Go Back  SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information > Alcoholism Information > Alcoholism
Reload this Page >

Is it possible someone to become an [B]alcholic[/B]?



Notices

Is it possible someone to become an [B]alcholic[/B]?

Old 10-20-2010, 12:24 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern, PA
Posts: 112
Is it possible someone to become an [B]alcholic[/B]?

First off, i have come to the conclusion that i now can NOT manage alcohol and therefore can not go back to drinking. I'm not now looking for an excuse to drink. I simply can not do so without dire consequences.

Having said that there once was a time when i did control my drinking. I was, at one time in my life, a 'moderate drinker.' In my twenties and early thirties i did a lot of self help and therapy. A therapist who was very influential instructed me only to drink on occcaision and to not drink at all when something was troubling me. I was able, for the most part, to stick with this. I could moderate my drinking without AA (Again, i am not trying to convince myself that i can drink now. I can not. Not worth trying.)

Anyhow things got bad with careers and other life issues and i fell to alcoholism. (I'm sure situational depression plays a large part in this.)

So i, more or less, was not an alcoholic and then became one? Stating such seems to go against AA's definition of what an alcoholic is. But it seems, to me, somewhat accurate. I'm just trying to understand myself a bit better and how i fit in to this recovery thing.
tacks is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:31 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
Freedom1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 10,182
Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? If you can no longer successfully drink, then start living in the solution. I'm not sure what you mean by AA's definition of an alcoholic.
Freedom1990 is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:33 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
New to Real Life
 
SSIL75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: I come in Peaces
Posts: 2,071
It sounds to me like you have always had a problem with alcohol. What you're describing with your earlier scenario sounds very familiar. The kids of control games that normal drinkers just don't need to play.
SSIL75 is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:44 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
 
LaFemme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Personally, I think every human being has the capacity to become an alcoholic...it's just a heck of a lot easier for some people then others. For me, this explains why one person can be an alcoholic after a week of drinking and another person takes 40 years f drinking before they get to the point where it's alcoholism. But I am sure most people will disagree with me;-D
LaFemme is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:50 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Forwards's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 780
As I understand it, anyone who drinks enough for long enough will develop a physical dependency on alcohol.

Most people who regularly drink will develop a drinking 'habit' that creates at least some level of mental dependency.

Are these factors enough to create a 'true alcoholic'? I'm not sure.
Forwards is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:55 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
JackNWA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 157
"But what about the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose control of his liquor consumption, once he starts to drink"

BB, Page 21...1st. Edition

Last edited by CarolD; 10-20-2010 at 03:43 PM. Reason: Added Source per SR guideline
JackNWA is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:56 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Member
 
LaFemme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
I despise the concept of the "Real Alcoholic"...just sayin...:-)
LaFemme is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 12:57 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
JackNWA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 157
me too actually
JackNWA is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:00 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
12-Step Recovered Alkie
 
DayTrader's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
good thing AA's not a popularity contest.



and Tacks... I had MANY years of successful drinking, many years where I could take it or leave it, many years where there probably wasn't any sort of alcohol problem.

but......somewhere along the way......I crossed that invisible line to where I couldn't stop. period. could NOT stop no matter what I tried.

You can either stop on a non-spiritual basis or you can't. If you can, you're not an alcoholic - get some support, get some help, just don't drink, go to meetings, whatever....just stop drinking. If you can't, welcome to the club. Neither could I
DayTrader is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:20 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Heathen
 
smacked's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: La La Land, USA
Posts: 2,567
There's lots of theories out there about what alcoholism is, how it starts, how it ends...

doesn't matter.. glad you're sober.
smacked is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:20 PM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Canine Welfare Advocate
 
doggonecarl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,961
Originally Posted by tacks View Post
Having said that there once was a time when i did control my drinking.
To paraphrase the AA Big Book, if you had to control something, it was out of control.
doggonecarl is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:21 PM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern, PA
Posts: 112
Hi Freedom.

Originally Posted by Freedom1990 View Post
I'm not sure what you mean by AA's definition of an alcoholic.
I believe that AA would take the position that one is either an alcohol for life or NOT an alcoholic for life. I don't think they would subscribe to the notion that one who is NOT an alcoholic can become an alcoholic.
tacks is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:23 PM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
 
Stang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 651
I believe you can develope a dependency on alcohol. I have no immediate family who are alcoholics although my mother was adopted so I don't know about my maternal grandparents.
Stang is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:25 PM
  # 14 (permalink)  
12-Step Recovered Alkie
 
DayTrader's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by tacks View Post
Hi Freedom.



I believe that AA would take the position that one is either an alcohol for life or NOT an alcoholic for life. I don't think they would subscribe to the notion that one who is NOT an alcoholic can become an alcoholic.
Yer close, but backwards.

Once an alcoholic, there's no going BACK.
There are 1000's who are convinced they were alcoholic as far back as they can remember in life and others, like me, who had to work at it. The deal is, once you ARE, you are. period. I will ALWAYS be an alcoholic. I can wait 10 years....20 yrs.......30 yrs.....I'll still be an alcoholic. I can NEVER go back to "conventional" or moderate drinking. (and besides, NO alkie in their right mind wants to drink "moderately" for long)
DayTrader is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:31 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern, PA
Posts: 112
Originally Posted by DayTrader View Post
and Tacks... I had MANY years of successful drinking, many years where I could take it or leave it, many years where there probably wasn't any sort of alcohol problem.

but......somewhere along the way......I crossed that invisible line to where I couldn't stop. period. could NOT stop no matter what I tried.

You can either stop on a non-spiritual basis or you can't. If you can, you're not an alcoholic - get some support, get some help, just don't drink, go to meetings, whatever....just stop drinking. If you can't, welcome to the club. Neither could I
Thanks DayTrader,
Very interesting. I appreciate you posting.
tacks is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:38 PM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Member
 
Freedom1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 10,182
Originally Posted by DayTrader View Post
Yer close, but backwards.

Once an alcoholic, there's no going BACK.
Absolutely! You can't change a pickle back into a cucumber. I'm a pickle, but a sober pickle.
Freedom1990 is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 01:39 PM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Eastern, PA
Posts: 112
Originally Posted by DayTrader View Post
and besides, NO alkie in their right mind wants to drink "moderately" for long


LOL. That's very funny.

Unfortunately it's also very true.
tacks is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 02:03 PM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Member
 
LaFemme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Originally Posted by DayTrader View Post
You can either stop on a non-spiritual basis or you can't. If you can, you're not an alcoholic - get some support, get some help, just don't drink, go to meetings, whatever....just stop drinking. If you can't, welcome to the club. Neither could I
So all the people who quit without a spiritual awakening are not alcoholics...gosh it must be so nice to know what shoes these people are walking in that you can be sure they are not alcoholics.

Isn't there a step in AA about the ego somewhere?
LaFemme is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 02:06 PM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Member
 
Freedom1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 10,182
Nevermind. I'm losing my mind.
Freedom1990 is offline  
Old 10-20-2010, 03:45 PM
  # 20 (permalink)  
I got nothin'
 
Bamboozle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,889
Originally Posted by DayTrader View Post
You can either stop on a non-spiritual basis or you can't. If you can, you're not an alcoholic - get some support, get some help, just don't drink, go to meetings, whatever....just stop drinking. If you can't, welcome to the club. Neither could I
Or maybe it's a person like me who doesn't believe in spirituality and most definetly has an addiction problem to alcohol (the very definition of an alcoholic) who was able to stop on a non-spiritual basis.
Bamboozle is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:33 PM.