Danae

Hi,

I don't agree that alcohol and caffeine are parallel in terms of their side effects/consequences. Think blackouts, car crashes, death during physical withdrawal....not something you get from too much coffee.

But on a more serious note, alcoholism is progressive. If you read people's personal stories on SR you will note that many people had it "under control" for years until things became intolerable one way or another.

If you try to stop drinking for a while (several months) and can't, that should answer your question about your alcoholism. Many of us thought we had things under control and could stop any time, we just didn't want to. I drank a lot less than you, but when I tried to moderate I really couldn't. Stopping was the only way.

I too recommend reading "Under the Influence". You might find some of the science persuasive.

By the way, blood tests for liver damage may not show as abnormal until some degree of liver function is already compromised (I've read that as much as 1/3 of capacity can be gone by the time the liver enzymes are elevated).

Welcome to SR. Hope you keep reading and posting.