Alcohol; when is it too much?

[Gift_from_God]

I don’t really drink except at parties. At one recently, I had a lot to drink. Now, I have an incredible brain and my mental comprehension was still perfect and I was still able to communicate effectively and didn’t wake up with a hangover, even though everyone else did. I was just wondering; I don’t believe drinking alcohol is sinful, but I think drinking to the point where it damages you is. However, for a single night, with the exception of drinking so much that you pass out, when would you say enough is enough? Personally, I say when I can’t collect my thoughts as well as I normally do. What do you think?

 

[ConstantineTG]

As long as it doesn’t impair you enough to ruin good judgement or contribute to any lasting health effects.

 

[PerfectTiming]

It’s very hard to say how much is too much because it is so dependent on the person in question. I would say you should not drink to the extent that your thinking is impaired and it may lead you to sin. But when your thinking can be impaired without you realising - the drunk always think they are less drunk than they really are. So I would say stick to only a few drinks just to be on the safe side.

Warning from my own experience: it’s easy to get too complacent. My attitude was always drinking never led me to sin so it was okay. Until it did. So be careful when saying things like “on a single night” because it’s not just a single night - it’s an accumulating attitude.

 

[wworld]

Wait, so is it not a mortal sin to get a tiny bit intoxicated as long as one can still tell right from wrong? I’m guessing no…
(this conversation is a little confusing, though. That’s why I ask.)

 

[stringbeanduck]

Wait, so is it not a mortal sin to get a tiny bit intoxicated as long as one can still tell right from wrong? I’m guessing no…
(this conversation is a little confusing, though. That’s why I ask.)

So long as you don’t start losing control of your ability to reason, there is no sin in gaining a little euphoria from it. The bible explains there are good an bad ways of drinking alcohol.

Psalm 104:14–15 (NIV) 4 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: 15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. "

Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

 

[kbwall]

It’s very hard to say how much is too much because it is so dependent on the person in question. I would say you should not drink to the extent that your thinking is impaired and it may lead you to sin. But when your thinking can be impaired without you realising - the drunk always think they are less drunk than they really are. So I would say stick to only a few drinks just to be on the safe side.

I’ve drunk several times, and I’ve always been aware of how drunk I was. I can honestly say I’ve never made the mistake of thinking I’m sober when I’m actually drunk.

 

[PerfectTiming]

I’ve drunk several times, and I’ve always been aware of how drunk I was. I can honestly say I’ve never made the mistake of thinking I’m sober when I’m actually drunk.

I don’t mean people think they’re sober when they’re drunk (though I’ve seen this happen) I mean people tend to think they are more in control than they really are.

 

[catsrus]

I know one glass of wine is my limit. (I hardly ever drink plus I only weigh115 lbs.)
If I choose to indulge in the second glass, I make sure I do not have to drive anywhere.
Only you yourself can determine when too much is too much.

 

[vz71]

Wait, so is it not a mortal sin to get a tiny bit intoxicated as long as one can still tell right from wrong? I’m guessing no…
(this conversation is a little confusing, though. That’s why I ask.)

When you go to the beach to swim, you have to know in advance your ability and how far away from shore you can go while insuring you can safely return.
It is not possible to plan on every possible contingency, so you must err on the side of caution to insure your own safety as you swim further out.

For many, they stay close to shore.
For others, they swim out further.

But all are considering the risks and acting accordingly.

Nearly everything fits in with this same pattern of behavior.
Alcohol, fasting, cigarrettes, etc.

So…know your own limit and err on the side of caution.

 

[smichhertz]

Great question!

All of the above posts are good. I found that for myself, I really had trouble discerning exactly when I was drunk. It’s more of a slippery slope than a light switch. So its difficult to determine.

What I find helpful is asking the question “Do I still have the dignity of a child of God if I drink this next drink?”. Each time you take a drink, pause for a moment and reflect. Remember that your relationship with Jesus is more important than alcohol. As long as you maintain that dignity, than you are not drunk.

Another thing to consider is the rate. One drink probably won’t get you drunk. But you still shouldn’t chug it down. That would be gluttony. Rather savor it, and drink it a reasonable pace. Remember, you are not like a dog trying to scarf down your drink as fast as possible. You are a child of God and YOU control your actions NOT alcohol or anything else.

Another good idea is to think ahead of time: how much is too much? Decide then and there when you are sober how much you will drink. Make a promise to God. Then stick to it. That way, you have no danger of slipping into drunkenness.

In any case, I found those reflections very helpful in drinking appropriate amounts. I struggled with this sin a lot in the past and a few priests gave me those as reflections for helping me to stay sober.

Hope it helps!

 

[LeafByNiggle]

Another factor to consider is what you need to do just after drinking. If you are having a party at your house, and you are planning to go right to bed after the party, then drinking a little so that your reaction time is measurably degraded (which can be as little as one drink) is no big deal. But if you are an airline pilot who is scheduled to take off in a couple of hours, then I think even one drink would be sinful (as well as illegal).

Of course drinking so much that you can’t tell right from wrong would be sinful no matter what your plans are.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

If you start feeling odd or loopy, then that’s a good sign to stop, since you reached your limit!

