why do people in aa have to say they're alcoholics?
ok, so i know that denial is a core issue for problem drinkers. but i don't understand why you have to say "i'm xxx and i'm an alcoholic" at aa meetings. if the only requirement for being in aa is a desire to stop drinking, then logically, people who feel they're beginning to lose control can attend; yet they may not be alcoholic. the stories i hear in aa meetings are not my story. i would feel dishonest saying i am an alcoholic when from every questionnaire i've read, i'm not there. i drink alone, i obsess about it a little when i make myself stop, i medicate myself with it, blah blah. but an alcoholic? did the founders of aa insist that people identify as alcoholics? what about people who are problem drinkers but not addicts? The other issue is that i'm in the process of working with a specialist to help me with bipolar. so this complicates my knowing if i have a growing alcohol problem or am experiencing the effects of my severe daily struggle to live something like a normal life. maybe i just need to work with a counselor. any thoughts from anyone?
zorah