shaun00

how about tell it how it is.

mine you i have called it a wife problem or a homeless problem before.

call me goria gayner if you like........i still cant drink with any form of control whatsoever.

barb dwyer

and *I* used to call them 'orange juice hangovers'.

Had I just not had all that orange juice in my vodka
I wouldn't have been so sick.



Orange juice wrecked my life, man.

*pause*
Wow.
I'm so grateful those days are in the past, man.

hendershot

My opinion: is necessary and important to identify yourself as an alcoholic, if you are one. It is about honest self-appraisal--accpeting yourself for who you are. It cuts through the clouds of denial and euphomisms designed to mitigate our shame about who we really are. It is more comfortable, relieving, to think of ourselves as a non-alcoholic/addict, but for those of us who really are, it is illusury, not in accordance with the facts. In recovery it is essential to come to terms with ourselves, good and bad, and then move on from there. We can't grow if we don't.

"Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are."
-Kierkegaard

Firehazard

A resentment of a word maybe? Hey, where's the fun if I can't take someone elses inventory.

Homer38

thanks old pals and new
I do know Im alcoholic,not in denial but not sober either.I have had many ups and downs since i last logged on here,obviously nothing has changed or i wouldnt have posted drunk yesterday.
Im still tired of being a slave to alcohol but guess Im still not courageous enough to battle this thing.
Missed ya guys and glad to see smiling sober "alcoholics" again.

Tommyh

good to see you too homer....hang tough dude

Astro

Good to see you back Patrick, as always I hope you decide to stick around. Any day sober can be a good day.

freya

...an interesting concept....However, it does seem like it would be more useful to leave the behaviors and condition that the word "names" behind.

"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet." (Shakespeare)...and alcohol by any other name would be just as cunning, baffling, and powerful (Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 58-9)........Would it really make you feel any better to say you suffered from, hmmmmm.......let's say, "Pea Soupism"????????????

freya

BBQuote:1st Edition

Homer38

Ill agree every sober day is better than a drinking day.

kurtrambis

I can understand why anybody would not want to be labelled as an alcoholic with all its connotations, its exactly why AA has the anonymous in its title.
Is somebody who has quit smoking or drugs still a smoker or an addict?
I don't think it's prerequisite to label yourself as an alcoholic in order to overcome your problem.
I know at the outpatient treatment centre I attended in the UK they weren't keen on patients labelling themselves as alcoholics.
I think that people like to call themselves alcoholics as it reminds them that they cannot drink successfully no matter what. Kind of helps cement the idea in their head.

Homer38

alcoholic= a lifelong label of a drunk,whether or not its been 1 day or 50 years sober!
in my world anyhow,a alcoholic has many strait-faced bullshikkers poking fun behind their backs,that makes me angry! when half are alcoholics themselves!

sfields

I am just an alcoholic that doesnt drink anymore. 7,144 one days at a time

laurie6781

Sorry Patrick, going to disagree with you here.

I drank with the best and with the worst. What you stated is your 'ALCOHOLIC PERCEPTION'. Totally different really when one is sober. First, I learned and came to accept that what other people think of me is NONE OF MY BUSINESS as long as I continued to do the next RIGHT thing. Then, fairly early in sobriety when the information was exposed, that yes, I am an alcoholic, and yes, I am sober, I can honestly say I got the following comments, not only to my face but 'second hand.'

"good for you."

"how did you do it?"

"what was it like?"

"how did you quit?"

"say I have a son/daughter/husband/wife/mother/father/brother/sister/friend I wish you could talk to."

and on and on and on

Still get the same thing these long years later! No sympathy from anyone, no snide comments. Now, on the other hand, at least here in the Southwest, tell someone you are a Diabetic (I am) and you get the 'sympathy' whether real of fake (Diabetes is running rampant down here) as people 'know' the outcome of Diabetes.

What you said is really KING ALCOHOL telling you that to KEEP YOU DRINKING. That is the "denial" of your affliction.

So, Patrick .................................................. . have you had enough yet? We'll still be here when you are ready!!!!!!!

Love and hugs,

jamdls

I don't like labels either and to the general public the term alcoholic implies the most severe cases. I actually no longer consider myself an alcoholic after meeting "real alcoholics" in AA and online, I am someone who can not handle liquor not even one drop ever and I used to have a drinking problem but I was never and never want to be dependent on alcohol.

El Gato

I have no idea what 'alcoholic' means. I'm sick. My life is unmanagable. But I'm sober as a judge for months.

Cathy31

Hey Patrick
Good to see you I thought you might be dead by now. Are you doing anything differently dude...my sponsor once said...if you're an alcoholic if you LUCKY you'll die, usually we just have long, miserable lives first.
Cathy31
x

coffeenut

I call myself Sober, now. And if feels Terrific!