 

[SMarie]

I recently told my husband that he drinks too much. He didn’t take it well. He was drinking several drinks every night and I told him it was unhealthy and it bothered me. His response was, “I eat well, run 5 miles everyday, and put in a long day at work. Having some drinks each night is fine.”

He is a wonderful husband. I’m blessed to have him. But I believe I am right on this one. He has stopped having his weekday drinks claiming that I’m a nag, and is now giving me the silent treatment. He doesn’t want to discuss it either.

How should I approach this? I don’t want to seem like a nag!

 

[Timothy17]

I recently told my husband that he drinks too much. He didn’t take it well. He was drinking several drinks every night and I told him it was unhealthy and it bothered me. His response was, “I eat well, run 5 miles everyday, and put in a long day at work. Having some drinks each night is fine.”

He is a wonderful husband. I’m blessed to have him. But I believe I am right on this one. He has stopped having his weekday drinks claiming that I’m a nag, and is now giving me the silent treatment. He doesn’t want to discuss it either.

How should I approach this? I don’t want to seem like a nag!

Perseverance is a sign of love. It shows you care. God willing, he’ll get over it with time and recognize that. Be graceful and patient, of course, in your petitions, and seek the advice of friends, family, etc., who know you and he better than we do.

Pax Christi,
Tim

 

[puzzleannie]

I , I say when I can’t collect my thoughts as well as I normally do. What do you think?

every time I have met a drunk who insists he is lucid and fully in possession of his faculties he goes on to prove he is wrong, usually in a dramatic public way.
what do I think? the law has a standard for too drunk to drive, and if you don’t pass that test, stay off the road, and stay away from situations where you might embarrass yourself.

 

[jmcrae]

If you start feeling odd or loopy, then that’s a good sign to stop, since you reached your limit!

By the time you start to feel “loopy,” you have already been drunk for quite some time. If you want to test this theory, go to a drinking party, but instead of drinking, just watch those around you, and from time to time, ask the obvious drunks how drunk they are.

Most of them will tell you “lightly buzzed” or “I’m still okay,” even if they are already wearing a lampshade, or doing other silly things that they normally wouldn’t do while sober. Very few people are self-aware enough to realize when they are drunk.

A rule of thumb would be, if you’ve had two or more drinks, don’t try to drive home (or log on to CAF), even if you “feel fine” and also don’t drink at all when you have responsibilities - work, kids, etc.

We had a very sad incident last year in which a father lost his children in a snow storm when he was drinking at home. He realized that he was too drunk to take care of them, so he took it into his head to take his children out into a blizzard in nothing but their pyjamas, to take them over to his sister’s place.

The children wandered off to look for warm shelter and became lost, but he was so drunk that he didn’t realize they weren’t with him any more. He was picked up by the police for being drunk in a public place, and it wasn’t until the next morning that he asked where his kids were - and that was the first that anyone knew he had taken the kids out with him.

They had frozen to death, of course.

The father simply did not realize how drunk he had become, or how impaired his judgement was - he knew he was “loopy”, but it didn’t occur to him to think that he might be making really bad decisions.

The only smart thing he could have done, was to remain complete sober for as long as he was responsible for the kids - because you can’t think straight when you’ve been drinking - and you also can’t necessarily tell that you aren’t thinking straight.

 

[jmcrae]

I recently told my husband that he drinks too much. He didn’t take it well. He was drinking several drinks every night and I told him it was unhealthy and it bothered me. His response was, “I eat well, run 5 miles everyday, and put in a long day at work. Having some drinks each night is fine.”

He is a wonderful husband. I’m blessed to have him. But I believe I am right on this one. He has stopped having his weekday drinks claiming that I’m a nag, and is now giving me the silent treatment. He doesn’t want to discuss it either.

How should I approach this? I don’t want to seem like a nag!

We had an issue with this at one point in our marriage, as well. I didn’t accuse him of drinking too much, but I did make him aware that he was drinking more than he thought he was.

He quit drinking after he accused me of stealing a bottle from him. I was able to prove that I hadn’t taken it. I showed him the empty bottle and told him that he had finished it. He realized on his own that he was experiencing loss of memory due to drunkenness, and he hasn’t gotten drunk since then. He now limits himself to one drink, and only when we’re out celebrating.

 

[Bookcat]

Here this explains it…

catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33231

catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33754

 

[smichhertz]

This is a difficult question to answer because it’s so subjective. There are also many different factors to take in, like how much you ate, how quickly you drank the drinks etc.

Here’s what a priest told me once:

The best rule of thumb when dealing with a “slippery slope” situation like this is to stick with what you KNOW is not drunk. Take a minute and honestly think about how many drinks on average you can drink without getting drunk. Then subtract one and hold yourself to it. So if you know you can have 3 drinks and you won’t get drunk, then never drink more than 2. Don’t even let yourself come close to committing grave evil. Make a promise to God that you will only drink the set amount before you put yourself in situations where there is drinking. Then stick to it, this will ensure that you never come close to the sin.

That doesn’t exactly answer your question, but I think it gives a good guideline for all of us to follow. I have found it to be extremely helpful, hopefully you will as well!

 

[oacevedo1]

In reading this and looking at the ref “Drunkeness” & “Gluttony”…my question is if condition is “alcoholic”-do I have to continue to confess? Are we to confess habitual offenses because of being alcoholic?