I've pondered this for quite some time. Lot's of people abuse alcohol for varying reasons and lengths of time, but are they alcoholics? If you go buy the WHO (World Health Orginazition) "test" you take online, I'd guess 75% of the population under the age of 30 would come back alcoholic, and a good many above that age. Darn near everyone in college would be alcoholic!!
I started drinking in college and have continued over the past 20+ years. Varying ammounts over time, sometimes heavily for a period of time, sometimes occasionally, over a period of time. What is clear to me is that the repeated heavy drinking IS A PROBLEM. However, I can also go out and have a couple of beers, maybe a shot or two over the course of an evening, and be just fine. It doesn't send me on a weeks long bender or anything. Never missed a day of work because of it, never any trouble with the law (though that probably involved a good deal of luck as well!!)
I had been going through a "heavy drinking" period for the last few years. It was becoming a problem. Though marajuana has always been my DOC and the sourse of most of my substance issues, the alcohol was really starting to rear it's head as well, especially after I finally quit smoking the pot. My doctor put me on Naltrexon and it really put almost an immediate stop to my desire to drink wrecklessly. I do still drink "normally" 2-3 drinks over the course of the evening (I'm 6'3/250, so I'm a good sized guy!!) on occassion, but even on nights I buy a bottle with the intention of drinking the whole thing, I usually lose interest after a couple of drinks. BTW, I am not suggesting anyone else go this route, it is just how things have been for me, and they are working out better than they have in a long time. I don't even know if anyone else would even have the same experience as I, so please just take it as MY personal experience.
Perhaps it's just semantics, but I ponder, am I an alcoholic who is successfuly dealing with alcholism with the help of medication? Am I someone who just abuses alcohol when he has no pot to dull the pain in my life? Some groups use the term "real alcoholics". I never really liked that term. It always seemed exclusionary. Like if you weren't a non-stop drinker who went into the DT's if you didn't have a drink, you weren't a "real alcoholic", so perhaps you didn't "belong". It just seems that the term "alcoholic" is thrown around very liberally amongst some people and rather exclusionary amongst others, like a battle trophy.
I guess at the end of the day, perhaps it comes down to me disliking "labels". I feel that everyone is an individual and though we may share similar characteristics, everyone is different. Too often it seem that people with "addiction issues" are lumped together and treated in cookie cutter style. I guess that's why we have our little secular corner here!!
Anyway, just musing a bit, and in case you were wondering...no I haven't been drinking!! I have far too many drunken posts here in the archives already!!! So if anyone would like to comment feel free. Alera, if you find this inappropreate for any reason, feel free to delete it. (Not like you really need my permission!!
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Hope everyone is well and dealing with their various "issues" as best they can. Take care.