How do you judge an alcoholic?

ForeverYoung90

Personally I sympathise with them as I feel a lot of them have had a tough life and are turning to the drink to block out the pain.

J Mysterio

Thinly veiled i'm an alcoholic thread.

Fr_Dougal

they're very organised, they go to meetings and stuff...

PeteEd

10 out of 10

monkeysnapper

I work for a German retailer and I see so so so many people in everyday buying 2/3 bottles of wine and theres one man who buys a 12 pack of beer and a bottle of brandy '

One thing about all these people , there all pretty much nice people and very much in control , I don't know how they do it, and I know there drinking it because you can see it in their skin

maiden

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

Personally I sympathise with them as I feel a lot of them have had a tough life and are turning to the drink to block out the pain.

Tell that to all the kids I have fostered! Im not sure they would agree

El Weirdo

A combination of artistic merit and technical difficulty?

galwayrush

I don't judge them, it's not a competition,

mikemac1

monkeysnapper wrote: »

I know there drinking it because you can see it in their skin

Interesting

How do you see it though, not sure what you mean

Duff

Simon Cowell?

On how quickly they can down a pint.

Chuck Stone

It's a pretty meaningless word.

Some people can lead a productive life and drink loads and some people can't handle four or five pints without wrecking the place.

Which one is the alcoholic?

Esoteric_

I don't understand it. I don't think they're alcoholics.

Alcoholics need a drink, they usually have plenty!

mikemac1

You know you are an alcoholic when you drink more then your GP

DEFTLEFTHAND

With pity, it's an awful condition, you have to remember that there's often a contributory factor which leads to alcoholism. Think about it, zero self esteem self hatred, hoping to die soon. It takes over, the alcohol consumes everything and it's your only friend. It's easy to scoff at it if you don't fully understand the grip alcohol has on sufferers.

Talib Fiasco

J Mysterio wrote: »

Thinly veiled i'm an alcoholic thread.

Get lost....

My name is URL

Chuck Stone wrote: »

It's a pretty meaningless word.

Some people can lead a productive life and drink loads and some people can't handle four or five pints without wrecking the place.

Which one is the alcoholic?

Can't they both be alcoholics? If they depend on it as part of their everyday lives then they are. I don't think quantities consumed or subsequent behaviors come in to it.

monkeysnapper

mikemac1 wrote: »

Interesting

How do you see it though, not sure what you mean

Look it's not based on scientific evidence but the peoples skin completion looks red and blotchy and their eyes look very tired .

MistyCheese

I don't.

I'm not a judge.

3ndahalfof6

It is not to hard a question to answer, ask him/her why they are where they are, then judge.

MagicMarker

Chuck Stone wrote: »

It's a pretty meaningless word.

Some people can lead a productive life and drink loads and some people can't handle four or five pints without wrecking the place.

Which one is the alcoholic?

If you have to ask then I'm not sure you understand what alcoholism is.

J Mysterio

TheComeUp wrote: »

J Mysterio wrote: »

Thinly veiled i'm an alcoholic thread.

Get lost....

Suck it

Chuck Stone

My name is URL wrote: »

Can't they both be alcoholics? If they depend on it as part of their everyday lives then they are. I don't think quantities consumed or subsequent behaviors come in to it.

I was under the impression that it was everything to do with behaviour. If someone is dependant on a drug but happy enough and not harming anyone else then what is the problem?

Also, if a person has 3 cans of beer every night is he an addict?

Ya see that's the problem with pseudo-scientific labelling of people.

MagicMarker wrote: »

If you have to ask then I'm not sure you understand what alcoholism is.

I was referring to the word 'alcoholic' for which there is no set definition.

3ndahalfof6

Chuck Stone wrote: »

It's a pretty meaningless word.

Some people can lead a productive life and drink loads and some people can't handle four or five pints without wrecking the place.

Which one is the alcoholic?

The difference is one needs to drink (feels the need to drink), one is just a prick with drink.

monkeysnapper

J Mysterio wrote: »

Suck it

Come on people, calm the feck down !!!! Have a drink and calm down

jd007

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

How do you judge an alcoholic?

Usually out of 10

MagicMarker

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I was referring to the word 'alcoholic' for which there is no set definition.

An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcoholism.

Hurricane Carter

Chuck Stone wrote: »

It's a pretty meaningless word.

Some people can lead a productive life and drink loads and some people can't handle four or five pints without wrecking the place.

Which one is the alcoholic?

Henry Sellars.

scwazrh

If you have 5 or 6 bottles of beer every night are you an alcoholic ? Even though you go to work every morning and don't get drunk ?

thee glitz

scwazrh wrote: »

If you have 5 or 6 bottles of beer every night are you an alcoholic ? Even though you go to work every morning and don't get drunk ?

That would make you a functioning alcoholic.

As opposed to an an alcoholic, which I'm not, they go to meetings.

Stinicker

I look down upon them, they are wasters with a drug addiction, Alcohol is a drug, yet people treat it as if it was something different. I hate how everything in Ireland revolves around alcohol especially the social life aspect of it.

I personally don't drink and they whole concept of going out to pay for overpriced drink and making a fool of ones self is pityfull, it really is an ignominy that people do this every weekend often men who feel they must be a borderline alcoholic to just speak to a woman.

So basically alcoholics are wasters in my view and should be treated with contempt and not pity. Everybody has choices in life and being an alcoholic is just the result of bad choice making.

My name is URL

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I was under the impression that it was everything to do with behaviour. If someone is dependant on a drug but happy enough and not harming anyone else then what is the problem?

Also, if a person has 3 cans of beer every night is he an addict?

Ya see that's the problem with pseudo-scientific labelling of people.

