Am I an Alcoholic?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Deinze, Belgium
Posts: 246
Originally Posted by collinsmi 
Man, I never drank like a normal person, I wanted to drink, keep drinking and not suffer ill effects or criticism. For me, there was no regaining control. Control meant there was more beer in the refrigerator.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Livonia, MI
Posts: 675
Originally Posted by collinsmi
Doesn't sound like it. Have you tried cutting back for a significant period of time? I'm no doctor, but that does sound like a tad much. Nothing like I used to drink but you might seek medical advice. My guess (an uneducated one) is that they'll tell you to get it down to a glass or 2 a day.
Man, I never drank like a normal person, I wanted to drink, keep drinking and not suffer ill effects or criticism. For me, there was no regaining control. Control meant there was more beer in the refrigerator.
Man, I never drank like a normal person, I wanted to drink, keep drinking and not suffer ill effects or criticism. For me, there was no regaining control. Control meant there was more beer in the refrigerator.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Ok Let's all chill please.
The OP has not been here since he posted.
And we all shared with our experiences.
Time to move on ... Thanks!
The OP has not been here since he posted.
And we all shared with our experiences.
Time to move on ... Thanks!
Last edited by CarolD; 03-10-2007 at 06:57 AM.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by earlybird
I cant believe you could say this person doesnt SOUND like an alcoholic. First off,...lets just be honest here for a second. Lets look at this with reason. How many alcoholics are 100% truthful about their actual intake and what negative effects it has on their lives? I used to SWEAR TO GOD that I never drank and drove. All the while,...I was doing it every single day. I would get genuinely angry if someone suggested that I did. My point is,......you cannot drink a bottle and a half (or more, Im guessing) of wine DAILY for 4 years and have it NOT effect your life. People know you are drinking that wine. Kids, or a wife perhaps. Its on your breath. It shows in your skin color. Your eyes. The human body isnt designed to take that much alcohol on a regular basis. It just isnt. Saying you have no ill effects or no hangovers or no nothing,.....is not possible. Its just not physically possible. If I had to label him. I would have to lean towards the fact that this person is, indeed, an alcoholic. Many alcoholics only drink on the weekends in the early stages of the disease. The reason they can go all week booze-free is because their mind is trained to know the they WILL be drinking on the weekend. Something to look forward to. My test would be to NOT drink on the weekend and see if its a problem. And just so you know,....simply "getting through" the weekend with out drinking doesnt mean no problem. You should be able to go all weekend without really even thinking about it.
But you are right that the amount of alcohol that I have been consuming is far beyond healthy levels which is why I'm here. I want to know if I have developed a problem called alcoholism (in which case I need to stop drinking altogether) or if I've become a really irresponsible drinker (in which case I need to learn to drink more responsibly).
Anyway, this is the end of the seven days since I posted my initial post and here's the results:
Wednesday: No Alcohol
Thursday: 1 Bottle Wine --> Had a party at our place
Friday: 1 Bottle Wine --> Stayed in, watched movies etc
Saturday: 1.5 Bottle Wine --> Had guests over
Sunday: No Alcohol
Monday: No Alcohol
Tuesday: No Alcohol
Comments: On days I decided not to drink, I didn't drink. On Thursday and Saturday I decided before I stated drinking that there were no restrictions. Only hiccup was Friday where I said I would drink 3 glasses (half bottle) and I drank the whole thing! --> oops, that's a bad sign.
Thoughts: Hardest part for days I didn't drink was boredom (filling up my drinking time) and falling asleep since I've always been a poor sleeper. The biggest craving I got was actually while I was tossing and turning in bed cause I was wanting that nice feelings of falling right asleep.
Right now I'm about to go to sleep and haven't had any booze in three days. I feel fine, no strong cravings and definitely no physical symptoms. I'll take another couple of days off and then drink again on friday and saturday.
I'll post again soon.
by the way, I appreciate everybody's feedback, experience and thoughts regardless of what they may be. i don't take any of it personally and it can only help me to have as much information as i can possibly get!
Knucklehead
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Davenport, WA
Posts: 4,005
Originally Posted by TomThumb
I'm 30. I'm engaged. Running a great business which is getting better everyday. Earning quite well. Am very responsible and calculated in everything I do, highly educated and have great family structure around me.
-I don't drink and drive, ever.
-I never lose control when I drink or black out.
-My work never suffers because of drinking. I wake up at 8AM every day and am in the office by 9.
-I never drink more than 1.5 bottles of wine and don't touch hard stuff. It seems that if I get to that point of alcohol consumption i feel like its enough and time to go to sleep.
