Originally Posted by
AutumnBeauty 
It is, however, tempting for me to "indulge with denial or hope" that he is not an alcoholic. I don't understand enough about what physiologically occurs in an alcoholic's body or mind. I really have a hard time understand how he can suddenly have a period of sobriety (for weeks or months) and be free of withdrawl symptoms - it makes me wonder if he's truly addicted? He claims he has only had a few beers all week. So then I wonder...does his ability to stop after 1 or 2 beers in a day (assuming he's telling the truth) mean that he's not really an alcoholic? Or does he have to drink those few beers to keep withdrawl symptoms at bay? How long does it take to build up a tolerance? Conversely, how long does it take for the tolerance to decrease during a period of alleged sobriety?
I was a binge drinker and never had withdrawals. Does that mean I'm not alcoholic? Not hardly. I am very much an alcoholic, albeit one in long-term recovery (20+ years).
All these obsessive thoughts in your mind detract from the task at hand, your own journey of recovery from the effects of his alcoholism.
