Alcohol

LegacyUser

I turned 17 recently, and ive started takin a few drinks with my mates over the last while. I started about a week before my exams, then stopped for the duration of my exams. After my exams were over and all my mates went out i wasnt the slighest bit interested in drinking, but i had 3 pints of beer.(Miller and budweiser) just to blend in.

I dont and never will drink any shorts. I know that feeling when ive just had enough, i can always remember what ive done, ive never had headaches, or anythin the next day. Like ive never been p!ssed off my head, throwing up and the likes. I just have a few drinks to blend in.

Im a pretty intelligent guy and i know the effects of alcohol abuse. My question is im a doing myself any harm? Or does alcohol only harm you if you drink loads of it? Am i too young to be drinking and should i leave it till im in my 20's or is there not much harm if i have 3 or so pints on a saturday nite? Any help much appreciated as im fairly terrified of becoming an alcoholic or shortening my life cause ive got a lot going for me.

Thanks In Advance.

Kalina

You have a really sensible attitude about drinking but I think you shouldn't worry so much. I can't see any harm in having a couple of drinks when you are out with your friends.
I don't drink much myself, personally I don't see the point in going out and getting so drunk that you are sick. I did that once and it was awful and I'll never do it again. I can still have a few drinks and enjoy myself without worrying about getting drunk. I know my limit and so do you.
So don't worry, just enjoy yourself!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

....
for gods sake
go out and get bolloxed
it is'nt that bad unless you drink to excess every few nights
it isn't great for you, but few things are

Lenny

Originally posted by Mordeth
....
for gods sake
go out and get bolloxed
it is'nt that bad unless you drink to excess every few nights
it isn't great for you, but few things are

This comming from someone who had great control of themself's one night when they came home and tried to tell everyone about it

As the saying goes, "guinness gives you strenth"
AFAIK recamended drink for a person and not going over the limit to lead to abusing and damage to the body was 2 1/2 glasses of wine a day, which is equal to just under 2 pints I think.. saw it on the news before..

Shinji

At those levels, no, you're certainly not damaging yourself - in fact that's practically beneficial with some drinks, although given you're drinking foul manufactured lager I doubt it's making you do much more than urinate a lot

Binge drinking on a regular basis is very damaging; that's where the trouble lies.

Shiminay

Dude - you're sound.

Pity there aren't more like you - keep the head like you are now and you're sailing.

Kraken

I aslo started out that way. not too far off it today will still stop if i think im totally ****ed most nights but not all. Went to a do one night had 7 large bottles of bulmers 2 smirnof ice and 10 tequila and well lets just say i sufferd that night lost coat and phone had halucinations and the like but tbh i think my drink was spiked but dont know went home slept it off was grand the next morning.

then i was told i tried to jump out of car cause i thought i was drownding scary **** also cover my mothers flowers in puke. had to clean it off next day b4 i went to school

bombidol

keep it up man, never go overboard on the oul drink, just be carefull you dont turn into one of these people who refuses to go out all the time, a few pints every now and again wont do you any harm,

LegacyUser

how many pints would you need to be drinking regularly (Every Saturday Night) before you'd begin to harm yourself or do damage?

memphis

I wouldn't worry one bit about the amount your drinking. Your certainly not going to harm your body by having 2 or 3 every week. When I was in first year in college I used drink every night. Went to college with a hangover more times than none. Thants when to start worrying.

I mean if you can't seem to carry out your daily functions then ya have a problem, which I slowly learned. I now only drink bout 2 nights a week, and ya can ask any of my friends, I drink like a fish!! I gotta admit I love my beer, and do drink too much of it.

But then people are different and there is no set limit, only you know how much is enough. If you stick to this limit ya'll be doing fine. Ya have no worries.

Also, if ya feel under pressure to have drink just to fit in with your peers, F**k em, thats a load of bull. Don't let them bully ya, its up to you if ya wanna drink or not. A few of my pals don't drink at all, i wouldn't hold that against em, and i don't think your mates would either.

OLDYELLAR

i wish i was more like ya , im getting a bit too fond a the drink lately , like having to go out for drink every weekend , which i personally think is grand but during the week i do be on the ould german lager in the house ,,,,, not enough willpower i guess .

po0k

Do you have a fast/slow metabolism (how fast your body burns energy/breaks down stuff etc.)?
How tall are you?
What weight are you?

