, many of us have the "genetic defect" that we cannot tolerate a piece of lead penetrating our skulls at high velocity.  Therefore we CHOOSE not to participate in "Russian Roulette".   

I don't like your example as it is a bit extreme. I would liken an alcoholic drinking more to a diabetic not paying attention to their diet and eating candy all day.

[BeefStewert]

No a person with a history of abusing that drug is a pothead. If you smoked from 6 am to 6pm as a 18 year old and now you only smoke once a year, guess what ? Still a pothead.....

So you are saying once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic?  I can agree with that.  I just got confused with you saying that my binge drinking doesn't equate to alcoholism statement is ridiculous.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

So you are saying once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic?  I can agree with that.  I just got confused with you saying that my binge drinking doesn't equate to alcoholism statement is ridiculous.

Not true in Denver's sense.  If someone was addicted to marijuana, they would NOT be able to "smoke from 6 am to 6 pm when they were 18" and then "now they smoke only once a year".  Remember, addiction and alcoholism are PROGRESSIVE diseases.  If someone is sober for 10-20 years, then starts drinking again, they'll be worse off than they were before.  It's just not possible to keep addiction/alcoholism under control like Denver described. 

[TonyB0D]

Not true in Denver's sense. If someone was addicted to marijuana, they would NOT be able to "smoke from 6 am to 6 pm when they were 18" and then "now they smoke only once a year". Remember, addiction and alcoholism are PROGRESSIVE diseases. If someone is sober for 10-20 years, then starts drinking again, they'll be worse off than they were before. It's just not possible to keep addiction/alcoholism under control like Denver described.

thats just not true.  i know a few people who had severe addictions (pot, drugs, and alky), and without any outside intervention (besides friends encouragement & support) have kicked the habit, and now can enjoy those things they were addicted to without getting addicted.

[Phishfan]

thats just not true.  i know a few people who had severe addictions (pot, drugs, and alky), and without any outside intervention (besides friends encouragement & support) have kicked the habit, and now can enjoy those things they were addicted to without getting addicted.

This goes against everything classes teach you and against the cases I have seen first hand. I would be curious to see how bad this addiction was in the first place.