Heavy drinkers, but not alcoholics?
I recently got sober. I have some friends who are social, or rare drinkers, friends who are full-blown alcoholics, and friends in the middle. It's these "middle" ones that confuse me.
My friend drinks alcohol after work most days. Once she has a drink, she can't stop, but will usually end up going to bed after 6-7 drinks, more or less. She has tried to control her drinking and hasn't been successful .However, her life is not unmanageable.
She has a good job. She has a fiance who loves her and drinks the same way. She is financially stable and does not seem to have a lot of problems in her life.
So, is this friend an alcoholic, or a heavy drinker? She has called herself an alcoholic, often jokingly. Should this friend be encouraged to seek out a life of sobriety? or does it not matter? Are these people just lucky- they can successfully teeter on that edge for their whole lives?