dustie

I am just curious as to what determines if a person is an alcoholic? I have a strong feeling that it isn't just the drunk on the street. That is has many faces but what determines when a social drinker crosses the line into alcoholicism? Forgive my ignorance. My ex-husband is a 25yr crack addict that lives on the street. I am asking the alcohol question for someone else. Normal life. Works comes home. Maintains a family. Such a difference from my ex. Any info would be appreciated.

Dustie

sugErspun

For me, alcoholism was not found on outside circumstance. I am educated, fairly successful, never been homeless, jailed, nor had DUI or any other real legal trouble because of drinking. Didn't lose my friends and family.

1- When I drink a little - I cannot be sure when I am going to stop. There are times in my life where I could not control the amount I drank once I began.

2- When I try to stop - I cannot stay stopped. No matter what the consequence may be - I just cannot think straight (at times) when it comes to picking up the first drink - when I pick up the first, I will pick up the second...the cycle starts all over again. I was unable to quit on my own. (I tired many many many times.)

It's really that simple.

tiburon88

Alcoholism is a very complex chronic disease. If you answer the question, "do you drink despite consequences"
yes, then you are probably a alcoholic.

ManchurianC

There seems to be a genetic disposition towards alcoholism. Watch the 3 minute Drunk Monkeys video from the link to get a really helpful insight into alcoholism.

Drunk Monkeys

I think almost all alcoholics know they are an alcoholic from the first drink. And then it is just a matter of time, as one drinking taboo after another is broken (drinking in the morning, not eating to get drunk faster etc.) to have the disease in all it's glory.

Tazman53

Wow, well let me see I am an alcoholic, my first thought as I was having my first ever drink at the age of 12 before I was even finished with the first was the second drink.

Drinking no matter the consequences.

Drinking because alcohol was the answer to every problem I had.

Drinking because I had something to celebrate.

Drinking to drink.

Drinking alone.

Drinking because I had to.

Drinking when I no longer wanted to drink.

Drinking though in reality is simply a symptom of the disease of alcoholism, this is one thing that non-alcohlics do not get and many alcoholics who continue to drink or can not stay stopped do not get.

In reality the main person to determine if they are an alcoholic is the alcoholic them selfs.

justanothrdrunk

There is a specific set of criteria that health care professionals use. I forget what they are exactly. Increased tolerance, drinking more than x drinks per day, etc. I'm sure if you search you can find them.

I was one of those alcoholics who never was arrested, held a job, no tangible consequences. Those things are meaningless when it comes to the disease. The only difference between me and the crack addict on the street was geography.

sugErspun

Yeah...I am sure somone will post the 'John Hopkins' test sooner or later.

In my experience that test was useless...you have to be honest about it, most alcoholics have trouble being honest until it's too late...

Omega Man

Don't know if this will help but here's the WHO test. It's surprising how high your score is if your honest.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a simple ten-question test developed by the World Health Organization to determine if a person's alcohol consumption may be harmful. The test was designed to be used internationally, and was validated in a study using patients from six countries. Questions 1-3 deal with alcohol consumption, 4-6 relate to alcohol dependence and 7-10 consider alcohol related problems. A score of 8 or more in men (7 in women) indicates a strong likelihood of hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. A score of 13 or more is suggestive of alcohol related harm.

Alcohol Self-Test

nandm

Sounds like what my life appeared to be from the outside at the end of my drinking. It was the unmanageability and insanity on the inside that did me in.

Jfanagle

The criterion for me as I look back on my alcoholic qualifications really is rather simple viewed from a sober perspective. Please bear in mind these are mine, not the rest of the worlds.

When alcohol interfered with other areas of my life. This included worrying about when I could drink and when I had to "not drink" to function in my "normal" life.

As others have said, when I wanted to stop drinking and could only accomplish this goal except for limited amounts of time. Time between drinking became less and less as the downward spiral continued.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: When my life seemed hopeless and drinking was something I HAD to do!

Like others on this post I never lost things, never had a DUI, or lost anything of material value EXCEPT MY SELF RESPECT.

Jon

M Jordan

I looked for information in the first few weeks of my soberity to figure out I was an alcoholic or not. I took tests, talked to others in recovery, watched my friends and then someone told me to make a list of the reasons I drink? I came up with:

when I was a bored
depressed
confused
stressed
angry
to socialize
to celebrate
addiction
almost anything I could imagine and all I had only need to give up was?
my healh
sanity
honesty
and leave me with deception and cravings.

