Are you all alcoholics?

[C2H5OH]

!'m 6'4 200lbs. and I consume on average 2-3 beers per day. Which, if you do the math, is about 1 1/2 glasses of wine in alcohol. I'm sure there are those that would define that as 'alcoholism' and there are those who would call me a 'lightweight'. Either way; it doesn't affect my work and I don't drink and drive, so I guess it's all good.

Thanks for asking.

 

[Airborneguy]

Any test where 1 question gets you almost labeled as an alcoholic is bull****.

I had an AA experience because, quite frankly, my job forced me because of a baseless allegation I could not defend against. I was actually going to refuse, but some important people in my life backed me and told me to do it and get it over with.

I have never, and will never call myself an alcoholic except jokingly, and after going through the AA stuff, realize even more that I am NOT an alcoholic.

AA is structured to gain members, to put it plain and simple. I won't rip it too much because if you really do need it, it seems to help a lot, but if you don't need it, it can be wielded as a weapon which is really hard to disprove, and that is my problem with the organization.

If you leave it, you are looking upon as a failure, not as someone who realized they don't belong here because they don't have a problem to begin with. If you tell someone from AA that you don't need them, you are in denial, because, hell, you're talking to them right? Something must be wrong!

I got so much S*** for my homebrewing, it was actually a big part of what was used against me.

And because of that, my first ever homebrewing medal will be dedicated to the people who did it to me.

 

[Steelers77]

Just think of how much of the fizzy yellow stuff people drink in one sitting, two cases can go so quickly and noone bats an eye. If you tell some one we just drank 5 gallons of beer they would **** their pants but its the same thing. Gotta have supply in the pipeline or your gonna run out and have to buy beer and for me that not really an option right now. Plus some people have big beers on hand and those can take a while to drink so the supply just gets bigger.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I don't think it is insulting to ask a question like this. Yes, some of us are in it to make amazing beer, but there are plenty of people who are making beer just to drink inexpensively. Nobody admits they have problems with alcohol until they hit their own personal bottom.

As for the guy with the 1000 bottle wine cellar... I've known a couple of those types. One was not an alcoholic, and one absolutely was. Sometimes a chemical dependency can sneak up on you. I know all about addiction and coping and a lot of the time it just seems like normal life until you stop.

I'm sure there are a number of alcoholics on this board, just like any alcohol based message board. They're probably just a little less vocal about it.

Meh. It's a hobby. I won't say I don't drink too much, but nobody does this for the sole purpose of saving money...it's just too much work. Well, unless you're doing 50 gallon batches like a buddy of mine.

 

[mc_eric]

Workaholic:- A person that thinks hard work is a virtue, and being addicted to it makes him superior to others

Alcoholic:- A person that pisses in his own shoes.

Functional alcoholic:- A person that goes to to work drunk and pisses in the workaholic's shoes.


(I'm the third one)

Question # 21: have you ever urinated in a workaholic's shoes due to alcohol?

 

[Austin_]

3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
YES __ NO __

It's not called a social lubricant for nothing.

6. Have you ever got into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
YES __ NO __

Homebrewing can be expensive sometimes and I don't make much to begin with.

11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
YES __ NO __

If I'm that hungover, yes, but this is a very rare occurrence and hasn't happened in a few years.

16. Do you drink alone?
YES __ NO __

Yes. I live alone and like to have a couple every night.

17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
YES __ NO __

Yeah, when I was like 19. Who's been in college and not experienced this?

I call bull on that test. Most of these questions go much deeper than Yes or No.

I'll agree with Death and won't say I don't drink too much, but I like beer and I like making beer, but my family, job, and health come before beer.

 

[Grimster]

i can kill a full corny in... 3 pints a day/14 days. but generally i kill one in under 10.

that 20 ? thing is bullschitt! 3 or more your an alcoholic? really, now? so i once a year get crunk and forget what happened the previous night, i got a dui, a few beers helps with social anxiety. but i don't get crunk and lose my job everyday inspite of consequences.

Since I turned legal drinking age (16 years ago) really my only yes answer is #16 I sit here at night, drink a little and watch tv before bed, that's a sign of being an alcoholic?

I did have one "can't remember the whole night" incident when I was 17 but it was high school graduation so I give that one a bye.

 

[BierMuncher]

Of course I'm an alcoholic. That's not the problem.

My problem is I can never make a decision.

 

[luvhopps]

Of course I'm an alcoholic. That's not the problem.

My problem is I can never make a decision.

