darcal

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum. Past few I always keep asking myself if I am alcoholic. I drink 7 bottles of beer a day and sometime 10. This past few weeks of my drinking I felt that I can't breathe normally and sometimes a headache and I got insomnia too. I just want to know if I need to reduce my drinking or I have to take it away in my life.

MelindaFlowers

Hey Darcal!

Try not drinking for 30 days and see how it goes. It would be pretty easy for a non-alcoholic but super hard for an alcoholic. I knew I was an alcoholic for many reasons. Especially how the simple thought of a sober weekend sent me into a panic.

seahorse661

Hi,
Government and insurance seem to focus on the amount we drink to determine if there's a problem; alcoholics know that it's the reaction to alcohol (any amount) that we should pay attention to.
What happens if you only have 2 bottles? Do you 'have to' have more? The above suggestion is a good one - try to cut alcohol out; see how comfortable you feel doing that.

Regardless of whether or not you're alcoholic, it seems something is affecting your health and you should probably discuss that with a doctor

least

Only you can determine if you're an alcoholic or not. Try not drinking for three months and see how you feel then. If alcohol is causing you any problems, best to stop drinking.

OklaBH

I knew I was when the thought of quitting terrified me. Car wreck, DUI, hospitalizations, job losses, public humiliation, money problems etc. one issue should have been a wake up call. My wet brain always convinced me I could out smart it.

Can you not drink for a stretch of days/ weeks without obsessing about it? The label isn't so much important. How is your peace of mind and life affected? Only you know .

Hawks

In the vast majority of cases that I have experienced.... Only alcoholic folk wonder whether they are or not.

Your case might be different

FeelingGreat

Can you stop drinking any time you feel like it, and not constantly think about it? Do you experience cravings when drink time comes around? Has it caused personal problems, but you keep on drinking anyway?

If yes to any of these, you've got a problem with alcohol, however you want to label it.

MIRecovery

I have found people without a problem don't worry about if they have a problem

huntingtontx

If you are not an alcoholic, I would say you still have a problem with alcohol. That amount of alcohol is hard on the body. If you think it is causing you problems, and yet you keep drinking, I would say that is a problem. I still wonder sometimes if I am an alcoholic, but I know my life is so much better without it. I hated being embarrassed by being drunk, forgetting I had made phone calls, not remembering the night before. You get the picture. It does not matter what label we use. If you life is better without drinking, quit drinking. Best to you. Welcome to SR.

IOAA2

Hi.
The old timers in AA said if we think alcohol might be a problem, It probably is.

BE WELL

MiniBK

If you are questioning yourself then YES! From a technical point of view, you are drinking way over the government recommended amount.

fotographia

I'm the same way. I may not be an alcoholic but I drank on/off, and used other drugs on/off during my teenage years and 20s that I didn't want to continue doing it for decades.

Jsober

I would say try not to get caught up on labels. In this case "alcoholic". It really doesn't matter. If alcohol is causing you problems then consider eliminating it.
I still flip flop from time to time- am I, am I not? Then I remember all the trouble alcohol caused me. So if I am or not, I will not drink.

darcal

Thank you guys. Yeah, all of you is right, I read some article about alcoholics. I think I don't have to reduce it, I need to take away the alcohol in my life. But what is the first thing to do.

darcal

Is not just as that. It's difficult for me to stop it immediately, yeah, I always crave for a drink. But now I decided to cut it, but I'm afraid to consult with my doctor.

Gottalife

Our social and drug and alcohol agencies nearly always suggest moderation as the first line of attack. They like to call it harm minimisation, but it will work for most who suffer from a diagnosable alcohol use disorder. Many I aa poo poo this idea because we tried it and it didn't work for us, but in trying and failing to moderate, we learned a valuable lesson about the nature of our condition.

So that would be my suggestion. Have a couple of beers and stop abruptly. Try it a few times. If you are honest with yourself you will soon know whether moderation is an option or whether you need to quit entirely.

gaffo

I just passed my three year mark after years of drinking at your level and I'm here to tell you, quitting isn't easy but a life without alcohol is achievable and worthwhile. I used to quit for 30 day stretches once a year and I found it to be quite unpleasant, though it impressed the heck out of my drinking buddies! Once I hit 90 days I knew I was never ever going to start again.

Climber122

Darcal,

If you don't trust your doctor to adhere to HIPAA laws (patient confidentiality) then I would find another doctor and make an appointment as soon as you can. You seem to be at a point where you've realized you might have an addiction and want to take action - that's huge. The time to act is now while you are motivated to do so. It's so, so easy to lose interest and avoid looking for help, but you're having what we refer to as a "moment of clarity."

Doctors have heard it ALL, so don't be ashamed. If you could control your drinking you would have by now, right? No need to get bogged down in the disease versus choice argument. Take the World Health Organization's definition: health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." So is drinking keeping you from complete physical, mental and social well being? If so, a doctor is a great place to start.

Che

Well, you already know you're drinking too much... 7-10 beers is pretty nutty and you're feeling ill. I think it makes sense to drink half as much each day until you get to 1 or less, then just stop for a few weeks and make sure the next time you drink it's with company and it isn't more than 2-3 units and isn't more often than twice a week (better once every 2 weeks).

Every country has slightly different ideas of what the weekly maximum is, but generally more than 10 units of alcohol (1 beer, 1 120ml glass of wine, etc) a week is considered dangerous for your health. More than 2-3 in a single day is considered dangerous for your health (in part because of habit building).

Sometimes people who worry about insomnia have a way of bringing about their own insomnia. It's true of alcoholism too. Before you get super stressed and worried that you have an addiction, just try to follow some sensible steps and go forward without worrying about the label just yet. You're in for a hell of a ride once you start calling yourself an alcoholic.

Soberwolf

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/underst...hol-dependent/