# Am I living with an alcoholic? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385 "2014-07-17T18:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/1 "2014-07-17T18:29:39Z")
So this one is about my housemate. First of all, it’s worth mentioning that I’ve never seen him _drunk_. I’ve never even seen him drink more than 3 beers (or equivalent) in the space of 2 hours. And needless to say, his drinking has never caused problems to my or any of the other housemates. So what makes me think he might be an alcoholic? All he **ever** drinks is beer. No water to quench his thirst, no milk in the mornings, no. Beer at all times. He is always holding a can of Stella (of course) in his hand, and probably goes through 4-5 of them a day, every day. Not that I follow him around and keep a tally chart, but 4-5 would be my guess. Might he be an alcoholic? Or is he just a bloke who has replaced all his water intake with beer? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/2 "2014-07-17T18:42:34Z")
I thought the definition of alcoholism is drinking that causes regular sustained problems for the drinker, not how much is drunk. Is he having regular problems due to drinking? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/3 "2014-07-17T18:42:43Z")
Sounds like Mrs. Capp finally kicked Andy out and he moved in with you. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/4 "2014-07-17T18:43:24Z")
Since the OP is looking for opinions, moved to IMHO (from MPSIMS). ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/5 "2014-07-17T18:44:10Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > And needless to say, his drinking has never caused problems to my or any of the other housemates. Then no, he’s not an alcoholic. You can drink a lot of alcohol, and drink frequently, without being an alcoholic. If his drinking isn’t causing him problems (well, his liver is probably not happy), he’s not an alcoholic. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/6 "2014-07-17T18:47:40Z")
He’s gotta be drinking something besides beer or else the dude would be dead from dehydration. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/7 "2014-07-17T18:48:51Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I thought the definition of alcoholism is drinking that causes regular sustained problems for the drinker, not how much is drunk. There are quite a few who would disagree with you, mostly from the hardcore AA end of the crowd. A lot of people take the position that Alcohol Is Bad, and in the case of someone who drinks moderately and has no evident issues with it, they will find convoluted ways to show that the person still has problems. This is where you get absurdities like “dry drunks” - what the rest of the world calls an asshole, with or without the addition of ethanol, but in the scriptures, if alcohol is anywhere in the past or present situation, it’s the problem. Note that I agree with you entirely. Drinking mildly alcoholic beverages at a pace that never elevates BAC much is not “alcoholic” if it is not impacting health or functionality. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/8 "2014-07-17T18:49:28Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Then no, he’s not an alcoholic. You can drink a lot of alcohol, and drink frequently, without being an alcoholic. If his drinking isn’t causing him problems (well, his liver is probably not happy), he’s not an alcoholic. Not necessarily. Couldn’t he be a functional alcoholic? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/9 "2014-07-17T18:49:54Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > He’s gotta be drinking something besides beer or else the dude would be dead from dehydration. Nah. Beer is at most around 5% alcohol, meaning he’s drinking water at a 19:1 ratio. Ethanol processing doesn’t need anywhere near that much excess water. ---
**Author:** ![Fishtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed655f/32.png) [@Fishtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishtar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/10 "2014-07-17T18:51:09Z")
Here is Wiki for high functioning alcoholics. > **[High-functioning alcoholic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-functioning_alcoholic)** > > A high-functioning alcoholic (HFA) is a person who maintains jobs and relationships while exhibiting alcoholism. > Many HFAs are not viewed as alcoholics by society because they do not fit the common alcoholic stereotype. Unlike the stereotypical alcoholic, HFAs have either succeeded or over-achieved throughout their lifetimes. This can lead to denial of alcoholism by the HFA, co-workers, family members, and friends. Functional alcoholics account for 19.5 percent of total U.S. alcoholics, with 50... And it seems they are quite often drunk, just good at it. So if he never appears drunk, and never gets crazy… Possibly just self medicating for anxiety, but strong willed enough never to go overboard. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/11 "2014-07-17T19:00:49Z")
So exactly what is a “functional alcoholic”? I put that term in the above camp of “Alcohol is bad, and I know it, so if you drink you have a problem, and if there’s no problem then that’s your problem” thinking. Either you’re an alcoholic, meaning ethanol is in the driver’s seat some significant part of your week (if not day), or you’re still in charge regardless of your BAC, and you’re thus not an alcoholic. I dismiss the in-between “yes, you’re functional but you’re still fucked up” notions. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/12 "2014-07-17T19:02:08Z")
I’d assume anyone who habitually drank stella with their breakfast was an alcoholic, on first impressions. They might not be of course, but morning boozing is such a prominent element of alcoholism that it would point that way. Showing up to work / college after a few bevvies would prob be considered alcoholic behaviour by mainstream concensus. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/13 "2014-07-17T19:03:04Z")
