The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Ask Dr. Bob

QUESTION
If a person consumes 3 to 6 beers and 3 to 5 shots of hard liquor every Friday, but only on Friday, what disorders could a person develop?


ANSWER
Your question is a variant of several earlier inquiries and falls into the general category of "binge drinking." However, you may not identify it that way, and that may be part of your dilemma!

Binge drinking, as defined by researchers and other alcoholism professionals, refers to consuming more than 5 drinks per occassion if you are male, or more than 4 drinks per occassion if you are female.

A Drink is defined as 12 ounces of regular beer OR 5 ounces of wine OR 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

The type of drinking you describe would be termed "alcohol abuse," i.e., a period of intoxication on a weekly basis. The dangers would depend on the circumstances to a certain degree. For example, do you drive afterwards? Have your friends or family expressed concern? Do you have a medical disease which might be made worse by drinking? Is there a family history of alcoholism? Are you taking any prescription medicines or using other drugs?

This might also be an early stage of alcoholism. Can you honestly say that once you have begun to drink, you can stop at any point, or will you then drink to intoxication?? What is your drinking like at times other than those planned for binges?

Some of our earlier answers may be of help:

Weekend Binge Drinking was addressed in September 2003
Cognitive Functioning in the Binge Drinker was addressed in April 2003
Alcoholism in the Weekend Beer Drinker was addressed in September 2001
Weekend Blackouts/Hangovers in a College Student was addressed in December 2000

Think seriously about this pattern of use and its consequences!

Good Luck,
Dr Bob



Previous Questions

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Disclaimer

Dr. Bob does not provide specific medical advice or a medical diagnosis for any particular condition described, nor verify the authenticity of any information described in the questions presented. Patients should always consult their physician to discuss any specific symptoms, conditions, or modes of therapy for any particular mental or physical difficulties, diseases or conditions.

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