-I never drink during the day (even on weekends) and don't have any cravings to do so.
but, I enjoy drinking between 1-1.5 bottles of white wine every night with no increase in consumption on weekends. Sometimes I'll go out with friends and not drink the entire evening because I'm driving and then have my bottle when I get home. I never go over that amount and have been doing this for about 4.5 years now without any negative impact on my professional or social life. I've taken breaks (1 week or so) without any physical or psychological. The truth is that enjoy my bottle or so of wine and do crave it when I get home from work. It relaxes me and helps me get a good night's sleep (i've always had trouble falling asleep...since early youth).
The truth is that my drinking doesn't really bother me from the point of view of progressing beyond my current behavior. After almost 5 years of this routine without any increase in consumption or negative effects (i've even been able to get a very successful consulting company off the ground during the last 3 years) what I really worry about long term health problems.
Am I an alcoholic? What are my long terms health prospects if I keep this up?
Your thoughts?
-I don't drink and drive, ever.
-I never lose control when I drink or black out.
-My work never suffers because of drinking. I wake up at 8AM every day and am in the office by 9.
-I never drink more than 1.5 bottles of wine and don't touch hard stuff. It seems that if I get to that point of alcohol consumption i feel like its enough and time to go to sleep.
-I never drink during the day (even on weekends) and don't have any cravings to do so.
but, I enjoy drinking between 1-1.5 bottles of white wine every night with no increase in consumption on weekends. Sometimes I'll go out with friends and not drink the entire evening because I'm driving and then have my bottle when I get home. I never go over that amount and have been doing this for about 4.5 years now without any negative impact on my professional or social life. I've taken breaks (1 week or so) without any physical or psychological. The truth is that enjoy my bottle or so of wine and do crave it when I get home from work. It relaxes me and helps me get a good night's sleep (i've always had trouble falling asleep...since early youth).
The truth is that my drinking doesn't really bother me from the point of view of progressing beyond my current behavior. After almost 5 years of this routine without any increase in consumption or negative effects (i've even been able to get a very successful consulting company off the ground during the last 3 years) what I really worry about long term health problems.
Am I an alcoholic? What are my long terms health prospects if I keep this up?
Your thoughts?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: It depends on the time of day
Posts: 85
I am sorry for you, I know its hard. I am only 25 and honestly I don't want to admitt it either. I may not be able to spell, but I am also intellegent, I think we all are (just not in the right way, I am sure everyone has been smart enough to support their habbit.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 257
I asked that very same question when I came to SR and the response I got was this
if you have to ask you are proabaly not an alcoholic
having said thatI's seek halp anyway because it sounds like you are drinking a very dangerous amount on a dayily basis
if you have to ask you are proabaly not an alcoholic
having said thatI's seek halp anyway because it sounds like you are drinking a very dangerous amount on a dayily basis
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cleveland Ohio
Posts: 290
interesting king... I have heard... if you ask the question.. you probably are... ???
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Tom... the thing that concerns me is that I know I was just like you... there was a time when I could take it or leave it... but when I did take it.. I never could predict (accurately) how much I would drink... I would say emphatically... I am only going to have 2 or 3... and end up drinking a 12 pack...
The thing is you are aware of your drinking... and are honestly accessing your ability to moderate... not using the guise of moderation as an excuse to continue drinking... (which many of us have done)
GL
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Tom... the thing that concerns me is that I know I was just like you... there was a time when I could take it or leave it... but when I did take it.. I never could predict (accurately) how much I would drink... I would say emphatically... I am only going to have 2 or 3... and end up drinking a 12 pack...
The thing is you are aware of your drinking... and are honestly accessing your ability to moderate... not using the guise of moderation as an excuse to continue drinking... (which many of us have done)
GL
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Livonia, MI
Posts: 675
If your own drinking has prompted questions within yourself,....you probably are an alcoholic. Its not normal to drink that much in one sitting. Being 6ft tall has nothing to do with WANTING to drink a bottle and half of wine. I mean think about it. Do you think its normal, social drinking to drink 3 and half bottles of wine in a three day period? Trust me,....anyone who sees you consume a bottle or more of wine all to yourself probably thinks you have a problem. Most times,....friends wont saying anything until your life is in shambles. If you dont drink to numb or escape anything,.....then,.....why DO you drink? More importantly,....why do you drink a whole bottle and a half in one episode or night? All I am saying is that it just isnt normal or controlled drinking. Usually,...if you find yourself Googling "Alcoholism", ....its because you or a loved one have a problem.
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