I only ever drink in the evenings and not everyday. I don't consider myself an alcoholic and think that the label is potentially damaging and a barrier to reaching out for help.
RE
Everyone knows vodka is the alco's drink, if you avoid that you'll be fine.
- Stick to beer and wine and avoid spirits, you'll never develop a problem.
All alcohol is addictive, a unit of vodka is the same as a unit of beer. 1 Shot 37% proof is roughly the same as half a pint of beer 4% proof. People who drink beer or wine can easily drink the same amount of units as someone who drinks spirits, they may drink in greater volume. Stronger drinks dehydrate more because they don't have the water ratio to make-up for the water loss.
You're not an alcoholic unless you wake up in the morning craving a drink.
You can be addicted and have a drinking problem without being an alcoholic. In my book, an alcoholic is someone who is physically-dependent, gets withdrawal symptoms when stopping, and engages in a practice called 'relief drinking'; drinking specifically to ward off withdrawal symptoms. What I disagree with is the use of the term for less serious degree of problem-drinking. I disagree with the binary view that one is either an alcoholic or not. Lots of people feel the same way.
My uncle/father/famous celeb/actor/musician drank more than me and he lived to be 80.
That is certainly not a helpful thought to focus on if trying to overcome a craving I agree. Although there are people who can drink a lot, not be addicted and be perfectly healthy, it doesn't mean that you are like them. After-all we don't know about the overall happiness of those people. A more important question to as is how well their emotional needs are being met and why aren't they addicted?
The fact that me and my drinking bud were among the first to arrive in the pub at 5:30pm and are the only two still in the pub at 11:30 pm and I'm trying to persuade him to go on to a nighclub doesn't mean we're alcoholics, it just means the rest of them are boring squares.
I would agree that this is unhealthy. The 'they're boring square types' narrative is also a common way people will try to pressurize you to drink when you don't want to.