eldesperado

Do all alcoholics find it impossible to stop drinking once they've started? Are some true alcoholics able to limit the amount they drink on any given day? For example, I can tell myself I'm only gonna drink a pint of liquor a night at most and I usually succeed in limiting myself to that amount. I don't like getting completely ****** up and out of control... Just a nice strong buzz. Sorry if this is a stupid question, I was diagnosed with "alcohol dependence" but I'm not sure I'm really an alcoholic.... I mean sometimes I do, but there's always something telling me there's no problem and my drinking is fine.

Dee74

I spent years trying to rationalise my problem down, to deny the extent of my problem.

For many years I was a pretty good buzz maintainer too - or at least I thought I was - god knows what it looked like to someone else though....

I know you've been assessed, and you're looking at rehab - and that's scary - but maybe it's what you need?

not to be mean, but you don't sound much like a drinker in control in this post:

I think you belong here. We're good folks

go with the help you're getting eldesperado.

D

DoPerdition

IMO, having to set out to moderate while drinking is a sign that there is a problem. A normal person does not have to put so much thought into it.

Also, a pint of liquor is a lot more than what an average person drinks on a night out. I wouldn't use society as a gauge either because alcoholism is pretty much encouraged and binge drinking is considered some sort of challenge to a lot of people. Just because they never get help or think they have a problem doesn't mean they don't. But only you can know if it really is a problem because you must live with the consequences.

eldesperado

Thanks for the replies! I'm just freaking out because I'm supposed to be going into treatment tomorrow... I guess I just always thought that the typical hard partiers who get completely wasted whenever they drink are the true alkies and I've never been like that.

least

There is no "typical" alcoholic. They can be daily drinkers or binge drinkers. They can drink beer or wine or hard liquor. None of that matters. Only thing that matters is what happens to you when you drink.

From your earlier post quoted I'd say that you and alcohol don't get along very well.

eldesperado

I guess part of me is trying to rationalize not going to rehab. I'm literally terrified by the idea of never drinking again, but I'm aware that for me to live a happy, healthy life I probably shouldn't mess with alcohol at all (or any other drug for that matter).

EndGameNYC

There's a disturbing though not entirely surprising disconnect between this comment and the comment that Dee re-posted for your benefit.

If you're still not certain you have a problem, then just surrender to treatment with an open mind.

And if it is true that you don't believe you fit some objective profile for an alcoholic, it makes me wonder what brought you to treatment in the first place.

jkb

My theory on this is yes and no. My mom was a hardcore alcoholic for 10 years. Gin all day every day.....

Then she was told by her doctor that she needed to quit drinking. So, now she buys this tiny little bottle of red wine every night. It has maybe 2 and a half glasses of wine in it and she drinks that and only that. She says it is better than none.

I on the other hand found it is easier to have none than to try and moderate. Two glasses of wine for me would equal drinking mouthwash later that night.

Jess

NoJimmy

That statement stands out to me...

I think we all have a hard time wrapping our brains around the notion that we are a alcoholic, problem drinking, etc, etc. One event that sealed this for me was a guy named Wayne who came into the treatment center I was at. He was bad enough off that he had to be removed from group to deal with withdrawals medically. He was as bad a mess as I've ever seen, and was swearing he didn't have a problem and wanted to leave. I was absolutely shocked. It came to me, if he couldn't be honest with himself how bad he was, why did I think I could? I was in nowhere near the condition of Wayne, but as it turned out, I was right, I had been less than honest about some pretty destructive and ridiculous behaviors.

Regarding Treatment; Look at it this way, the downside of being right is you learn something about alcoholism and where you stand with it. If you're wrong, you may not get another chance...

KateL

I was terrified but it was the best thing ever. I had to drink myself into a stupor every time. xxx

MSUDrunk

When I start drinking one of two things happen. Either I drink until the room spins, or I stop after one r two drinks and am pouty and miserable I can't have more. Being powerless over alcohol des t mean you are constantly drinking, it means once you start you don't really know how it's gonna end.

LadyBlue0527

That same "something" says the same thing to me and to every person on this board.

It's the addictive voice of reason and it's lying.

2muchpain

Your AV couldn't care less about you. You are just a means to what it wants.

Pipping

If I tried to moderate and limit myself to two drinks, the end result would always be a massive bender. Just cannot moderate so can never drink again.

1newcreation

The only test I know is when completely sober take just 1 shot & not drink anything else for another full 24hrs. If you pick up, then an alki; if not try 2 or 3 more times as big bk suggests. I know I would fail the very 1st time
Otherwise good luck in treatment

RevivingOphelia

I *can* only have a couple of drinks but will be an insufferable youknowwhat with massive cravings for MORE MORE MORE. What is the POINT of only have one or two? I never understood it, which tells you something right there.

The point of drinking -- for me -- was to get drunk. It was always like that; I think some of us are just built that way.

kcvalentine

At first I couldn't think about it in terms of never drinking again. I just went into my recovery knowing that I had to stop and I didn't try to shape the course of the journey at first. But I was so darn sick and my life was such a mess, that I very quickly learned that everything was better without drinking. It made a forever without alcohol seem like a precious gift. I'm so happy to know that I never, ever have to go back to that miserable place again. Sobriety is such a blessing, one that many are denied. xoxo

karate

It's a coin toss for me if I will have one and quit , or have a 12 pack before I'm done .

Before I quit the last time , I would limit what I would buy .

I had fair sucess with that .

But more often than not , I will drink more than I planned .

MSUDrunk

I used to limit what I would buy too, then I would end up driving to the store drunk to buy more.

Johno1967

This line pretty much also confirms to me that you fit the definition of an alcoholic from my point of view. The question is what would you think if someone else wrote it.
Alcoholics come in many shapes and forms.