When I tell people that I don't drink, I get a mixed bag of replies. Here are the most common:
1- Good for you, that's rare.
2- Why?
3- Oh, you're a recovering alcoholic?
This thread got me thinking a little. I know I can never drink again, nor do I want to, but was I an alcoholic? Often times, people say "oh, you went to rehab? You go to AA? You have a sponsor? You have constant withdrawal?"
No, no...no and no. I quit drinking because I was "over it". I didn't go to rehab, never been to an AA meeting, and experienced very little mild withdrawal symptoms. I just quit, and went about my day like nothing changed. Was I not an alcoholic? If I was truly "addicted" or "dependent" on alcohol, why was quitting that easy for me?
Then the flip side of it...those who know my story know this....20 days after I decided to randomly quit, I was admitted to the hospital and learned I was dying from the years of alcohol abuse. Does that mean I WAS an alcoholic?
I know putting a word to it doesn't matter....but it just has me thinking.