Reddit Thread on an American who married a Russian

[Slumba]

It is an older thread, but has some interesting comments on it:

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/kjbay/i_found_a_russian_woman_on_the_internet_and/

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 We've been married for ten years and have three kids.

Before we start, please understand that there is no such thing as a "mail-order bride". She placed a personals ad with an internet company, I read it and liked it, and I bought her address from the company and started a correspondence. After we exchanged a few letters I visited her. We got married about a year after I first wrote her.
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an interesting comment :

"As a Russian male, I could see very easily as to why a Russian woman would want to leave Russia and marry abroad. Besides, I don't see anything wrong with meeting someone on the internet. The world's a small place just need to broaden your horizon.

The problem in Russia is....

Russia has a very big difference in social class, the rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer.

Second as far as corruption is concerned, it doesn't matter how hard you try, you'll never reach the top. If you do, someone with some bux will knock you off the top.

Third, 1 in 5 Russian males are alcoholics. And I mean straight up, drink anything with alcohol... alcoholics. Noting also that 1 in 6 Russian WOMEN are alcoholics.

Those are just SOME of the problems....
"

[STaty]

Do you afraid to meet a woman alcoholic from Russia?

[Slumba]

No, I just thought it was an interesting comment, since it came from a Russian man.

[BillyB]

Do you afraid to meet a woman alcoholic from Russia?

Anybody who is a slave to drugs/alcohol is bad news.

[STaty]

No, I just thought it was an interesting comment, since it came from a Russian man.

Alcoholism is a big disaster for our country. However one chooses to drink or not to drink....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_consumption_in_Russia

[STaty]

Anybody who is a slave to drugs/alcohol is bad news.

I agree! Both adults and children suffer from alcoholism. It is very bad.

[Faux Pas]

Alcoholism is a big disaster for our country. However one chooses to drink or not to drink....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_consumption_in_Russia

Alcoholism and drug abuse is pervasive throughout the world specifically industrialized nations. In Russia and Ukraine it's more in the open. In the West it's more behind closed doors. I'm not convinced it's any worse than most nations in the West

[Boethius]

I think it is worse in Russia, and it hits earlier.  Plus, there are not large numbers of treatment facilities, as there are in the West.  I suspect drug use is more pervasive in the West, and (sanctioned) prescription drug use even more so.

[Boethius]

1 in 5 Russian males are alcoholics. And I mean straight up, drink anything with alcohol... alcoholics

This is the key.  What he meant was, they will drink eau de cologne if nothing else is available.  That level of alcoholism exists in the West, too, but not in the numbers it does in Russia.
 
 

[Slumba]

This is the key.  What he meant was, they will drink eau de cologne if nothing else is available.  That level of alcoholism exists in the West, too, but not in the numbers it does in Russia.

When I communicate with an FSUW and they ask me if I drink, I am very careful to list exactly what I drink, and how much.  The 3-day bender, etc. "v zapoie" and so forth is pretty much unknown in the USA these days - and I want the girl to understand that when I say I drink a little bit, I mean, 2 servings of alcohol in 1 night.

[Faux Pas]

I think it is worse in Russia, and it hits earlier.  Plus, there are not large numbers of treatment facilities, as there are in the West.  I suspect drug use is more pervasive in the West, and (sanctioned) prescription drug use even more so.

True but, the optics are so different in Russia vs U.S.. The thing is, I know many folks in the U.S. that are alcoholics and the number really isn't all that different from the 1 in 5 they say is in Russia. Add in the drug addiction or marijuana use and the number is likely higher. Granted there is likely a difference in functioning alcoholics as opposed to non functioning.

A short example; a group of 10 I use to play golf with every weekend, at least 6 got drunk almost everyday. They still held down jobs and membership in the club but, there was little doubt in my mind, those guys were alcoholics. They functioned and had "normal" lives but there were certainly alcoholism in the equation. At the time I was getting pretty drunk myself 2-3 times in the week and questioned my own health. It's a small sample size but, in the circles I've been in it wouldn't be difficult to name 6 of 10 that might have a drinking problem.

[Boethius]

I have worked in environments where alcohol is often free, and I know that at least 2 of the lawyers I worked with in one firm were alcoholics, both always performing at the top of their professions.
 
I "hear" what you are saying, and I agree to some extent that an alcoholic is an alcoholic is an alcoholic.  But, I think it is more than a matter of optics.  By every measure, Eastern Europeans drink a heck of a lot more than do North Americans.  Culturally, it does not have the negative connotation it does in the West.  Half the former FSU republics are hard drinking societies.  That is why life expectancy is so low among men.

[jone]

Every home I went into in Russia when I was there recently, as soon as we sat down for a meal, the Vodka came out.  My brother died of alcoholism.  He functioned fine in the daytime hours, but when work hours were over, he was constantly drunk.

Every offer for Vodka was declined by me. 

For those who don't know, alcoholism is a disease.  It can be controlled but never cured.  Those who cannot control it, die from it.

[Faux Pas]

Every home I went into in Russia when I was there recently, as soon as we sat down for a meal, the Vodka came out.  My brother died of alcoholism.  He functioned fine in the daytime hours, but when work hours were over, he was constantly drunk.

Every offer for Vodka was declined by me. 

For those who don't know, alcoholism is a disease.  It can be controlled but never cured.  Those who cannot control it, die from it.

I would drink with them all as long as they wished to or continued to pour. In the beginning  of my trips to Russia I would slam it down it as soon as the buddem was uddered. I later found out I wasn't impressing anyone and only made my Russian hosts drunk usually, more so than I. Then I just started sipping, that tends to mellow the others out to just drinking at a steadier pace rather than slamming back shots.

I've always had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol and that fact amazes my Russian friends. I'm a pretty big guy and have lots of experience. I'm an American, I supposed to be a lightweight. None have yet drank me under the table. These Russians I am referring to do not strike me as alcoholics but, they could be. Comparatively speaking, I personally do not see a big difference in the two countries other than it is much more visible in public.