High rates of alcohol abuse, depression among attorneys

It may depend on how you define alcoholism. I know two food addicts whose BMI is fine. Food is still their primary coping mechanism and can derail them for a weekend. I know a woman who is clearly hooked on pain pills, but it's not like she's spaced out all day. She's a contract lawyer, and a good one.

 

I guess that's what I'm asking. A drink is food to me, I guess. Very infrequently do I drink to intoxication, or even low-level intoxication. (i.e. a "buzz.") I like the taste, the ritual, and the exploration of different styles. My alarm goes off at 3:55 every morning for my workout, so not a lot of room for hangovers. But I probably have a drink four or five nights a week, usually after putting the kids down for the night, though sometimes with dinner. Probably two or three on football Saturdays and Sundays, throughout the day. Am I part of the 20 percent?

 

Frequency is a big factor, but not the only one. They used the World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to survey 12,000+ lawyers on drinking habits and outcomes. Based on answers people score between 0 to 40 and if your score is above an 8, you're considered in the hazardous or harmful range. You can take the self-assessment here:

http://www.talkingalcohol.com/files/pdfs/WHO_audit.pdf

The test is on page 31 - Appendix B.

 

Oh and here's the full study if you want to read it: The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Conc... : Journal of Addiction Medicine

The 1 in 5 number seems about right from my anecdotal experience by the way. I might have guessed more like 15 percent, but you figure some are good at hiding it.

 

No.

 

13, but it's kind of misleading, because the "remorse" and "someone telling you to cut back" have to do with weight control, not intoxication. So I might be an 8, due to blacking out at my brother's wedding. Which was at a distillery. Damn you, weddings.

 

I got a total score. (3, big whoop. maybe a 4). I couldn't find what that compares to. What am i missing?

 

I scored a 7.

For perspective, at my alcoholic worst, my score would've been 29.

 

The WHO divides scores into four zones. You're in Zone I, which means you're at low risk. There's a chart on page 22 of that link that shows where other scores fall.

 

If they are drinking so much, why are they unhappy?

 

Dammit, another zero on a test!