Serious question...... no smart alik answers please.........?

I have a question regarding alcohol consumption....For the past year now, I have been drinking about 3-6 drinks a night.....I have always had a high tolerance to alcohol...... I can go days, weeks, even a month without it, but I enjoy a few drinks after the day's work is done...I have no personal problems, and am a student with a 3.50 grade average.... I told my grandmother recently that I was drinking a glass of wine and she asked how often I drink.... then she flipped out when I told her.... I am 31 years old.... Does that sound bad to anyone here??????? I know I am not an alcoholic.... what do you think???

More importantly it's about what YOU think. As silly as that sounds I know... I don't think you are an alcoholic. I know from experience that true alcoholics have MANY problems personally and alcohol is just the means for the escape. There is however the term "working alcoholic" meaning they go to work 9-5 everyday and no one would ever guess that they go home and polish off a 12 pack every night or more. And in many ways, those alcholics are coping the same way the others are.

However, more importantly, physically it's not healthy to be consuming that much alcohol every night. Its not good calorie wise, liver wise, brain wise, etc. I'd ask myself what is it about my job/day that's requiring me to drink to un-wind? Again I don't think that you're an alcoholic, but also Im a firm believer in that if there is something in your life that is causing you to be habitual about ANYTHING (smoking, drinking, eating, shopping, sex, etc) then its time to re-evaluate. Your too precious, and life is too short to find ways to 'just cope' you should wake up 80% of the time feeling as if things are great, not wow I wonder what can go wrong today. Know what I mean? Cause if you adopt that attitude it's a slippery slope, especially if alcoholism runs in your family

Best of Luck!

You could be on the way to being an alcoholic. You could also be causing irreversible damage to your liver.

i dont think that you are an alchoholic. drinkin after work is natural for a lot of people and it helps them relax...it just takes more to relax you and there is nothing really wrong with that. maybe your gma is just old fashioned...no offence please.

If you can go without drinking for days, weeks, or even months then you are not an alcoholic. An alcoholic is someone that cannot function without the consumption of alcohol. Your particular consumption may seem excessive to others (especially a grandmother!) but you know your self better than anyone and you should trust your instinct. If I were you I just wouldn't discuss it with my grandmother anymore and I would refuse to try and defend myself, you have nothing to justify because you have done nothing wrong. Good Luck!

Keep it up you're not going to have a liver left. I think you're in denial, 3-6 drinks a night is in excess. For your own good try AA.

3-6 is rather a lot. Too much alcohol can lead to liver problems later in life. It sounds like you a responsible in your drinking habit, but it might be wise to consider cutting it down to one or two drinks a night. It'll be kinder to your liver and your wallet....drinks aren't cheap! Maybe you could seek another way to unwind after a long day. Try substituting an alcoholic beverage with hot tea or cocoa. Warm milk works wonders too. Maybe go for a relaxing walk after dinner or soak in a tub. Don't cut alcohol out of your life entirely, just maybe cut it down a bit.

hey, i don't blame you for drinking after a hard day's work. but the technical term for an alcoholic is roughly 2 drinks at a time... obv. that is ridiculous. plus you are 31. your grandma shouldn't be concerned about that. especially with a high GPA, nothing to worry about. but it wouldn't hurt to lighten up

Depends on your body type, size, weight, etc. I'm a tall man, and I limit myself to two drinks in any given evening. Some folks can take three. I think six drinks is definately too much, though, especially on a daily basis.

Sorry but you asked and I am saying that yes, that sounds bad. Especially to a grandmother.

3-6 glasses a night adds up to about a bottle of wine every evening.

You may not think you have a problem now but eventually that will catch up with you. It's awful for your organs.

Depends on what your drinking?
I drink about a bottle of wine once a week. I would die if I did that every night. But I have a low tolerance to alcohol.
Three sounds reasonable, though I think if it is a nightly drink...two is plenty. Six seems a little bit much.
It's something I would watch. If your sure your not an alcoholic then maybe it has just become a habit. Try drinking every 2nd night for a while (maybe) and see how that goes.

Your "tolerance" is not the issue, your liver is. At that consumption rate, you are on the fast track for liver cirrhosis and a whole host of other unpleasant illnesses. The good news is that if you stop drinking--not slow down, STOP--your liver can regenerate IF cirrhosis has not yet set in. You should consult your physician to have bloodwork done to determine the severity of damage. Eventually after your liver has healed, you can drink moderately if you so choose, and if you do not have a dependency problem. But 3-6 should be the maximum for a WEEK, not a day.

More bad news: The old saying "alcohol kills brain cells" is true. By consuming higher amounts, you are risking degenerative brain illnesses--or at the very least a sub-optimum IQ in the future.

Bottom line, you are drinking too much, and you may have an alcohol abuse problem. Talk to your doctor, and seriously consider some rehab therapy.

Also try: http://www.alcoholscreening.org/

a person only has to consume minor amounts of alcohol to do some damage to there body, however wine in moderation can be a good thing for your body. The fact that you can go a long time without a drink doesnt mean your not an alcholic. It just means you have a different tolerance alcohol. An alcoholic has both physical and psylogical addiction to alcohol and sometimes one is stronger than the other. The only thing I could recommend is moderation in drinking and if you realize you need to drink rather than just enjoying an occasional drink then ou should seek help. But from what your saying it doesnt seem like it is problematic at this time.

Not every alcoholic fits into the same box. The question you have to ask yourself and answer honestly is this...

Do you ever put yourself or future at risk in order to have your few drinks?
If the answer is "yes" you are an alcoholic even if you feel you can control your drinking, it is an illusion. You can't comtrol it or you wouldn't be risking your safety or future just to have another drink.

Be very careful with this. It is too easy to stay in denial. Ask your friends what they think of your drinking. If you find yourself drinking alone, or hiding the quantity or frequency of what you drink, you are probably an alcoholic.

Alcoholics come in many different varieties, please don't assume you have no risk simply because you don't fit into the stereotype.

Last, if you are drinking that much every night, you must be pretty unhappy. Only people seeking escape from their lives drink that much, that frequently.

Please be careful. I live with an alcoholic. I've lost a friend to a drunk driving accident, I lost another friend to sclerosis of the liver, and I have another friend who was just told that if he doesn't stop drinking he won't live another 6 months. 2 months ago, we all though he was fine. I've known several others who have died because of alcohol abuse. None of them ever saw it coming.

Please go see a Dr. and be honest, get in AA if you have to. If you really can just stop, then stop.

Moderation is the key.