Am I in the right place
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
Am I in the right place
I am not sure if I am in the right place. I have never considered myself an alcoholic. My Mom struggled with alcoholism but my life seems different. I don’t drink every night to get drunk. Usually it’s just one or two but I have to have that drink. When I get home from work I say “I’m not going to have a drink tonight.” But I can’t help myself. I crave it like someone on a diet craves sugar (but more) I get anxious until I have a drink or two or three. Is this a problem though? I feel it is because I find myself tired and lethargic so I have a few then fall alseep on the couch. This happens a lot.
Anyone else just have a problem saying no to a drink or 3 but don’t necessarily drink to get drunk?
Anyone else just have a problem saying no to a drink or 3 but don’t necessarily drink to get drunk?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
Yes, you're in the right place. 
At the end of my drinking, I was drinking steadily all day. If I was awake, I was drinking. Never that drunk, just sort of sodden.
I'm so glad I'm sober now. My life is much simpler now, no drama.
If you're having a problem with drinking, no matter what or how much, it's best to stop drinking altogether. I hope our support can help you achieve lasting sobriety.
At the end of my drinking, I was drinking steadily all day. If I was awake, I was drinking. Never that drunk, just sort of sodden.
I'm so glad I'm sober now.
My life is much simpler now, no drama. If you're having a problem with drinking, no matter what or how much, it's best to stop drinking altogether. I hope our support can help you achieve lasting sobriety.
I could see peace instead of this
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Canada, eh
Posts: 2,360
Welcome to SR! If think you might have a problem or you're looking to learn more about stopping drinking then you're in the right place. There's lots of support and information for you and you don't even have to call yourself an alcoholic.
I usually drank to get feeling good, but most often I'd get drunker than I'd planned, and it wasn't every night. I know that feeling of telling myself I wasn't going to drink but then giving in to that irresistible craving. It got to the point where I was drinking more and more often and I was losing control. By the time I stopped, I needed help to do it.
I usually drank to get feeling good, but most often I'd get drunker than I'd planned, and it wasn't every night. I know that feeling of telling myself I wasn't going to drink but then giving in to that irresistible craving. It got to the point where I was drinking more and more often and I was losing control. By the time I stopped, I needed help to do it.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: 45 degrees latitude
Posts: 129
Welcome!
I read your whole post.
Am I in the right place?
Yes, you're in the right place; 100%!
...Is this a problem though?
"Getting anxious" and "but I can't help myself" are absolutely, positively undeniable indicators that drinking is negatively impacting you physically and psychologically. For myself, I would definitely consider that a problem. And not an insignificant enough of a problem that I can ignore and eventually address, no. Nope- it's the type of problem that once you've recognized it, it's only going to get worse or (at the very least) always be in the back of your mind, lingering like a hole in your wall that might be all that noticeablebso yiu think you can just paint over it latrr... But you know it's there...
I think that answers the last question too since it kinda just rehashed a the same idea.
So, having said that: please stick around and absorb all ya can! All most of us want to do here is to be helpful to others whom have found their way here, and to wet some shoulders with our tears sometimes too
I read your whole post.
Am I in the right place?
Yes, you're in the right place; 100%!
...Is this a problem though?
"Getting anxious" and "but I can't help myself" are absolutely, positively undeniable indicators that drinking is negatively impacting you physically and psychologically. For myself, I would definitely consider that a problem. And not an insignificant enough of a problem that I can ignore and eventually address, no. Nope- it's the type of problem that once you've recognized it, it's only going to get worse or (at the very least) always be in the back of your mind, lingering like a hole in your wall that might be all that noticeablebso yiu think you can just paint over it latrr... But you know it's there...
I think that answers the last question too since it kinda just rehashed a the same idea.
So, having said that: please stick around and absorb all ya can! All most of us want to do here is to be helpful to others whom have found their way here, and to wet some shoulders with our tears sometimes too
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,578
Hi LesliesAngel
You're in the right place!
My drinking was similar to yours. After work, couldn't wait to open a bottle of wine, and usually stuck to 2 or 3 glasses. The last year of my drinking, i had a few occasions of drinking more than that when i hadnt intended too. I also felt tired and down a lot. That was enough for me to quit.
I wrestled a lot with whether i was an "alcoholic", but in the end the label was less important than looking carefully at my relationship with alcohol and seeing where it was headed.
Welcome. Read around ..there's lots of good info and support here.
You're in the right place!
My drinking was similar to yours. After work, couldn't wait to open a bottle of wine, and usually stuck to 2 or 3 glasses. The last year of my drinking, i had a few occasions of drinking more than that when i hadnt intended too. I also felt tired and down a lot. That was enough for me to quit.
I wrestled a lot with whether i was an "alcoholic", but in the end the label was less important than looking carefully at my relationship with alcohol and seeing where it was headed.
Welcome. Read around ..there's lots of good info and support here.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 1,068
For me I remember the many days where I would wake up in the morning feeling crappy from the prior night of drinking and saying to myself. "I won't drink today"
Then I would come home from work in the evening and drink AGAIN. This happened day after day. Did I get super drunk every night? No. But the bottom line was that I was not in control. Alcohol was not improving my life. It was making it worse. So for me this is the right place.
As enthusiastic as other folks are in telling you this is the right place for you, only you can decide if it is the right place for you. My suggestion is that you simply read a few more threads and decide if you want what we have. IME recovery works best as a program of attraction not compulsion or persuasion.
Then I would come home from work in the evening and drink AGAIN. This happened day after day. Did I get super drunk every night? No. But the bottom line was that I was not in control. Alcohol was not improving my life. It was making it worse. So for me this is the right place.
As enthusiastic as other folks are in telling you this is the right place for you, only you can decide if it is the right place for you. My suggestion is that you simply read a few more threads and decide if you want what we have. IME recovery works best as a program of attraction not compulsion or persuasion.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Welcome leslie, and you are definitely in the right place. The amount that we drink is not necessarily as important as the effects that alcohol has on us. We can't answer the question of whether you are actually an alcoholic or not, you'll need to decide. Having said that , you've shared a lot of things about you that are very common traits of an alcoholic. For example:
* you crave alcohol
* you feel anxious if you don't drink
* you say you aren't going to drink but still do
* It's affecting your life ( drinking and falling asleep on the couch )
* You minimize your drinking amounts ( initially you say you only drink 1 or 2 -but in the same sentence say it's 2 or 3 to push off the anxiety. How many do you really drink if had to count? )
* alcohol issues are present in your family.
* you've come to a recovery site questioning your drinking habits.
And those are just from your initial paragraph. That's great that you are getting those thoughts out there, and know that most of us had similar issues. You'll find a lot of understanding and information here about how to quit and stay quit if that's your goal.
* you crave alcohol
* you feel anxious if you don't drink
* you say you aren't going to drink but still do
* It's affecting your life ( drinking and falling asleep on the couch )
* You minimize your drinking amounts ( initially you say you only drink 1 or 2 -but in the same sentence say it's 2 or 3 to push off the anxiety. How many do you really drink if had to count? )
* alcohol issues are present in your family.
* you've come to a recovery site questioning your drinking habits.
And those are just from your initial paragraph. That's great that you are getting those thoughts out there, and know that most of us had similar issues. You'll find a lot of understanding and information here about how to quit and stay quit if that's your goal.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 6,262
I call myself an alcoholic because when I drink I can't stop. I can not drink one day at a time but when I pick one up I can't stop. Alcoholism is progressive: I started out drinking socially, sometimes I got drunk. But I turned into a daily drinker who downed a magnum of wine.
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