Once an Alchoholic, Always an Alchoholic?
Behind the Red Door
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 181
Once an Alchoholic, Always an Alchoholic?
Is this true, or are there those who have thought they were alchoholics, who may have discovered at some point that they are able to drink responsibly? I know when I was much younger, I drank often, and a lot. Looking back, someone may have viewed me as an alcholic. I know their are people who drink heavily in college, or when they reach legal drinking age, but it tapers off after a few good hangovers.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
High on Life
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Been to Hell and Back
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My sister drank heavily, I mean bottles hidden under the bed heavily, then she quit for a number of years and now she is able to enjoy a cocktail every now and then. I also know someone else who binge drank hardcore for years and they drink socialbly every now and then. So I guess it's all up to the person if they are able to.
From what I hear it's not possble, but I know a few people that "appear" to be accomplishing it.
From what I hear it's not possble, but I know a few people that "appear" to be accomplishing it.
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
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Not every heavy drinker is an alcoholic...in fact, most are not. True Alcoholism means that the person cannot control their drinking once they start. Just because a person drinks heavily for a few years does not mean that they have crossed that invisible line into alcoholism. In fact, they may never cross that line. By the same token, even a person who doesn't drink for years can still lose control of themselves once they take a drink. Alcoholism has nothing to do with the quantity a person drinks, it has to do with what happens to that particular person when they do drink.
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Join Date: Nov 2006
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I never thought I was an alcoholic...that is until all the crap that started happening in my life because I drank.....made me take a really good look at myself...I know now that no amount of alcohol is same for me....ever.....so yep once an alcoholic...always one..at least for me... xo
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
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I've kind of given up on the term "Alcoholic" it's so laden with whatever anyone brings to the table and no one really seems able to agree on how to define it.
For myself, I was a very problematic drinker on my way to an early grave. I quit. I think that there could come a time when I think I could drink again, rarely, without getting back on that path. For me though, the question is "Why the h*ll would I"...I am not missing anything in life by not drinking, so why would I want to start again? Since quitting, the smell of alcohol has become repugnant to me...the thought of drinking makes me gag. Alcohol in it's purest form is poison, plain and simple, so I place drinking it (even in moderation) right around taking up arsenic as a drink.
For myself, I was a very problematic drinker on my way to an early grave. I quit. I think that there could come a time when I think I could drink again, rarely, without getting back on that path. For me though, the question is "Why the h*ll would I"...I am not missing anything in life by not drinking, so why would I want to start again? Since quitting, the smell of alcohol has become repugnant to me...the thought of drinking makes me gag. Alcohol in it's purest form is poison, plain and simple, so I place drinking it (even in moderation) right around taking up arsenic as a drink.
rode hard and put away wet
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 999
For me, Alcoholism means there's something wrong with my thinking that causes me to drink. I work hard to keep that thinking from causing me to relapse but I have to work hard EVERY DAY (sometimes even minute-to-minute) to maintain my spiritual condition. If I don't, I drink. If I do, each day I've got a reprieve from this disease but it's a daily process to treat the condition for me. So, yeah - once an Alcoholic, always an alcoholic.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between Serenity and Despair
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I agree with what everybody else is saying. I'll add this:
In Stephen King's On Writing, he discusses his addiction at length. King says something along the lines that he never understands people who just have one cocktail, one beer, or one glass of wine. He says he wants all the booze, every last drop of it. If he can't have all of it, there's no reason to have even one.
This is how my drinking feels to me. I don't want just one or two. I want all of it. Because of this, I define myself as an alcoholic. I've got 2 years and 8 months sobriety now. I don't see myself ever feeling differently.
If my mind were to pop up and say, "You could just have one," I'd know it was lying.
In Stephen King's On Writing, he discusses his addiction at length. King says something along the lines that he never understands people who just have one cocktail, one beer, or one glass of wine. He says he wants all the booze, every last drop of it. If he can't have all of it, there's no reason to have even one.
This is how my drinking feels to me. I don't want just one or two. I want all of it. Because of this, I define myself as an alcoholic. I've got 2 years and 8 months sobriety now. I don't see myself ever feeling differently.
If my mind were to pop up and say, "You could just have one," I'd know it was lying.
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Join Date: May 2009
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Once an alkie, always an alkie. Certainly for this alkie anyway.
For me I only ever drank until I was unconscious, right from my first proper drinking at 14.
When I took a drink then I just had to have more! I would never change in that respect. I had zero control over drinking right from age 14. As my alcoholism progressed then this began to have serious repercussions on my life. I guess I was an alcoholic right from the first drink really, in the sense that it just did something for me that I don't think it does for most people. Also I had the physical and mental craving right from the first sip. I just had to have more and more and then the next thing I would know I would be waking up wondering what the hell happened.
Then I started to drink when I woke up again and then it was get sober or drink myself to death and lose everything in the process.
Grateful to be a recovering alcoholic. Knowing I'm an alcoholic is fundamental to remaining gratefully sober 'one day at a time'. It's a daily reprieve and recovery has to be worked upon every single day. Complacency would spell disaster for this alkie.
