Alcoholism is the compulsion to drink alcohol despite adverse consequences. It is a disease, like major depression, diabetes, PTSD, etc. It is not measured by quantity, but judged by consequences. If your drinking is causing problems in your life and you are unable to stay away from alcohol or maintain moderation, then I'm sorry, but I would have to give you the diagnosis of alcoholism. As I posted elsewhere, 1-2 per day for guys and we in medicine aren't concerned, unless you have medical problems that your drinking messes with. 3-6 per day is the at-risk alcohol consumption level. Beyond that, the odds climb significantly for adverse consequences from drinking. It is hard for your liver and nervous system to deal with those quantities very often, no matter what you pretend. However, the diagnosis hinges on compulsion and adverse consequences. If your drinking is damaging your relationships, your job, your health, etc, and you keep doing the same thing, then I'm sorry, but you probably have the disease.
A major problem with active alcoholism is denial, only broken when alcoholics "bottom out". Until they do, they will not believe it is a problem. Arguing with disease is pretty useless. Avoiding medical exams to find out if your liver is affected would fit into denial.
If it is not causing problems, and drinking is a risk that we take on without feeling compelled to do so, it is just that--a risk and a choice, not a compulsion. Much of life entails some risk. If we take on that risk with good beer that we have brewed ourselves, rather than wine we purchased, that is our prerogative. If we take on risk eating rich food, or carrying a firearm in the woods, or jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, or whatever, that would be "the pursuit of happiness", which used to be considered our birthright here in the U.S.
I would be happy to put these alcoholism question threads to rest, if I can.
On the one hand, these are my opinions. However, they are given from the perspective of a practicing Internal Medicine physician who previously worked in an addictions recovery program. That's my day job. I will be happy to accept PMs from people who are in doubt about themselves. I can elaborate further if we need a Wiki on alcoholism here, if desired. But not tonight. I have 12 gallons of porter in the primary to check on, and preparations for next weekends brew awaiting me, preparing for my daughter's wedding this spring. And I have a bottle of Paulaner Salvator in the fridge, as I currently have no drinkable homebrew.
Jeff my wife and I really do like your company's beer. now back to talking alcoholism
