Alcoholic, yes or no?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 19
Alcoholic, yes or no?
Hello,
Moe here again, i have a question, im not sure who to belive because people on here tell me i am an alcoholic, but all my friends say i am not, one friend is an alkie who continues to drink and shes 30 and been drinking all her life, she says shes an alcoholic, but says you cant be an alcoholic if you've been drinking for only 2 years now which I have. But if i am correct isnt the definition of alcoholic someone who is unable to function normally mentally and sometimes physically without the use of alcohol? if one cannot stop drinking without help isnt said person an alcoholic? im confused here.
Moe here again, i have a question, im not sure who to belive because people on here tell me i am an alcoholic, but all my friends say i am not, one friend is an alkie who continues to drink and shes 30 and been drinking all her life, she says shes an alcoholic, but says you cant be an alcoholic if you've been drinking for only 2 years now which I have. But if i am correct isnt the definition of alcoholic someone who is unable to function normally mentally and sometimes physically without the use of alcohol? if one cannot stop drinking without help isnt said person an alcoholic? im confused here.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
If drinking is causing you problems, then it's a problem no matter what you call it. I had only been drinking about six months when I found myself drinking all day, every day, and going thru w/d every morning.
Never mind what other people say, what do you think?
Never mind what other people say, what do you think?
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 411
Originally Posted by MaureenBeer 
but says you cant be an alcoholic if you've been drinking for only 2 years now which I have.
Here's an alcoholism screening quiz that you might take: Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), Revised
GG
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
By the time I decided to stop drinking and join AA
all my social circle were at best...excessive drinkers.
None of them thought I was an alcoholic...I knew I was.
You are getting mis information from the 30 year old alcoholic
however well meaning she intends to be.
all my social circle were at best...excessive drinkers.
None of them thought I was an alcoholic...I knew I was.
You are getting mis information from the 30 year old alcoholic
however well meaning she intends to be.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 873
The length of time you've been drinking shouldn't matter. You could be addicted to all kinds of things after "only" two years of use, right?
But in any case I wouldn't get too hung up in the terminology. If you think you have a problem and want to stop, then does it matter if you meet some definition of alcoholic?
In my case my behavior matched a lot of the definitions of alcoholism yet neither my doctor nor my psychologist(s) actually came out and said I was an alcoholic. But that doesn't mean I didn't need to quit.
Lastly, if you think you have a problem and want to quit, listen to yourself. I made the mistake of listening to friends on this subject. Even my wife told me I didn't have a problem, twice. Do what you think you need to do.
But in any case I wouldn't get too hung up in the terminology. If you think you have a problem and want to stop, then does it matter if you meet some definition of alcoholic?
In my case my behavior matched a lot of the definitions of alcoholism yet neither my doctor nor my psychologist(s) actually came out and said I was an alcoholic. But that doesn't mean I didn't need to quit.
Lastly, if you think you have a problem and want to quit, listen to yourself. I made the mistake of listening to friends on this subject. Even my wife told me I didn't have a problem, twice. Do what you think you need to do.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
None of my hard drinking social circle thought I was an alcoholic either - my family will still not accept it.
It's about how I feel - I know my drinking was destroying me.
I know your drinking has caused you trouble and problems too Moe - and I know you find trouble stopping....isn't that the best determinant here?
No matter what you want to call it, you're here for a reason
D
It's about how I feel - I know my drinking was destroying me.
I know your drinking has caused you trouble and problems too Moe - and I know you find trouble stopping....isn't that the best determinant here?
No matter what you want to call it, you're here for a reason
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 19
Thank you all 
you have all been very helpful to me in my recovery process, i am confident that with the help of this forum and AA which i am planning to attend in the near future that i will be able to quit my ways and after i quit i plan to stay here to help others who struggle with what i have been though because after that i will have known what it really means to quit for good!
you have all been very helpful to me in my recovery process, i am confident that with the help of this forum and AA which i am planning to attend in the near future that i will be able to quit my ways and after i quit i plan to stay here to help others who struggle with what i have been though because after that i will have known what it really means to quit for good!
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Hi Maureen - you're already helping others by sharing your own experience. So thanks back at you!
I agree that there's no specific amount of time one needs to drink to be an "official" alcoholic. Alcoholism is more of a continuum - so it goes from early to late stage alcoholism. People have a stereotype of alcoholism (homeless, delirious and stumbling around inner cities)...... And lots of alcoholics use this as a form of denial so they/we can continue to drink (I'm not THAT bad)....
I'm just glad there are place like this that can help people like us so we can get off the not-so-merry-go-round sooner! Keep going strong - you can do it!
I agree that there's no specific amount of time one needs to drink to be an "official" alcoholic. Alcoholism is more of a continuum - so it goes from early to late stage alcoholism. People have a stereotype of alcoholism (homeless, delirious and stumbling around inner cities)...... And lots of alcoholics use this as a form of denial so they/we can continue to drink (I'm not THAT bad)....
I'm just glad there are place like this that can help people like us so we can get off the not-so-merry-go-round sooner! Keep going strong - you can do it!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,066
Originally Posted by MaureenBeer
Thank you all
you have all been very helpful to me in my recovery process, i am confident that with the help of this forum and AA which i am planning to attend in the near future that i will be able to quit my ways and after i quit i plan to stay here to help others who struggle with what i have been though because after that i will have known what it really means to quit for good!
you have all been very helpful to me in my recovery process, i am confident that with the help of this forum and AA which i am planning to attend in the near future that i will be able to quit my ways and after i quit i plan to stay here to help others who struggle with what i have been though because after that i will have known what it really means to quit for good!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 729
Originally Posted by MaureenBeer
Hello,
Moe here again, i have a question, im not sure who to belive because people on here tell me i am an alcoholic, but all my friends say i am not, one friend is an alkie who continues to drink and shes 30 and been drinking all her life, she says shes an alcoholic, but says you cant be an alcoholic if you've been drinking for only 2 years now which I have. But if i am correct isnt the definition of alcoholic someone who is unable to function normally mentally and sometimes physically without the use of alcohol? if one cannot stop drinking without help isnt said person an alcoholic? im confused here.
Moe here again, i have a question, im not sure who to belive because people on here tell me i am an alcoholic, but all my friends say i am not, one friend is an alkie who continues to drink and shes 30 and been drinking all her life, she says shes an alcoholic, but says you cant be an alcoholic if you've been drinking for only 2 years now which I have. But if i am correct isnt the definition of alcoholic someone who is unable to function normally mentally and sometimes physically without the use of alcohol? if one cannot stop drinking without help isnt said person an alcoholic? im confused here.
Either way you are better off.
Cause no harm
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 596
IMHO, the issue of being an alcoholic can only be answered by you and you alone. Honesty in questioning yourself seems to work around 3 a.m. when you awake dry-mouthed, in a fog, and feeling quite miserable after a evening of over-indulgence. Don't let others decide your condition, the margin of error is much to great and the stakes are too high.
Peace
Padraic
Peace
Padraic
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,058
Glad to see the update Moe. I didn't read through the responses but you know what to do here. If your life is not where you feel it should be and you find something is negative then you do something about it. If I listened to some in my life.....well I would still be in a dark hole trying to figure out why I can't just have 1 or why I can't control my alcohol intake.
Every day in recovery has been a blessing for me so I am looking forward to your journey and being able to offer our experience and help others.....yeahhhh....that is really good feeling.
Every day in recovery has been a blessing for me so I am looking forward to your journey and being able to offer our experience and help others.....yeahhhh....that is really good feeling.
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