When does it switch from heavy drinker to alcoholism?

[Isthisalcoholism]

Drinking a bottle and a half of wine at home on your own of an evening just as a matter of course and being seemingly unaffected...this isn't normal is it?

anyone?

I suppose it depends how often and whether you can happily do without or not for any significant period?

Take the wine away and see if it bothers them. If it doesnt bother them that much then I would say that rather than depending on it they just like it but can clearly leave it. If it does bother them then I would say they are dependant and yes alcoholic.

No. How often? I mean I drink a bottle of wine to myself (alone!) a couple of times a year and think nothing of it, but I can also go a fortnight without a drink and not notice that.

I would say that quantity is not unusual but this is the first time I have realised that they do it when home alone and not within the company of others

No, that’s not normal.

I work in addiction care (non-ik). The line between frequent/heavy recreational use of alcohol and alcoholism falls where there is a psychological or physical dependence on alcohol.

Consumption doesn’t have to be particularly huge for there to be psychological dependance. It’s also possible to consume alcohol to unhealthy levels without psychological or physical dependance.

Non-ik = non-uk

What would the person do if there was no wine available?

Take the wine away and see if it bothers them. If it doesnt bother them that much then I would say that rather than depending on it they just like it but can clearly leave it. If it does bother them then I would say they are dependant and yes alcoholic

Judging by the amount of women that couldn’t make the first week of “dry january”, alcoholism is a bigger problem than you’d think.

I agree, btw. I also think if you can’t go a week or two with no alchol you have a problem.

Is a daily occurance?

Seemly unaffected equals high tolerance, which equals consistent use at that level.

Also there isn't a line, amount or any other thing that determines an 'alcoholic'. It's the addiction part. The needing it.

This is a good article also:
www.alcohol.org/alcoholism-types/stages/

How often is this happening?

GiveHerHellFromUS I am not sure, I think they wouldn't put themselves in a situation where it wasn't available in the first place if you know what I mean....on this occasion would they have gone out to get some, possibly not but they had no reason to drink and drank it because it was there

A heavy drinker knows what time the off licence closes.

An alcoholic knows what time it opens.

I am not sure how often, I think more nights than not...

A bottle and a half at a time is a serious binge. Doing that repeatedly is not good news. Whether you class it as alcoholism or problem drinking I don’t think it matters. Hope they don’t drive the morning after.

If they wouldn't put themselves in a position where alcohol wasn't available, there may well be a psychological dependancy. This isn't necessarily full blown alcoholism but is on the way to becoming it and is likely to start a physical dependancy (more what is thought of as typical alcoholism) if they don't stop drinking.

@Isthisalcoholism is this someone you live with? Is it definitely a regular occurrence?

5 nights of 1.5 bottles = 80+ units = alcohol dependant. Not unusual to be functioning at that level but it is a sure fire way to heading towards liver damage.

A friend/relative of yours OP?

My ex was drinking 80 units a week, or 9 bottles of wine. He still maintains he isn’t an alcoholic because he can stop if he wants to.
Trouble is, he doesn’t want to stop. He once managed 2 weeks abstinence for charity, but that was all.

I left when he couldn’t remember all the awful things he has said to our friends when drunk, and thought driving home after 3 pints at the pub was ok. I couldn’t trust him to look after our ds anymore.
Whether he was alcoholic by some clinical definition, was irrelevant to me. He wouldn’t stop and couldn’t be trusted.

Its a family member, they don't live with me, whenever we spend time with them they drink this quantity

Watching this with interest. Cousin's husband put away 3.5 bottles of wine on Xmas day and was sober as a judge. No idea how much he drinks during the week but I know he brews his own. His skin was awful and he had dark rings around his eyes - no idea how long he can go without, but he's never ever the designated driver.

I've always wondered if I'm an alcoholic. I can't function properly without a glass of something mid afternoon.

But that's it. I don't drink otherwise. It's that mid day drink, I can't live without it and feel fearful at the thought. Am I an alcoholic?

If they drink that amount as a standard everyday thing I'd hedge my bets on them being alcohol dependant.

@Isthisalcoholism do they eat? Were they being social or just drinking to themselves? How long was the consumption over, time-wise?

@StrikeAPoseTake2 yeah that does sound like an issue... aren't you at work or in charge on children mid-afternoon?