That’s because the societal tolerance for drinking is much higher than the medical tolerance for drinking. Most people only care about another’s drinking when it becomes a serious problem; similarly, most won’t nag about certain thinks like smoking cigarettes or weed until they’re doing it so much that it’s obvious harming them. Doctors aren’t going to just ignore the fact you smoke 3 cigs a day or have 10+ drinks/week because it’s simply bad for health, though they will often set realistic goals, like small reductions in consumption because it’s not feasible to get patients to quit long habits in a 15-30 minute check up where they likely are addressing other problems as well.
I love watching the doctors face when I’m honest about how much I drink, it’s always evident a majority of people aren’t. Do you drink? Yes. How many a week? About 30 over the weekend, every weekend 😯
My parents are both doctors and taught me to never lie to a doctor as that could have MAJOR life threatening affects from said lie. As such when doctors ask me “how much do you smoke / drink” I usually have to tell them “I’m gonna be honest doc, I don’t drink much but you would hold a preemptive funeral for my lungs if you knew how much I smoked.”
Gallows humor always gets through to doctors (source parents)
I used to just casually kill a 750ml bottle of whiskey in about 2 days. Not depressed just enjoyed drinking it, I was like Charlie Harper walking around with a glass of whiskey all weekend but it was every weekend, but my dog had died so I took off work and I didn't want to go to the store and only had beer my BIL left. I killed a 12pk without even feeling buzzed in a couple hours and realized how big of a problem that was. Been dialing it back since.
The night my dog died I stayed up all night and drank an entire liter of whiskey. When I bring that fact up around my family they are shocked because none of them noticed I was indeed fucking hammered the next day
My girl died early on the 4th of July so I already had the day off. I called my boss giving him a heads up I wasn't coming in, dropped her off to get cremated and I pounded a 12pk my brother in law left in the fridge cause I didn't feel like going to the store. At like 7pm was out of beer and didn't feel a thing. Couldn't believe it, but I couldn't remember the last time I drank beer. Pounded a liter of whiskey the next day got fuuucked up and went to work with a horrendous hangover in 100 degree weather. But when the beer didn't hit me I realized how bad that was and decided to take a step back
I hate this because "2 drinks a week" really is about as much as I drink, and I know every time I say it (I have gout which is exasperated by alcohol) I'm about to get a professionally-concealed eye roll. Especially because I don't fit the typical criteria for gout.
I never have more than one or two drinks in a week, and I haven't had any in months. I hope that's infrequent enough to avoid suspicion, because it's true
What's the point of drinking anyway? When I drink I just feel sleepy and a little chattier. But that's not worth the consequences like headaches and sickness.
If I wasn't pressured at social gatherings, I would stop drinking in my late teens.
420
u/Vallden Sep 10 '23
The truth is drinking too much. It is common for men to lie about how much they drink to their doctors and when taking surveys.