If I spread out 5 beers over my 16 waking hours, I’d certainly never be drunk. It would be more like a permanent light buzz. I can’t imagine anyone that a reasonable person would describe as an alcoholic being satisfied with nothing more than a light buzz. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/14 "2014-07-17T19:19:44Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > If I spread out 5 beers over my 16 waking hours, I’d certainly never be drunk. It would be more like a permanent light buzz. I can’t imagine anyone that a reasonable person would describe as an alcoholic being satisfied with nothing more than a light buzz. Exactly, but when you spread out 5 beers over your 16 waking hours **every single day of the week** , I think you have a problem. Hence my motivation for starting the thread: I don’t know if my housemate’s problem is called ‘alcoholism’ or something else ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/15 "2014-07-17T19:20:19Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > So what makes me think he might be an alcoholic? All he **ever** drinks is beer. No water to quench his thirst, no milk in the mornings, no. Beer at all times. He is always holding a can of Stella (of course) in his hand, and probably goes through 4-5 of them a day, every day. Not that I follow him around and keep a tally chart, but 4-5 would be my guess. > > Might he be an alcoholic? Or is he just a bloke who has replaced all his water intake with beer? What would he do if he couldn’t have a beer? If he went out to a restaurant and there was only non-alcoholic options, or if there was no beer left in the house and he couldn’t immediately go get some more? Would he be upset and make a scene and cause problems for people until he was able to have some more beer? Or we he be just somewhat disappointed and either drink nothing or wait until he could have a beer and be mostly okay with that? If he’s unable to function without beer, then he might have a problem. But if he would be okay and just a little bummed out with not having a beer then I’d think that’s less of an issue. Also, what does he drink with breakfast and lunch? Is he drinking a beer first thing in the morning, or you just don’t see him drinking anything then? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/16 "2014-07-17T19:33:16Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > What would he do if he couldn’t have a beer? If he went out to a restaurant and there was only non-alcoholic options, or if there was no beer left in the house and he couldn’t immediately go get some more? Would he be upset and make a scene and cause problems for people until he was able to have some more beer? Or we he be just somewhat disappointed and either drink nothing or wait until he could have a beer and be mostly okay with that? > > If he’s unable to function without beer, then he might have a problem. But if he would be okay and just a little bummed out with not having a beer then I’d think that’s less of an issue. I would agree with this assessment. This discussion is all sounding a lot like recent ones about sex (oh, yeah, he penetrated my vagina with his penis, but we didn’t have “SEX”), or homosexuality (oh, yeah, I’m a male who likes to have sex with other males, but I’m not a “HOMOSEXUAL”). C’mon, the roommate drinks all day every day - we have a word for that. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/17 "2014-07-17T19:35:42Z")
What you’ve got there is a time-traveler from the middle ages. Try to obtain a tissue sample while he’s not looking. If his carbon 14 to 12 ratio is out of whack, you’ll know I’m right. Seriously though, unless he has tried to quit, wants to quit, needs to quit, and _can’t_ then alcoholism is probably not the right word. If he’s employed, responsible, and reasonably pleasant to be around, then don’t waste your time on this. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/18 "2014-07-17T19:37:07Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > Exactly, but when you spread out 5 beers over your 16 waking hours **every single day of the week** , I think you have a problem. Hence my motivation for starting the thread: I don’t know if my housemate’s problem is called ‘alcoholism’ or something else It sounds like his problem is “unemployed.” ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/19 "2014-07-17T19:38:33Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I would agree with this assessment. > > This discussion is all sounding a lot like recent ones about sex (oh, yeah, he penetrated my vagina with his penis, but we didn’t have “SEX”), or homosexuality (oh, yeah, I’m a male who likes to have sex with other males, but I’m not a “HOMOSEXUAL”). > > C’mon, the roommate drinks all day every day - we have a word for that. Fat? ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385/20 "2014-07-17T19:59:16Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > It sounds like his problem is “unemployed.” Hah no, he actually works long hours. > [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > What would he do if he couldn’t have a beer? If he went out to a restaurant and there was only non-alcoholic options, or if there was no beer left in the house and he couldn’t immediately go get some more? Would he be upset and make a scene and cause problems for people until he was able to have some more beer? Or we he be just somewhat disappointed and either drink nothing or wait until he could have a beer and be mostly okay with that? > > If he’s unable to function without beer, then he might have a problem. But if he would be okay and just a little bummed out with not having a beer then I’d think that’s less of an issue. > > Also, what does he drink with breakfast and lunch? Is he drinking a beer first thing in the morning, or you just don’t see him drinking anything then? Interesting way of putting it. He drinks beer with breakfast and beer with lunch, doesn’t eat anything apart from that. I assume a high proportion of his daily calories come from beer. He doesn’t really drink anything first thing in the morning because he rarely wakes up before noon. But yes, first thing after waking up is beer and a slice of toast (ie “breakfast”). But to be honest I think he would be OK if he couldn’t drink beer. That’s never happened (he always has an unopened crate in his room, presumably for emergencies) but I don’t think he’d make a scene about it [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-living-with-an-alcoholic/693385.md?page=2)