I'll take the one on the left and the one in the middle.:rockin:

 

[mparmer]

I recommend the people worried about the alcoholics on this forum make a huge donation to their local AA chapter.

 

[beerocd]

there are plenty of people who are making beer just to drink inexpensively. Nobody admits they have problems with alcohol until they hit their own personal bottom.

Why don't bums homebrew then?

I recommend the people worried about the alcoholics on this forum make a huge donation to their local AA chapter.

Go out buy mparmer's new book - "The nekked Proof" and don't forget to buy your AA credits from his organization. You can pay with PayPal and he'll send someone to sit through the meetings in your place so you don't feel guilty about not attending. Win/Win

 

[flananuts]

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up that's the best they're going to feel all day" - Frank Sinatra

 

[mordantly]

Why don't bums homebrew then?

perhaps the overhead?

 

[LandofOZ]

5 gallons a week for me, friends , foootball, and nascar thats about 48 bottles, two cases, **** i need to brew twicw a week now that u mention it

 

[buffalobrewer]

Not me....alcoholics go to meetings.

I have a meeting in 1/2 an hour. Does the homebrew club count?

 

[Steelers77]

Being someone with 300 bottles of homemade wine, 60 gallons aging, 5 cases of high test beer, a case of mead, 30 bottles of liquor, 2 cornies on tap, 10 gallons in primary 10 gallons in secondary, and about 50 bottles of commercial beer I've been aging, I'd say I'm just an enthusiast and I enjoy entertaining.

 

[WillPall]

Another alcoholism thread? What the hell is going on here?

Favorite alcoholism thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f45/so-how-many-you-im-alcoholics-149665/

im a alcoholics

 

[mordantly]

i operate a beer support group. troubled beers come to my meetings when they're feeling low.

 

[BBKing]

Another one of these threads eh? Not nearly as entertaining as the "How many of you are I'm an alcoholics" thread from a few months ago.

Having had a substance abuse prob a few years ago that I kicked with some help from N.A., I feel that I totally know the warning signs of dependecy/addiction. As another poster pointed out, I may be a failure in the eyes of some N.A. members because I do drink, but I didnt join N.A. to stop drinking.

My rules for when its time to stop drinking are:

1. When I pay more attention to booze than I do my child...hasnt happened
2. When I spend most of my paycheck on booze/brewing supplies... If I were to average the total % spent on brewing supplies/beer since I've started brewing, it MIGHT be 5%, and thats hitting the high side.
3. When I wake up so hungover that I cant go to work....hasnt happened yet, but I will admit, the day after last St. Pattys was a rough one for me.

The day I hit any one of those, I will promptly throw out my fermenters and the rest of my brewing supplies.

I've also had a long chat with SWMBO about all this, and shes promised to let me know if she thought I was getting out of hand. She hasnt said 1 word about it thus far. Hell, shes now at the point that shes encouraging my brewing.

That being said, I do think that there are a handful of alchys here on the board. One member did/does have a classic NA/AA line on their sig, though I've yet to figure out if perhaps they have a sense of humour not easily conveyed over the internet.

 

[JefeTheVol]

Well, Im in medical school and labels like "alcohol dependent" and "alcoholic" are dangerous and should not be jumped to. Ive waited for the right opportunity to post this about alcohol so the following test is used by doctors to screen for alcohol problems and I figured that it would be beneficial to people on this forum. This is the RAPS4 test:
1. Have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

2. Has a friend or a family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?

3. Have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?

4. Do you sometimes take a drink when you first get up in the morning?

A "yes" answer to at least one of the four questions suggests that your drinking is harmful to your health and well-being and may adversely affect your work and those around you.

If you answered "no" to all four questions, your drinking pattern is considered safe for most people and your results do not suggest that alcohol is harming your health.

These questions DO NOT define alcoholic. These are guidelines used for further evaluation.
-Jefe-

 

[DeathBrewer]

1. When I pay more attention to booze than I do my child...hasnt happened
2. When I spend most of my paycheck on booze/brewing supplies... If I were to average the total % spent on brewing supplies/beer since I've started brewing, it MIGHT be 5%, and thats hitting the high side.
3. When I wake up so hungover that I cant go to work....hasnt happened yet, but I will admit, the day after last St. Pattys was a rough one for me.

Aww...****...I think I'm in trouble...

 

[hbomb]

Hmm...I actually got the impression that the OP was meant as tongue and cheek. Like "you all are such productive overachievers at this hobby, how DO you handle being so productive?!".

Maybe they just weren't aware of the moonshine alcoholic stereotype, and didn't realize it would hit such a sensitive chord...

