Alcoholism Recovery & Treatment

Question by Chris S: What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol misuse?
My wife and I are in an argument over what the definition of alcohol abuse is versus misuse. From what I learned in my high school health class misuse IS abuse if the person drinking is underage as in our son’s case. My wife believes that abuse is reserved for raging alcoholics and that our son is just experimenting like everyone else his age. I have mixed views given my own “experimentation”, but I want to handle this better than our parents did. Our son also recently received a public intoxication ticket and we had to pick him up from the police station.

In the grand scheme of things the answer does not help us with our underage son, but it at least puts us on the same page as how best to handle it.

Best answer:

Answer by comeundone4162
It depends on if his drinking is casual or something he does on a continuing basis. Get him into counseling soon.

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Question by Hello Friend: What’s the difference — alcohol in pregnancy?
I often read questions on here from women who are nervous because they drank a small amount of alcohol before they learned they were pregnant — and everyone answers reassuringly and supportively that it’s totally OK and that the baby will be just fine.

So why do the same people answer questions from women who KNOW they are pregnant and are asking if they can have one drink late in their pregnancy … that they must not touch a single drop of alcohol … absolutely none, no way, no how, or their baby will be messed up for life from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

My hunch is that the answer they are providing is not based on actual science… if it’s safe in early pregnancy when the baby is being formed, why would it not be safe very late in pregnancy when the baby is almost born… but that these answerers are judging the asker based on their behavior and whether they knew they were pregnant or not.

If someone asks a question, don’t you think the answer provided should be based on actual medical facts and not someone’s opinion on someone’s personal behavior?

Personally, my doctor has told me it’s totally safe to enjoy up to one drink a week after the first trimester. That said, although I was pregnant all summer long, I didn’t drink at all during both of my pregnancies. But because my doctor said it was OK, I would never judge someone who chose to have a drink on occassion because I know it’s totally safe. The danger comes when women are abusing alcohol and drinking on a daily basis.
This is exactly my point … if people think it’s never OK to drink during pregnancy, then don’t answer the question from the woman who drank before she knew she was pregnant by telling her it’s OK!
Actually, a recent study was just released stating that a small amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy is totally fine.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2023984,00.html

The study went on to say that the children of women who drank on occasion scored HIGHER on certain cognitive tests and had fewer behavioral problems.

Direct quote from Time Magazine:

“A glass of wine or two a week — and not more than one large glass on any occasion — may be safe during pregnancy, according to a large study just published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The British research found no negative effects of such light drinking on 5-year-olds whose mothers had imbibed while pregnant with them. Indeed, these kindergartners were slightly less likely to have behavioral problems and performed somewhat better on cognitive tests than children whose mothers had abstained. ”

Best answer:

Answer by 16 weeks
It’s also “ok” to drink caffiene in moderation, but I’m not in any way risking my precious child’s health. Totally not worth it, at all.

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Question by goldengirl_45701: What is the difference between alcoholic selfishness and narcissism?
I’ve read that alcoholism can appear like narcissism when a person is using and sometimes when the person gets sober, the “disorder” is gone. What is the difference between alcoholic selfishness and an alcoholic with NPD?

Best answer:

Answer by 8 Ball
I have come to the conclusion that the tea-toddlers are just as narcissistic as the alcoholics they try to belittle, and actually try to grasp for a sense of self-worth through criticizing people who have a proven genetic disorder. Yet, these same people would never attempt such a critic upon those who suffer from bulimia or anorexia. What a double standard!

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Question by caltam84: What is the difference between high tolerance with alcohol and immune to side effects of alcohol?
This is Calvin. Being immune to the side effects of alcohol (from beer, wine, or liquor) is somewhat similar to having high tolerance with alcoholic beverages.

Both don’t have exactly the same definition. What is the difference between being immune to it and having high tolerance?

This is a retortical question. And the reason i asked this question was to see what you think about it. Here is the following question: Would you want to be immune to the side effects of alcohol (if you have a chance and there is such advanced techology)?

I am not trying to ask a silly question. Please don’t say that my questions are lame and that I am ignorant or that I am crazy. Just to see what you think.

Best answer:

Answer by urbancoyote
No, high tolerance and immunity from side effects are two entirely different things.

“High tolerance” means someone can drink a great deal without appearing to be drunk or tipsy. If someone acts sober after consuming a lot of alcohol (he “knows how to hold his liquor”) then this is high tolerance.

Rarely, there are people who NEVER have hangovers — such a personj is immune to the sife effects of alcohol. VERY rarely, ther are people who can drink heavily wtihout any liver damage, so they are immune to another side-effect of alcohol. These immunities have nothing to do with whether that person “holds their liquor” and acts sober.

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Question by susannna_kaysen_420: What is the actual difference between a recovered alcoholic or an plain alcoholic?
No offense to any1 who has this disease which my father died from but correct me if I am wrong. Isn’t alcoholism a disease & I thought once an alcoholic always an alcoholic even AFTER you’re sober aren’t you still an alcoholic? What’s the difference?

Best answer:

Answer by Dano
Recovering alcohols are still alcoholics, but no longer abusing alcohol.

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