Originally Posted by MDawg View Post
If you're going with the Irish perspective (been in that country a couple of times), the "drunk" isn't in the bar drinking nonstop, he's rolling in the gutter and can't even make it to pub.

But otherwise, there are degrees of alcoholism but a person doesn't have to be physically dependent or even drink at all (as per my example above of a teetotaler born into an alcoholic family who knows he's an alcoholic and therefore never drinks) to be an alcoholic.

Normal drinkers don't binge drink, or drink heavily with any regularity.

Alcoholism is a progressive disease so an alcoholic will inevitably drink more over a lifetime as long as he keeps drinking.
And when these people get to the point where they literally have no desire to drink even when surrounded by it then they're STILL alcoholics?

Much like the guy who (in theory) won't be able to stop drinking if he ever has 1 drink?

Huh?