Quote From: popinoz I have had a long association with all kinds of drinkers. Out of that experience I believe there is an error of judgement right across the board on alcoholism.
I've found that there is two types of "Alcoholics" One that has steadily drank himself into an addiction (The abuser) & the other who has an overwhelming intolerance to the actual substance of alcohol or part of it's compounds. The allergic drinker.
The distinction can be made virtually from the first 3 or 4 drinks.
The abuser has little reaction other than a slow deterioration into incoherance etc.
The allergic drinker has a major mood swing. They become illogical & out of charactor.
I am closely associated with one family, the mother & the 2 adult offsping, who virtually switch off after a couple of drinks. One turns into a pathological liar after just one or two small glasses of Sherry. They constantly strive to feel like "normal" people who can have a social drink, but it is metabolically impossible. Sadly, the condition is not acknowledged or "humanised"
I don't think enough work is done to explain to these people that they are not misfits or social subordinates because of this allergy.
It is no different from all the common allergies & it ought to be addressed with the same medical warnings & advise, & it needs public acknowledgement so that these symptoms become common knowledge before the unwinnable fight has deteriorated into a constant struggle of both the reliance & the allergy.
They should not be bundled into "Victims' of the disease of alcoholism" which results purely from over indulgence.
Your post was very interesting, I think it can explain alot, especially about those who "cannot hold their liquor".
But how do we explain people like myself, I'm not trying to sound awful really. Let me explain,
I can drink Beer and ONLY Beer, Canadian, American European, just Beer.
Wine makes me black out , and Hard Liquor ( whiskey, Rum Gin etc.), makes me almost psychotic, needless to say I stay FAR AWAY from those.
I have always been curious as to why, yes Alcholism is RAMPENT through my family, but honestly, I am ONLY a social drinker, and as long as I stick to beer, I can drink maybe three, and be fine ( wouldn't drive for sure, but I still have my wits about me enough to keep myself out of trouble).
I have always been curious about this little fact about myself, and WHY the changes are so radical from one type of liquor to another, any thoughts ? I'd be happy to hear them.
