How much does a typical alcoholic drink each day?!
How much does a typical alcoholic drink each day?
I read in a seemingly scholarly article somewhere that it's "not unusual" for alcoholics to consume as much as 200 grams of alcohol a day (20 shots!) on average. Is this true? How much does a typical alcoholic actually consume on daily or weekly basis?
Special Note: I'm not talking about people who simply abuse alcohol (drink +3 drinks a day on average), I'm talking about people who are actually dependent and have little or no control over how much they drink. And no, I'm not asking this question to screen myself for alcoholism...
Answers:
There's no "typical" daily amount, really, especially because some alcoholics don't drink every day. Some are binge drinkers who might only drink every couple of weeks.
I can answer this from my own personal history though since I am a recovering alcoholic (9 years sober). I'm a small woman, 115 lbs and on a typical day I would have anywhere from 8 to 15 shots. On occasion I would go much higher but this was typical.
I get the sense that you are shocked at the amount an alcoholic will drink and frankly, looking back, I am too. It's amazing I am not dead after doing that for 25 years.