Like everyone's said, you're sound the way you are, specially when you know when you've had enough, I'm similar myself, just have to stop rinking fora while somenights till I get a bit through me - other nights I can swamp pint after pint after pint.

Wan man, you're sound

Greenbean

A pint a day of larger is supposed to be good for you. A glass of red wine a day is supposed to be good for your heart. So 3 pints in one go isn't going to harm you.

The only thing is you don't really know what your reaction to drink is properly until you get drunk a few times. Do you get obnoxious, do you get to a point where you can't stop drinking, do you get massive hangovers (all these actually quite normal, but worth reducing the drink over) do you find you can't hold drink (if so, don't try to keep up with everyone else), do you not get hangovers (dangerous - this is supposed to be a sign of a potential alcoholic; though most likely to be just being young with a fast metabolism) and so on.

So playing it cautious is good, but it will become really important in a year or two when you drink more and more regularly and know how you react to drink and use the caution to good effect. The amount of people I grew up with who wouldn't touch the stuff and are now near alcoholics is worrying.

Robbo

In fact, you should probably up your intake slightly.

I did a little research myself and found that healthy people also die.

LegacyUser

Largely it's down to what you brain and liver can handle. If it makes you feel sick, out of control, affects vision or decision making or makes you argumentative or overly boisterous or you can't remember parts of the night then you would have a problem. You don't seem to have these.

Separately your liver needs to be able to process the alcohol. One pint a night is probably easier on your liver than three pints once a week. Eating before hand allows the bloodstream (and liver) to gradually absorb the alcohol. It means you can relax without getting drunk quickly. I never really had problems until I was about 26, when I mixed way too many shorts on an empty stomach.

That said you are still 17 and shouldn't really be drinking in the pub. Do you drink at home? The Gardaí tend to take a much dimmer view of a drunk 17 year old than a drunk 19 year old.

m1ke

don't be cautious, get ****ed. there's plenty of time for not being drunk when you're dead.

Pepe LeFrits

Originally posted by m1ke
don't be cautious, get ****ed. there's plenty of time for not being drunk when you're dead.

sound advice m1ke

Thanx 4 The Fish

Originally posted by Greenbean
A glass of red wine a day is supposed to be good for your heart.

But don't drink it out of a crystal glass because red wine can draw lead from the glass and you will die horribly of lead poisoning. Aside from that, fupp it drink loads, remember when first started work getting hammered on my fave drink Double Vod, Tequila and red bull (Try it you'll like the taste) most nights of the week and I am not dead yet. Try not to get so pis*ed that you do anything dangerously stoopid and all will be good.

DadaKopf

Just drink as much as you feel comfortable doing. Learn how much your body can take and what drinks your body can't take. Don't bother about 'building up your stamina', it works out more expensive in the long run. Keep the healthy attitude towards drink and you won't have any problems.

darthmise

Originally posted by Unregistered
If it makes you feel sick, out of control, affects vision or decision making or makes you argumentative or overly boisterous or you can't remember parts of the night then you would have a problem.

LOL. So if you find yourself getting drunk basically, then you have a problem, is that it? Class.


unreggie, If you don't enjoy drinking, then don't bother with it. Theres a drink culture in this country thats crazy in comparison to other countries. If you don't drink here, people nearly think its weird. My younger brother doesn't drink, he feels it does nothing for him, and i have so much respect for the man it unreal.
My other brother though, christ he can't wait to get pissed regularly....

What your drinking at the moment does you no harm.
Spirits are nasty **** but only in massive doses.
If you took a stak and left it in vodka (or coke for that matter!....c'mon sue me) for a few days and came back to it you would have a bowl of blood. SO if you kept the level of vodka in your liver at a sufficient level... well i don't need to finish do i.

But your liver regenerates itself over time so, wey hey, Game On!!!

stevoslice

If drink was bad for you they wouldn't be allowed sell it, would they, well that's my excuse, and i'm sticking by it.

Originally posted by Robbo

I did a little research myself and found that healthy people also die.

Where did you hear such a crazy notion like that?

phoenix2181

if you drink in moderation if won't kill you

the safest way to drink is know your limits, if you feel your getting p1ssed well then stop, the main thing is to enjoy your drink...don't do for any other reason, if you don't like it don't drink it.... drink is not good for you (besides red wine) but neither is driving a car (car crashes insurance etc) but as freddie mercury said "who wants to live forever", enjoy yourself while you can, cause when you get old & can't walk etc theres no fun.

what i'm trying to say to is..... ENJOY YOURSELF