Or maybe I'm just too generous when giving the benefit of the doubt.

 

[BBKing]

Aww...****...I think I'm in trouble...

Lol, I'd be willing to bet a dollar to a dog terd that you make much more than I do, so dont feel too bad

 

[BBKing]

Hmm...I actually got the impression that the OP was meant as tongue and cheek. Like "you all are such productive overachievers at this hobby, how DO you handle being so productive?!".

Maybe they just weren't aware of the moonshine alcoholic stereotype, and didn't realize it would hit such a sensitive chord...

Or maybe I'm just too generous when giving the benefit of the doubt.

To a certain extent, I got this impression also.

However, as another poster mentioned, its like going to a cooking forum and asking "Are you all obese?"...you have to expect a ton of "I'm offended" answers.

That, and I'm sure that the old timers around here are tired of threads like this.

 

[FxdGrMind]

An alcoholic??? Are you kidding?? Dude, I couldn't brew if I were an Alcoholic. I can't brew drunk and a 5 gal batch is no where near enough to consider being an alcoholic, even at 5 gal a week.

If you look at the historic past, workers were drinking 5 to 6 Qts a day as standard as the water wasn't sanitary. that's a gal and a half a day! 5 gal wouldn't last a week and they weren't "Alcoholics"!!!

Besides, I can quit any time I want! I quit every day when I go to bed!...

 

[C2H5OH]

My mother-in-law was so drunk once, she fell off her chair backwards and had her legs splayed out so far I saw her episiotomy scar.


...I drink to forget.

 

[JonK331]

Blah blah blah. Yes, most brewers like to drink beer. If you are scared of becoming a drunk then have a 7up. Here's a great website for you: http://www.drunkard.com/. Alcoholism is all relative. For me personally, I would rather be a good liver than have one.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I'm currently suppressing all of my mean comments and laughing at the OP. This has been discussed to death and it comes down to the fact that everyone defines it in their own different way and that most people here are safe.

That AA questionnaire? By its definition I'm an alcoholic. As are ALL of my college friends. But then again I'm in my low 20's (as are all of my college friends) and its a stage of life. They're loaded questions. Get over it, move on.

No, I'm not an alcoholic. And **** you very much for asking. I'm going to quote YooperBrew here, because her post was excellent.

Asking craft brewers who are proud of their craft if they are all alcoholics is a slap in the face.

That would be like me going on a gun enthuisiast forum and ask them if they were all killers. Or stopping in on an RV forum and ask if they were all trailer trash. How about on a cooking forum? Shoud we think they are all fatties?

Making good wine and craft beers is a great hobby, just like flying model airplanes is a cool hobby, or like scuba diving is a fun hobby. It's an insult to insinuate that people who enjoy brewing and making good beers are alcoholics.

 

[rjgiddings]

I typically have two beers a night. That said, my Mom has a drinking problem - and has for years - so in the small corner of my mind - yes, I consider volume of alcohol and beers per week somewhere back there too.

My three kids and my wife love and need me. I love them incredibly. And I plan on being there for the kids drivers ed, college, weddings et. al. Both the good times and bad.

But..in my head. I'm somewhat independent too. Don't care for organized sports. Don't care much for mass gatherings. Don't care for things that a LOT of other people do.

I started most of my hobbies like foil and epee fencing, scuba diving, gardening, and yes home brewing because its mostly personal. Might need one other buddy to help (at most). To me - it's about the journey...the learning part. Not so much about the end result too much. More of " Hmmm, wow, how can I tweak this to make it even better"

Some people just have this engineer inside them that keeps them thinking, planning, plotting. That's me.

But mostly I drink beer, and home brew because I can!

I've never bought a case of Bud. Or Coors. or Keystone. But, I had this idea about a year ago. "Wait a tic...why am I buying beer?" Seattle has these microbrews all over the place. Almost like Starbucks...they are everywhere. You swing a dead cat, you hit a brewery here. It's crazy. So - I knew right away that I wanted to try to make my own batch.

It's in the ferment bucket right now.

 

[JonK331]

I recommend the people worried about the alcoholics on this forum make a huge donation to their local AA chapter.

Either that or throw a couple of bucks to your local homeless guy so he can get another beer.

 

[BBKing]

Well, Im in medical school and labels like "alcohol dependent" and "alcoholic" are dangerous and should not be jumped to. Ive waited for the right opportunity to post this about alcohol so the following test is used by doctors to screen for alcohol problems and I figured that it would be beneficial to people on this forum. This is the RAPS4 test:
1. Have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

2. Has a friend or a family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?

3. Have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?

4. Do you sometimes take a drink when you first get up in the morning?

A "yes" answer to at least one of the four questions suggests that your drinking is harmful to your health and well-being and may adversely affect your work and those around you.

