OWW... the term "Real Alcoholic" comes from AA - specifically the Big Book on page 21. On p.20 - 24 the book tries to clarify the differences between the different types of people who have trouble with booze. It refers to the "hard drinker" as someone who would appear to most ppl to be an alcoholic....they're having big problems with drinking, so on and so forth but, in the end, the "hard drinker" hasn't lost the power of choice - they're able to summon their will power, make a decision to stop and (through any various methods) stop drinking.
In contrast, the "real alcoholic" summons up their will power, sets their mind to quitting, maybe even makes all sorts of changes in their life.......but never manages to follow through with quitting their drinking. The "real alcoholic" has lost the power to choose to "just not drink." The real alkie and the hard drinker may drink exactly the same amounts, with the same frequency, and get into the same trouble......but the big difference is one has the ability to quit on a non-spiritual basis whereas the other does not have that power.
As an AA'r, I try not to use the term "real alcoholic" here on this site because most of the ppl not in the program take it offensively - as if I (we in AA) are calling them somehow "less-than-alcoholics" or something of that nature. They make the assumption that we in AA are making light of their drinking and/or their troubles.
"Real Alcoholics" (as the term is used in the AA book) are folks who cannot quit drinking on a non-spiritual basis. "Real alcoholics" (as it's used in the AA book) are people who can't control the amount they drink once they start and they can't keep from starting up again after they've stopped. It has NOTHING to do with frequency, amounts, levels of physical addiction, amount of trouble the drinking has put you in, or any other stuff like that.
Can't control how much you drink once you start - strike 1
Can't stay stopped - strike 2
- congrats, you're a "real alcoholic" as defined by the AA Big Book. -- and really, that's a booby-prize because if you meet those qualifications, you're basically destined to die an alcoholic death OR find a spiritual solution to your problem.
hope that helps......
and I'm a bit tired.....so if I left something out, someone please correct me.
