How much do we drink?

[TXengrChickPE]

add me to the list of female engineers w/ alcoholic fathers... and a brother who is probably an alcoholic by now. One of the reasons I don't speak to my family is that I didn't want their lifestyle to affect my family. I wish I could have done more to get my brother away from their influence... but he is very needy, and they are very controlling...

 

[frazil]

I am surprised at how many of us on this board are affected by addictions in the family. Is it really that prevelant but nobody talks about it? Or is it only so common among engineers??

 

[mudpuppy]

fraz, unfortunately I think it is everywhere--but all too often swept under the carpet.

 

[maryannette]

People DO sweep it under the carpet. I have 7 siblings and several of us (including me) have shown behavior that would be a warning sign for addiction. I talk to my daughters about addiction and they know that they have the genes that could put them at risk. Life is tough most of the time. When beer or booze or pot or pills make it easier, or make you forget or not care about the problems, it's very tempting to become dependent. The part that is so hard to watch is that the problems that were there to start with don't go away and the addiction adds another LAYER of problems. But, addiction is a disease. I think it is rare that someone just decides not to succumb to the addiction ever again and really quits.

 

[roadwreck]

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Intervention Kitteh wants all teh boos fur hisself.

 

[Katiebug]

I am surprised at how many of us on this board are affected by addictions in the family. Is it really that prevelant but nobody talks about it? Or is it only so common among engineers??

I think it's prevalent and no one talks about it.

My mom's side of the family has addiction issues. Big time. Their father was an alcoholic who died in his 40s of heart disease and cancer (exacerbated by his drinking). Before he got sick he was often unemployed (with a wife and 7 kids) and drunk. Both of mom's brothers were disowned decades ago due to addiction to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, etc. (both are Vietnam combat vets who self-medicated PTSD symptoms). Three of her four sisters are alcoholics, one of them is sober for several years now. Several cousins on that side of the family have battled addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Thankfully those relatives were largely not a part of my life, by my parents' choosing.

I didn't touch alcohol until college and then went absolutely nuts my freshman year. It didn't help that I was an athlete, and at my school the athletes prided themselves on their binge drinking capacity. I drank astonishing quantities of alcohol. I broke an ankle stumbling over a curb and was so drunk that I felt the "crack" and kept walking around for several hours, almost pain free - I woke up the next morning and couldn't stand on that foot. I was shocked at how addictive it was...I was able to stop drinking cold turkey for a few months and that was the turning point.

I drink socially now, but never to excess, because I feel I flirted with disaster given my personality and family history.

 

[EM_PS]

I am surprised at how many of us on this board are affected by addictions in the family. Is it really that prevelant but nobody talks about it? Or is it only so common among engineers??

It is hugely prevalent. . . not remotely common to any line of work - just common to woman & mankind as a whole - i come from a family of social drinkers (irish & german, its just what u do), but none in my extended family seem to have been afflicted w/ actual alcoholism [truly needing to get hammered for sake of being hammered]. On the wife's side however, alcoholism was def. a skeleton hanging in alot of her family member's closets. I am convinced that some folks just aren't genetically dispositioned to handle mood altering substances, in addition to situational factors.

that said, intervention kitten needs to hand over the Glennfiddich or I'll whip an icecube at him

 

[GCracker]

I usually have a beer every night and on the weekends I'll have several depending on the schedule. Football and Deer season increase my intake!

 

[Guest]

I am surprised at how many of us on this board are affected by addictions in the family. Is it really that prevelant but nobody talks about it? Or is it only so common among engineers??

I think it is definitely VERY prevalent AND nobody talks about it - like the big elephant in the room.

As far as higher incidence amongst engineer-types - I think we just have such highly developed analytical skills especially with respect to pattern recognition that we all pick up on warning signs.

fraz, unfortunately I think it is everywhere--but all too often swept under the carpet.

Very true!

My soon-2-B ex-in-laws ALL have serious drug addictions. Everyone acted like it was normal to be chronically under the influence of drugs, unemployed, unkept, etc. - I am STILL having problems sorting it all out in my mind as to how they believe they were right and I was so wrong ...

