Should I be worried? wrote:
Chiming in on the debate about alcoholism, not the OP's situation. (Though, I agree you should try to help your sister but be prepared to withdraw your presence.) OK, so in high school and college, I used to go out with my friends pretty regularly and get way too drunk. That was the culture I was a part of, and, even though I periodically did things I regret, I continued. Everyone else I knew did the same. After college, I mainly drank a couple beers on my own with a few binges per year. Maybe more like 7 or 8 the first year out, where I blacked out and acted like an ass, then reduced down to probably once per year the last two years. I'm 30. I do go out to bars maybe once every two weeks and have maybe 5 or 6 but I usually feel only a little tipsy and wake up feeling fresh. I drink one or two glasses of wine most nights. Anyways, last week, I went out with grad school buddies (they literally go out pretty hard 3-5 times a week) and, without meaning to, got totally wrecked. I forgot to eat dinner, got talked into tequila shots, completely lost control, and woke up in the ERnwith an IV in. The overwhelming shame and embarrassing made it difficult to go out in public for a couple days. But then a few nights after it happened, I had 3 glasses of wine. Obviously didn't get drunk, but...serious question...should I be worried?
No offense, man, but you sound like a loser to me. You should never be getting black out drunk as an adult. Never. That you even have to ask the question suggests you have a warped view of what drinking is supposed to be like. Your health is most likely sht from all the alcohol you consume too. I am not joking. Alcohol destroys the lining of your GI tract, so if you're drinking regularly, your body cannot absorb nutrients properly. I could go into a long lesson on B-12 deficiency, but instead I'll just say your brain is probably already slightly damaged.
If you're concerned about alcoholism, give it up and see if it's difficult at all to go a week without any booze.