Jellofart's Blog --> College --> What’s the difference between drinking to get drunk and drinking to relax?
25Mar/108
What’s the difference between drinking to get drunk and drinking to relax?
Reader question: I've heard people defend the practice of drinking alone as innocent relaxation (and I totally agree with that). But...as I'm sitting here after working and studying all day and wanting to enjoy a few cocktails in peace, I can't help but wonder where the difference between alcoholism and relaxation is. And along those lines, do you consider drinking to get drunk to be a bad practice? Any thoughts?
Subscribe to comments on this post
Previous post: « Don’t Drive Drunk Italian Charms Bracelet Link
Next post: How To Treat Your Dog In Cardiac Arrest »
Video Killed the Radio Star was the very first video ever played on MTV.
Copyright 2009 Jellofart - Advertise With Us Jellofart Home | About Jellofart | Contact (Annoy) Jellofart | Shop our Store | Our Privacy Policy
March 25th, 2010 - 21:12
Alcoholism is just doing it habitually. You have one drink a day for 6 months and have with-drawls if you miss a day.
And getting drunk is a step further than relaxing
March 25th, 2010 - 22:08
Yeah, it’s a fine line. I try to use the justification that I don’t drink alone, but when I drink “socially,” I almost always binge drink.
I think we all have our justifications, but there’s no clear line.
I guess the thing you should ask yourself–as I ask myself if I can socialize without overdoing it–is can you relax without alcohol, or do you depend on it?
Not easy questions, but I guess if there’s concern that’s reason to back off.
March 25th, 2010 - 22:31
I would say the difference between an alcoholic and a safe drinker is that the alcoholic chooses alcohol over the things they used to or still treasure in life — their house, family, friends, and their job (or rather the fact they have a job, most people don’t actually enjoy their job, but do need the job), and to lesser extent their license or car.
See, a normal person would never drink to the point that they jeopardize their job, the love of their family, or their friendships. Only the alcoholic would do that.
Drinking to get drunk *can* be a risky practice, but if you are reasonable about it you can minimize the risks associated with it. I am not talking health problems here, I’m talking DUI, rape, fights, that sort of stuff. Let’s face it, some days you just want to get drunk. Whatever happened, whatever your reason, you have an urge to get drunk. So, once in a while you should be allowed to have that drunken night. Getting drunk does not mean that you have to get sick, far from it. Many many people associate being drunk with throwing up; it’s simply not the case. You can get so drunk that you do puke, certainly, but it is actually quite easy to get drunk and not puke. Perhaps they would call this “tipsy,” but in all honesty, tipsy is just a euphemism for being more than buzzed and less than totally drunk.
Drinking for relaxation should be just that. You drink, in a comfortable environment, with things you enjoy. You usually don’t get drunk, but you probably want to be buzzed. It’s not a lot of alcohol, and you don’t need a lot; a couple drinks.
Obviously getting drunk frequently is harmful to your health. You can do this without being an alcoholic, but you are abusing alcohol. I believe that if you’re able to buy alcohol, you understand what the implications are. You should be making an informed decision about what you’re doing, so if you want to abuse alcohol and that makes you happy, fine, just realize what you’re doing to yourself and do not endanger others by driving. A healthy amount of alcohol would be 1-2 drinks per day (and no, you don’t get to save up and have 12 on the weekend), at most 6 days a week — face it, your liver needs a break even if you don’t drink that much each day.
March 25th, 2010 - 22:54
The difference between drinking to get drunk and drinking to relax? Hmm..about a fifth of tequila.
I think if you MUST drink to relax then you have a problem. Or if you are always drinking alone. Also, if you are killing a bottle of wine every night after work, you might want to think about going to AA meeting.
March 25th, 2010 - 22:58
well depends on how much you drink like i have never drank to relax i have always drank to get drunk and if you want to get drunk just say it you not have to lie about it
March 25th, 2010 - 23:50
Well drinking to relax would entail one to two say glasses of wine or two beers. If you drink to the point of intoxication and your by your self that would be an issue. There is a big difference between alcoholism and relaxation. Alcoholics need their fix they get the shakes if they dont get a drink. Anything in moderation is fine. I dont see any sense in drinking to get drunk what fun is it> to wake up with a hang over fell miserable and puking? Id rather have two glasses of wine and call it a night. That is enough to relax me or take the edge off in social situations.
March 26th, 2010 - 00:27
Getting Drunk is my way of relaxing….
March 26th, 2010 - 01:24
Amount