I know I am an alcoholic and like it already has been said, I knew long before I started to be sober. Each day I am reminded of my alcoholism through my actions and reactions. I have had a difficult time learning how to live with my character flaws and how I had hid from my alcoholism. One needs to see if it has taken over thier life or not? How does it affect others around them? Alcoholism needs to be seen by the user.

dustie

Thank you everyone.....for you opening up and helping me to understand it better. I have often heard....addiction is addiction....but it has many different levels. just 30-40 years ago drinking was accepted by everyone. I remember watching Bewitched. When did Darren and Samantha ever have an evening without a drink? Of course if Endora was my mother in law.........well you know.

Thanks again. And I was educated with the drunk monkey video.

Dustie

darthsilence

personally, i came to the conclusion that iwas an alcoholic the day i realized that i wasnt in control but was being controled. i had all sorts of reasons why i continued to drink...depression, post traumatic stress, bored, lonely, but in the end all it boiled down to is i drink because im sick and cant stop.

AndrewBeen

For years I attempted to define the word alcoholic as I became one.

CarolD

Here is a link to the information
that explained my alcoholism to me

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html

To understand the scope of alcoholism
I only need to read here and attend my AA meetings

Forward we go...side by side

nandm

Here is the best definatition I have been able to find yet.
Alcohol Dependence Syndrome
The term "alcoholism" refers to a disease known as alcohol dependence syndrome, the most severe stage of a group of drinking problems which begins with binge drinking and alcohol abuse.

Types of Alcohol Problems
Alcohol problems occur at different levels of severity, from mild and annoying to life-threatening. Although alcohol dependence (alcoholism) is the most severe stage, less severe drinking problems can also be dangerous.

Binge Drinking
Officially, binge drinking means having five or more drinks in one session for men and four or more for women. Another definition for binge drinking is simply drinking to get drunk. It is the most common drinking problem for young people, under age 21.
• Binge Drinkers Have Highest Risk of Injury
• Heavy Drinking Dangers
• Brief Intervention Effective for Binge Drinkers

Alcohol Abuse
Binge drinking turns into alcohol abuse when someone's drinking begins to cause problems and the drinking continues anyway.
Alcohol abuse is when someone continues to drink in spite of continued social, interpersonal or legal difficulties. Alcohol abuse can result in missing time at school or work, neglecting child or household responsibilities or trouble with the law.

Alcohol Dependence
Alcohol abuse becomes alcohol dependence when drinkers begin to experience a craving for alcohol, a loss of control of their drinking, withdrawal symptoms

Signal30

There can be many, many, MANY descriptions of alcoholism. I was tired of feeling the way I was feeling, and tired of drinking the way I was drinking. When I went to my first AA meeting, I looked up at a poster with the 12 steps. I read the 1st step, and agreed with the sentence. Yes I'm powerless over alcohol, and yes it is making my life unmanagable.

From there the seed was planted.



Tom

SF69

I hear ya! It's amazing how keeping a narrow definition of what an alcoholic is can really reinforce one's denial.

Tazman53

Nandm in reading those defintions I was a "Binge drinking", "Alcohol Abusing", "Alcohol Dependent" alcoholic!!!! LOL

Thier definition of what they call binge drinking in the end I far exceeded in on a daily basis just to remain normal the last 5 years, it also means I was a binge drinker for 40 years!!!! I was an abuser in Jr. High when minor problems arose like being the first person ever in my school to get suspended for 5 days for being drunk on a field trip!!!

Yes miracles do happen, thank God I kept coming back!

Rimmy

I don't know all about the quantities that define an alcolholic. I know I used to drink a lot and I joked about knowing I was an alocholic but it wasn't until I tried to stop that I understood what it really meant. It's no laughing matter to get so inside your own head in order to do a simple task... or rather not do a simple task (don't open the cap... don't lift bottle to mouth... don't swallow) and to have it happen. When you feel like a failure not because of what others think... Have a nice car, have a nice business, have a great kid and wife... but on the inside, you can NOT control something that you consume??? When you hurt yourself over and over??? When you just don't understand your own actions???

Then it hits you...