They may not be harming anyone, and possibly may not even be harming themselves. But if drinking alcohol preoccupies a persons mind and they schedule time for it in their everyday lives then how could they not be seen as alcoholics?

If someone only smokes 5 cigarettes per day are they not addicts? There are varying degrees of addiction for everything, including alcohol.

The term 'alcoholic' is certainly a broad term, but how would you narrow it down? People that drink lots of alcohol every day but maintain functionality don't just become alcoholics the day they lose that functionality.

Chuck Stone

I Am Kong! wrote: »

Henry Sellars.

I MADE THE BBC.

Heroditas

mikemac1 wrote: »

monkeysnapper wrote: »

I know there drinking it because you can see it in their skin

Interesting

How do you see it though, not sure what you mean

Blotchy skin and generally look unhealthy.
Some heavy drinkers look like they've had a bucket of boiling water thrown at them, the skin just looks bad.

Nettle

An alcoholic, is defined as a person where alcohol affects one or more parts of their lives, areas are, home, social, work and so on...,,,,,

i think we're a great bunch of lads, and lassies.

3ndahalfof6

Heroditas wrote: »

Blotchy skin and generally look unhealthy.
Some heavy drinkers look like they've had a bucket of boiling water thrown at them, the skin just looks bad.

I know some people who do not drink and have blotchy skin and generally look unhealthy, they just don't look after them selves,

I also know some people who drink to much but they eat well and do exercise (yes this is possible) and look very good (while it might be on the inside),

you just never know, many times I have heard of people who decided to go to AA, they felt drink might be getting the better of them, but to look at them you would never of noticed.

Extinction

maiden wrote: »

Tell that to all the kids I have fostered! Im not sure they would agree

Would you argree that the kids you have fostered are having a tough life without their parents and in later life could become alcoholics themselves to block out the pain of their childhoods? If that does happen will you sympathise with them because you understand their pain or will you dismiss their pain with a smart comment about fostering children of alcoholics?

6 marks to their dedication for drink, very much admirable.

9 marks on their ability to consume such a large amount of alcohol.

and on and on and on...

minidazzler

I'll only see someone as an alcoholic if their drinking has a negative effect on their lives or the lives of those they are supposed to care for. If a man is a good father but likes to down a few beers every evening and not act the prick about it but get up for work the next morning, he is NOT, despite what those cnuts in AA will tell you, an alcoholic.

Sparklygirl

I think in some cases it is a case of genetics, some people are predisposed to alcoholism. I have a family member who is an alcoholic, I still drink alcohol but I am careful about how much and how often. I think it would be easy to fall into the trap of drinking wine each night as I know lots of people who do this. I think people think it is ok because it is wine as opposed to beer/spirits. I think it is a slippery slope.

It is hard not to judge an alcoholic, I used to get very annoyed at a friend of mine who is. I have to remind myself that it is an addiction and that if circumstances were different it could be me.

Chuck Stone

My name is URL wrote: »

The term 'alcoholic' is certainly a broad term, but how would you narrow it down?

I can't. I don't think there can be a value free objective measurement of what makes a person an 'alcoholic' or addict.

3ndahalfof6

Stinicker wrote: »

I look down upon them, they are wasters with a drug addiction, Alcohol is a drug, yet people treat it as if it was something different. I hate how everything in Ireland revolves around alcohol especially the social life aspect of it.

I personally don't drink and they whole concept of going out to pay for overpriced drink and making a fool of ones self is pityfull, it really is an ignominy that people do this every weekend often men who feel they must be a borderline alcoholic to just speak to a woman.

So basically alcoholics are wasters in my view and should be treated with contempt and not pity. Everybody has choices in life and being an alcoholic is just the result of bad choice making.

You sir are a miss guided soul (I wanted to call you a dick, but it might of got me sent to prison) a lot of people who drink to much (alcoholics) are very productive and run very successful businesses, they add a lot to society while living in a lonely place,

it looks like you are doing well with your life and have no problems, for this I am happy, but one thing you should know the best and most brilliant minds thought they could never be controlled by something as simple as a drink.

PizzamanIRL

J Mysterio wrote: »

Thinly veiled i'm an alcoholic thread.

You're the reason that a thread was created to get 'thinly veiled' banned.

NegativeCreep

Since I've started college I've talked to a lot of homeless people (I'm a wierdo) and a lot of them have been alcoholics. It's made me feel really sympathetic towards them. They're just people too and you don't realise it until you actually have a conversation with them. There is fuck all help for them here and there really is nothing they can do without any support. My mother and father were alcoholics for a long while and only got through it with the help of their family. I can only imagine how difficult it is for a homeless person.

PC CDROM

I always have a bit of a laugh when I hear about drugs in this country.

We probably have more functioning alcoholic that the mind can imagine.

Fair play all the same. I'm one.

But I have my reasons I like the high of being drunk and I think I will live longer than if I were to induce it via other drugs...

Though I really miss those drugs...

maiden

Extinction wrote: »

Would you argree that the kids you have fostered are having a tough life without their parents and in later life could become alcoholics themselves to block out the pain of their childhoods? If that does happen will you sympathise with them because you understand their pain or will you dismiss their pain with a smart comment about fostering children of alcoholics?

It wasnt intended to be a smart comment, everyone is entitled to their pain, but if a child is abused or neglected because of it then its a whole different ball game imo

I live with these kids in the here and now, not in the what ifs!

previous user

could go for a pint of guinness right now

uberalles

Regardless, to drink and drive
You need a car

3ndahalfof6

previous user wrote: »

could go for a pint of guinness right now

Don't this thread might kill you, while putting you on the useless list.

lukesmom

An alcoholic is someone who NEEDS drink