For me I only ever drank until I was unconscious, right from my first proper drinking at 14.
When I took a drink then I just had to have more! I would never change in that respect. I had zero control over drinking right from age 14. As my alcoholism progressed then this began to have serious repercussions on my life. I guess I was an alcoholic right from the first drink really, in the sense that it just did something for me that I don't think it does for most people. Also I had the physical and mental craving right from the first sip. I just had to have more and more and then the next thing I would know I would be waking up wondering what the hell happened.
Then I started to drink when I woke up again and then it was get sober or drink myself to death and lose everything in the process.
Grateful to be a recovering alcoholic. Knowing I'm an alcoholic is fundamental to remaining gratefully sober 'one day at a time'. It's a daily reprieve and recovery has to be worked upon every single day. Complacency would spell disaster for this alkie.
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Originally Posted by tormentedmirror 
Is this true, or are there those who have thought they were alchoholics, who may have discovered at some point that they are able to drink responsibly?
To quote the Big Book:
"The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."
The book also tells a story of a man who quit drinking to start a business. He knew in order to be successful, he had to fully focus on the endeavor so he quit drinking.
He retired after running a successful business for a number of years (25?) and then began drinking again. His drinking started to quickly take over his life. Within 4 years and after several hospital stays related to alcohol, he passed away.
Behind the Red Door
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by AlcoholicOrNot
If an individual has been "deemed" an alcoholic, than yes, always an alcoholic.
To quote the Big Book:
"The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."
The book also tells a story of a man who quit drinking to start a business. He knew in order to be successful, he had to fully focus on the endeavor so he quit drinking.
He retired after running a successful business for a number of years (25?) and then began drinking again. His drinking started to quickly take over his life. Within 4 years and after several hospital stays related to alcohol, he passed away.
To quote the Big Book:
"The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."
The book also tells a story of a man who quit drinking to start a business. He knew in order to be successful, he had to fully focus on the endeavor so he quit drinking.
He retired after running a successful business for a number of years (25?) and then began drinking again. His drinking started to quickly take over his life. Within 4 years and after several hospital stays related to alcohol, he passed away.
It was actually a thread you had started that prompted me to start this thread. Thanks for chiming in.
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Originally Posted by lildawg
I don't want just one or two. I want all of it. Because of this, I define myself as an alcoholic. I've got 2 years and 8 months sobriety now. I don't see myself ever feeling differently.
If my mind were to pop up and say, "You could just have one," I'd know it was lying.
If my mind were to pop up and say, "You could just have one," I'd know it was lying.
Say whatever you want about alcoholics, but I wasn't one until I learned how not to drink...
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
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I normally drank one way, hard. That is what I liked. Why would I have 1 or 2 drinks? All that would do is make me tired plus most booze in reality tastes like garbage. It's an acquired taste for those who like to either get drunk or be pompous. I always drank for effect, and if one won't give me the desired effect and tastes like garbage and the 3rd one leads me to where I no longer want to ever be, why have one to begin with?
I will now just consider myself a non-drinker who in the past had alcoholic tendencies.
I will now just consider myself a non-drinker who in the past had alcoholic tendencies.
:Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
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I only speak for myself....it took me a lot of work
and changes in my lifestyle to finally quit drinking.
Why wul would I choose to drink a toxic liquid?
and changes in my lifestyle to finally quit drinking.
Why wul would I choose to drink a toxic liquid?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 273
If you miss alcohol, it's safe to say that you can't handle it. As I see it, people who aren't alcoholics don't care whether they are drinking or not.
Whenever I read someone saying they're having a rough day and they really wanted to hit the bottle (and really, myself too), I want to scream THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE IT. You are not having it because it's there and you feel like it, you're having it because you think you need it... That's our problem as alcoholics.
Whenever I read someone saying they're having a rough day and they really wanted to hit the bottle (and really, myself too), I want to scream THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE IT. You are not having it because it's there and you feel like it, you're having it because you think you need it... That's our problem as alcoholics.
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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It makes sense to me that some people can drink heavily and problematically and eventually drink occasionally. But I think it is a huge risk.
I did not drink for 16 years and tried again recently to see if it was still a problem. Yes- it still is! Much more problematic and much harder to stop this time.
I did not drink for 16 years and tried again recently to see if it was still a problem. Yes- it still is! Much more problematic and much harder to stop this time.
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Originally Posted by LaFemme
I've kind of given up on the term "Alcoholic" it's so laden with whatever anyone brings to the table and no one really seems able to agree on how to define it.
Its a crazy as all the serious life threatening compilations that come with drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
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I quit trying to experience so called *normal* drinking patterns. It didn't happened in the past, highly unlikely to ever happen...so why bother.
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Some people say (NOT ME) that alcoholics will aways have an alcoholic head just without the alcohol. Meaning there selfish and use emotional blackmale etc... I don't know anything about it - This isn't anything personal - just things I've heard.
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