People DO sweep it under the carpet. I have 7 siblings and several of us (including me) have shown behavior that would be a warning sign for addiction. I talk to my daughters about addiction and they know that they have the genes that could put them at risk. Life is tough most of the time. When beer or booze or pot or pills make it easier, or make you forget or not care about the problems, it's very tempting to become dependent. The part that is so hard to watch is that the problems that were there to start with don't go away and the addiction adds another LAYER of problems. But, addiction is a disease. I think it is rare that someone just decides not to succumb to the addiction ever again and really quits.

Good points Mary. And I think you hit the nail on the head when you say BEHAVIORS coupled with a predisposition to have addictive types of personalities should be of major concern. Understanding the behavior and triggering events (stressors) is the first step in avoiding the bad behaviors ...

One other thought for digestion on this thread ..

I don't think there is a magic # for consumption of alcohol that makes for addiction - I think it really depends on your social circumstances. I grew up in a house where there was NEVER any alcohol - neither of my parents drank alcohol. Ever. When I enlisted in the service and later went to college, it was an adjustment for me to go from never seeing alcohol (or at least believing anyone who drank with any frequency or kept it in their house had serious problems).

Even today, I really don't keep alcohol in my house for the very same reason unless I know I am getting ready to have/go to a party.

Speaking of which .. I still have two unopened bottles of tequila ...

JR

 

[TXengrChickPE]

Speaking of which .. I still have two unopened bottles of tequila ...

JR

It sounds like JR is having a party this weekend! :multiplespotting:

 

[Guest]

It sounds like JR is having a party this weekend! :multiplespotting:

I am saving them for when my divorce is finalized or squishles gets married - whichever comes first.

JR

 

[squishles10]

:wub:

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I think it is definitely VERY prevalent AND nobody talks about it - like the big elephant in the room.

I agree that it's a prevalent thing. I don't thing I've ever actually known a complete alcoholic before, but I hung out with a bunch of burnt out stoner types in high school who the last time I heard are still leading that lifestyle. It's unfortunate to see so much potential wasted.

My biggest problem is that I've had a hard time knowing when to say when. I've had way to many times where 1 beer turned into 12. I'm fine if I don't start but I've gotten out of control sometimes once I have.

 

[squishles10]

I knew a couple college guys that fit the description. One left for a while and came back cleaned up- it was good to see.

In answer to your question, I drink enough to keep myself fat. I have decided beer is the problem, and maybe changing drinks would help my cause. Is this right or is it alcohol in general that gets the belly jiggly?

 

[klk]

In answer to your question, I drink enough to keep myself fat. I have decided beer is the problem, and maybe changing drinks would help my cause. Is this right or is it alcohol in general that gets the belly jiggly?

I think the problem with drinking and gaining weight is two fold:

1) I think beer (depending on the variety) has a lot more calories than say, a mixed drink using a diet mixer. If you switch drinks to lower calorie version, it will probably help, but not as much as if you were to stop drinking completely (but wheres the fun in that)

2) I've found that drinking in general causes people to eat unhealthy food. If you're one of the few people who doesn't get hungry after a night of drinking then consider yourself lucky.

My coworker calls the whole dieting thing a simple mass balance problem. All you have to do is restrict the calories coming in and/or find a way to burn more calories . . .

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^ The key is to drink enough that you feel too ill to eat anything. This way its just the beer calories getting to you.

 

[maryannette]

One of the best reasons I know to drink less is to avoid that sick feeling. And vomiting.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^ I agree! It rained here Saturday afternoon so we cancelled our outdoor stuff and stayed in. Picked up a 12 pack. Woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Saw there was no beer left in the fridge. I had no idea how many I had. My wife said she had 3.

So I tossed back 9 in a short time. I gotta work on my off switch.

 

[EM_PS]

I'll never drink as much as i used to, but never will I be without a drink . . .color me in the 10 - 20 range

amending my initial post - maybe its the test coming up. . . the election. . .the lack of jobs. . .whatev. -

20 - 30 range, including weekly communion :winko: