ainsley1

Hi, I posted for the first time earlier today. I'm not sure what alcoholism is. I mean, I know it is a disease that makes you dependent upon alcohol. But where do you cross the line from "casual drinker" to alcoholic?

I'm a binge drinker. I have had many episodes of blacking out and embarrassing myself while drunk. I don't drink liquor anymore, but I love beer, and I crave it on the weekends (not physically, but psychologically). I used to drink only a couple times a month, but lately I've gotten in the habit of having 6 or more beers on Friday nights. I would drink every night if I wasn't scared of becoming an addict.

In college, I drank anything and everything when I had a chance (I lived at home with my parents until I got married at 23, so I couldn't drink unless I was out-- drinking and driving, yes). I joke that I married my husband for his liquor cabinet, but the liquor cabinet disappeared after I moved in.

I can easily go without alcohol for long lengths of time, so I know I'm not physically addicted to it, but I enjoy drinking. I didn't drink at all during my two pregnancies and rarely while breastfeeding.

Also, how long do alcoholics' hangovers last? Mine used to last only a day, but lately they have been lasting 2 days or more (sleepiness, foggyheaded and irritable).

Elisabeth888

Ultimately it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they are alcoholic or not, but I go with what they say in the Big Book, which is roughly, if when you start drinking you are unable to stop.

Meaning, can you have one and leave it at that? Try doing that multiple times and see what happens.

Jabbadabutt

I was there a few moons ago. I asked that very question so many times to myself. Looking back........I asked it.........I was.

Dee74

welcome ainsley

Labels can be useful but sometimes they can stop us from doing what we need to do...

Maybe it's best to keep it simple - is your drinking causing you problems?
if so - what are you going to do about it?

D

ainsley1

I can stop after one, but it's very nerve-wracking. I always have more than one, if I drink at all.

If I have 3 beers I have to have 6, but generally I stop after 6.

Elisabeth888

For me, that was one of the many signs.

I did not and still do not see the point in having one drink. I just have more and more and then I am trashed. And good stuff never happened to me as a result of it.

Sapling

But where do you cross the line from "casual drinker" to alcoholic?

I'm a binge drinker. I have had many episodes of blacking out and embarrassing myself while drunk. I don't drink liquor anymore, but I love beer, and I crave it on the weekends (not physically, but psychologically). I used to drink only a couple times a month, but lately I've gotten in the habit of having 6 or more beers on Friday nights. I would drink every night if I wasn't scared of becoming an addict. In college, I drank anything and everything when I had a chance (I lived at home with my parents until I got married at 23, so I couldn't drink unless I was out-- drinking and driving, yes). I joke that I married my husband for his liquor cabinet, but the liquor cabinet disappeared after I moved in.


I don't know....This was an easy one for me...I didn't drink to enjoy a cocktail after work...I drank to get drunk...Because I had to. 1 or 2 drinks...Never happened for me. I once heard that if you have to ask if you are an alcoholic or not...That's a good sign you are. People that can drink normally are at home right now drinking normally...God bless them. They aren't at there computer asking whether they are or not...I think if you read what you say above here carefully...I think you answer your own question.....There is not much that is normal about that. Your call.

Anna

I think being concerned about the label is not important. Does alcohol cause problems in your life?

You can try stopping for a fixed period of time, say one month, and you will likely get your answer.

freethinking

It's just a word. The point is, do you drink too much? Have you tried to cut down and haven't succeeded?

I didn't drink during my pregnancies either. This honestly sounds like your addiction talking to you...trying to convince you that you are not one of "us"....which will eventually lead to it telling you that you can and should drink.

BlueMoon

i don't think "normal drinkers" wonder if they're alcoholics . . .

i was a binge drinker too and for years i had myself convinced that i didn't have a problem because i could not drink for extended periods of time - weeks, months, even years. but when i took that 1st drink . . . . . . . . .

bad things didn't always happens to me when i drank -
but -
nothing good EVER happened to me BECAUSE i drank.

Blue

babycat

I don't get hangover at all and I damn sure am an alcoholic.

PaleMale

Over a year sober and this internal conversations STILL happens! "Was I a heavy drinker, or am I an alcoholic." And simply, this conversation is the addiction talking. I couldn't fix the idea powerfully enough in my mind to stop drinking on my own. People who know me, think I quit for simple health reasons, like quitting cigarettes. But ask my wife, and she'll remind me that it was dumb luck I didn't kill someone or myself.

I couldn't quit alcohol by will alone. I needed a peer group to help, and a change of attitude. I came here 2 years before my controlled drinking experiment failed sufficiently for me to take another course of action. That's 2 years I wish I had back.

Best wishes to you.

Charon

Do yourself a favor - quit while it will still be relatively easy. Going down the road leads only to a much deeper pit that is much harder to climb out of. Don't wait till you are old to try and stop - take advantage of your chance now while you are still young. You will have so much more out of life.

InsertNameHere

Sounds like me five or six years ago before I started drinking more and more often until I got to every day.

NYCDoglvr

What did it for me was realizing that once I pick up a drink I lost all control. Even if I said I was having one or two drinks -- and believed I could do it -- I went into blackouts constantly. An alcoholic can not drink but once we do, we're powerless over alcohol.

2granddaughters

If you found yourself here asking these questions, you probably are.
As stated previously, only you can make the judgment.

Sit in for a while and see if you can identify with what the others are saying, try not to judge but try to identify.
If what you hear makes sense.....Welcome !!

langkah

You mentioned that you get drunk when you drink and despite that you would prefer to drink every night but don't do that because then you'd be an alcoholic.

I can't think of a lot of normal drinkers who would make that statement.

BTW, most alcoholics I know didn't drink every day, as you say you'd prefer to do. It's not required to join our little club.

Welcome.

KarrieJay

I think only you can decide whether you're alcoholic or not, but as BlueMoon says, non-alcoholic's never need to ask that question. Either way, you're obviously concerned about your drinking so it's probably a good idea to do something about it.

Not every alcoholic behaves in the same way. Many don't drink every day. Nor do all of them drink in the morning, or hide their booze from other people. I didn't do any of those things - for years, I was a binge drinker like you and I could go months without it if I put my mind to it. It kept me believing that I didn't have a problem. For me, the problem wasn't not drinking. The problem was stopping once I'd started. I was/am an alcoholic, and it got worse and worse over the years. I can't believe how much better life is now that I've stopped.

You ask "Where do you cross the line from casual drinker to alcoholic"? I'm not sure anyone knows really, but if you're asking that question because you're worried about your drinking, then you may already have crossed it.

Whatever you decide to do though, good luck and I really hope things improve for you.

GregMan

From my experience, "normal" or "social" drinkers only VERY rarely suffer from blackouts... And the increase of quantity and hangover duration would seem to suggest an escalation in your drinking pattern. Those are sure-fire warning signs. As someone mentioned above, the fact that your here and concerned is a good enough indicator that there is trouble brewing. Screw the labels, or looking at other people's problems to guage your situation, in the end only you will be able to do anything about your problem anyhow. In the land of drinking problems, the elevator only goes down ;P

aeo1313

This thread is very helpful to me since I am a weekend binge drinker trying to decide if I need to stop- not sure if life would be any different if I did. No, that's a lie. I know it would be better at least 50% of the time- the other drunk times leave me a mental mess for days.