If you answered "no" to all four questions, your drinking pattern is considered safe for most people and your results do not suggest that alcohol is harming your health.

These questions DO NOT define alcoholic. These are guidelines used for further evaluation.
-Jefe-

Out of curiousity....alot of people here have said that they've had at least one night that they cant remember what happened, and that includes me.

So for a lot of us, that would be a "yes" on one of the 4 questions. What are the follow up eval questions?

 

[SatelliteGuy]

Of course I'm an alcoholic. That's not the problem.

My problem is I can never make a decision.

I'll take the third and fourth... what's the last one? I might take that one too.


Incidentally, I'm not an alcoholic either. a 12-pack will typically last me 2 weekends, unless I'm partying, where it'll go twice that fast...
(3/evening for Friday and Saturday, or 6/evening if I'm partying)

 

[JonK331]

WOw I must really be in trouble. A 12 pack only lasts me that long if I'm drinking off the keg.

 

[JefeTheVol]

Out of curiousity....alot of people here have said that they've had at least one night that they cant remember what happened, and that includes me.

So for a lot of us, that would be a "yes" on one of the 4 questions. What are the follow up eval questions?

There is no standard set of questions used as a next step for clinicians after the RAPS4. We just use those questions to assess whether its likely that alcohol is affecting a patient's health. After that, given the patient's answers, I can start to lean towards alcohol as a possible cause of health problems either now or in the future. Alcoholism is an enormous diagnosis and is very subjective among clinicians. For example, one of the pathologists at the University of Tennessee, where I attend med school, told me that "an alcoholic is a person who drinks more than you, and who you dont like"

Anyway, I doubt that many us on this forum would be clinically defined as alcoholics but that does not mean that alcohol isnt negatively affecting one's health.

My followups are: Number of drinks/week, family history of drug abuse/dependence or EtOH abuse/dependence, followed by any relevant tests that might have something to do with the pt's complaint and EtOH.

 

[david83]

Well, Im in medical school and labels like "alcohol dependent" and "alcoholic" are dangerous and should not be jumped to. Ive waited for the right opportunity to post this about alcohol so the following test is used by doctors to screen for alcohol problems and I figured that it would be beneficial to people on this forum. This is the RAPS4 test:
1. Have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

2. Has a friend or a family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?

3. Have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?

4. Do you sometimes take a drink when you first get up in the morning?

A "yes" answer to at least one of the four questions suggests that your drinking is harmful to your health and well-being and may adversely affect your work and those around you.

If you answered "no" to all four questions, your drinking pattern is considered safe for most people and your results do not suggest that alcohol is harming your health.

These questions DO NOT define alcoholic. These are guidelines used for further evaluation.
-Jefe-

so basically anyone who goes out on a one night bender and drinks to much has a problem according to a doctor.....thats why i dont go to doctors.

 

[UnderThePorchBrewing]

I only do 2.5-3 gallons at a time which ends up being roughly only a case bottled. I also share some it.

You don't have to drink a lot to keep a lot of varieties on hand.

both statements above are my reasons for what I have on hand, I enjoy having a choice when i have a beer or two, and friends love that I have a selection of 7 to 10 different beers. right now i have what is in my sig plus 5 different commercial brands. about 10 different cases total. I go thru 2 to 3 cases per month and brew 2 per month with an occasional 3rd when i do a 5 gallon batch and every so often buy a case. Love having a pipeline that can last several months just in case I skip a month or only brew 1 batch

 

[JefeTheVol]

so basically anyone who goes out on a one night bender and drinks to much has a problem according to a doctor.....thats why i dont go to doctors.

Its all about statistics, man. Break the mold.

 

[uechikid]

Probably. But I don't drink and drive and I"m happy.

 

[Grimster]

Probably. But I don't drink and drive and I"m happy.

This is one of my big no-nos. If I've had even 1 beer in the last hour I won't drive. My dad got his license revoked for a year when I was 15 for a DUI and I had to drive with my permit, reasoning was, me with a permit is less legal problems than him with a revoked, so I carted him around a lot that year.

Plus we were always poor as dirt and the fines and jail time and lawyers fees killed us financially for months on end.

Never ever doing that to my wife and kid.

 

[mordantly]

i've heard that before. then 4th of july. everything is great. you wake up 60 miles away from where you were, and 4 hours later (apparantly) by a police siren as your driving down the road.