The difference between being an alcoholic and drinking too much is the ability to stop. The definition of a person who drinks too much is subjective to each person. Some people believe that drinking two beers a night is drinking too much, and others believe that drinking two cases of beer a night is just fine. The deciding factor is if the person can stop drinking two beers a night, or two cases of beer a night. If a person is unable to stop drinking beer every night, then they are addicted, and this could be considered drinking too much. There is also drinking so much in one night that a person ends up in the emergency room with alcohol poisoning. Another way to tell if a person is drinking too much is in how it affects them. Some people can drink one shot of hard liquor, or even one beer, and their behavior will be effected. Other people can drink over ten beers and not appear effected at all. Each person is different when consuming alcohol, but drinking one beer and becoming effected by it is not a true definition of drinking too much. A person who drinks ten beers may not believe that they are feeling the effects, but if they were to get behind the wheel of a car, they would be highly effected.
If a person only drinks one glass of wine at night, or a whole bottle of vodka, but are unable to stop, they are the perfect candidate for drinking too much. Alcoholics are unable to stop drinking. People can drink two cases of beer a night for a few weeks, and then stop drinking it altogether for the rest of their lives, and they would not be considered as someone who drinks too much. Drinking too much can lead to alcoholism. The more a person drinks, the more capable they are of becoming an alcoholic. Most people who only drink one beer a night are usually able to stop, but if they cannot, then they are considered an alcoholic. Even though they are not drinking two cases of beer a night, just the fact that they are unable to stop is a symptom of alcoholism. The distinctions of whether this person is drinking too much can become confusing. Most people who think of the terms, “drinking too much,” believe that a person has to be drinking all day and all night in order to be drinking too much. The distinction must rest on the person who is drinking a small amount, yet cannot stop.
A great way to tell if a person is considered drinking too much is if they are continuously being stopped for driving while under the influence. This is a classic person who is drinking too much because they are unwilling, or unable to make important decisions that could potentially harm themselves, or someone else. If a person cannot make intelligent decisions while drinking, then they are drinking too much. People may believe that drinking too much is all in the eyes of the beer holder, but if their ability to function properly effects their every day lives, then they are a person who drinks too much. Going out to parties a few nights a week to have a few drinks with friends is not a true definition of drinking too much, but a person who goes out every night to a bar and comes home sloshed, may be considered as someone who is drinking too much. Most people who drink too much end up drinking so much that they become inebriated. Drinking too much is mostly someone who drinks every day until they are drunk, and they cannot stop.