Hello,
I’ve been sober for 1,222 days today! I was a heavy drinker for decades, ending my drinking career with more than half a 40 of vodka daily. I drank daily. My best friend is a binge drunk. She can go weeks, even months without drinking, but if the opportunity presents itself, she gets drunk. Really drunk.
She thinks she is fine, but i disagree.
Any thoughts on this topic would be immensely appreciated.
Deb
Getting really drunk is bad for your health. And dangerous on many levels. Also when it’s once in a while. But your friend has to know and decide for herself of course. Her life. Congrats on 1,222 day Deb!
Yea drink can cause health problems dosnt matter how you consume it . her choice we are powerless over people if she decides to drink they way she does then all you can do is be there , congrats on your own sobriety well done wish you well
In my non-medical, non-professional opinion:
Binge drinking is problem drinking, a.k.a. alcohol abuse.
It’s unhealthy and it’s risky.
But when does problem drinking turn into a drinking problem?
I would argue when drinking begins to controls your life, that’s when it becomes a problem.
By control, I don’t mean needing to wake up with a pull from a bottle, I mean when you start planning your day around drinking, when you only participate in social activities that facilitate drinking, when drinking becomes a higher priority in your life then it should, when it becomes top of mind all the time, then it’s a problem.
There’s a lot of people who have the genetic predisposition of Alcoholism; the inability to stop drinking after one or two drinks. Many never develop a dependency to alcohol, then again, many do.
So what can you do if someone you know is developing a drinking problem? The answer is, nothing, other than being a good influence.
I had a drinking problem long before I knew I did. People told me that I did. Some people tried to help. I was in denial. I wouldn’t get help until I decided I needed help. Took about 10 years for that to happen.
So you probably are right, your friend might have a drinking problem, but only your friend can help themself.
I think that binge drinking cones with its own set of issues, because people think they have it undercontroll until they don’t. Consuming mass amounts of alcohol once in a while, can almost be more dangerous, alcohol poisoning is a thing. My boyfriend has this story he’s told me, about a guy who only drank once a year, thats it, one time a year an anniversaryof sone kind, i cant remember what. No big deal, right? Until one year, he over did it, and ended up dying. His body couldn’t handle it. So it really doesn’t matter if it’s every day, once in a while, or once a year. Not when there are stories like that.
Just like only you can decide if you are an alcoholic she is the only person that can decide if she is an alcoholic
Step one
First off congrats on being sober that long! What an accomplishment!!
When you described your friend, you literally described me. I can go weeks/months without drinking but when I do, go hard, get drunk… stupid drunk and honestly probably extremely dangerous on so many levels. I don’t know why I do it. I have no off switch. I’m tired of waking up and not remembering or feeling bad. Now at 42, recovering from a hangover takes so much longer and it’s just not fun, certainly not when you drink the amount I do. The disappointment also gets stronger. But honestly your friend has to get to that point herself. You could have a conversation with her but until she feels it in her soul she will continue to make excuses and continue down the path of destruction. Trust me, I know, I am basically her!
Sending positive energy and vibes to you and your friend.
Congrats on your sober time, that’s amazing! And I do agree with you, binge drinking is a problem in itself. And quite dangerous. But… thing is your friend has to make that decision for themselves. As frustrating as it is watching someone repeatedly self-destruct, you can’t get sober for them.
Binge drinking in and of itself is a problem.
What if you binge drink one time and die of alcohol poisoning? - This does happen.
What if you binge drink one time and get behind the wheel of a car and cause a fatal accident? - This does happen.
What if you binge drink, lose control and harm others in a way that isolates you in life? - This does happen.
It’s never something that anyone should engage in doing…
I’m with Dan on this one.
It’s easy to see and recognise the signs once you’ve stepped off the merry-go-round of addiction. But if your friend doesn’t want to step off, all you can do is look on from the outside and be there once they decide it’s time.
