Do I have a problem?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1
Do I have a problem?
I am 22 years old I drink at least 4 times a week and get drunk at least once. For me drunk means 20 shots + and drinking means 12 shots or more. I'm Irish, I grew up in Boston and my tolerance is not normal at all.. I feel like an outcast. The very first time I drank I had 22 shots and a slight hangover.. I believe i am built differently than most weighing in at only 174 pounds.
I've had one ****** up family and I started thinking about living on my own at the age of 13. At the age of 16 I dropped out of school because my mother told me I was not her son anymore, She is bipolar and OCD and put me through more torture than any normal human being could dream up.... At the age of 17 I lived with my father, an alcoholic and drug addict. I worked my ass off to try to move out. My fathers g/f tried to stab me in my sleep, only I wasn't sleeping... I moved out of the way in time, before she tried to stab me she called me a useless piece of ****.. at 19 I worked at a ****** convince store.. I moved on and now am working at a decent job, I have moved out on my own but am not completely happy. I have great friends on top of this but theres something missing. I am not sure whats wrong but I know I need help.
I've had one ****** up family and I started thinking about living on my own at the age of 13. At the age of 16 I dropped out of school because my mother told me I was not her son anymore, She is bipolar and OCD and put me through more torture than any normal human being could dream up.... At the age of 17 I lived with my father, an alcoholic and drug addict. I worked my ass off to try to move out. My fathers g/f tried to stab me in my sleep, only I wasn't sleeping... I moved out of the way in time, before she tried to stab me she called me a useless piece of ****.. at 19 I worked at a ****** convince store.. I moved on and now am working at a decent job, I have moved out on my own but am not completely happy. I have great friends on top of this but theres something missing. I am not sure whats wrong but I know I need help.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sask
Posts: 117
Based on the amount you are drinking, I'd say, yes, you have a problem.
The true test??
Go a month without drinking. The first day or two will reveal the truth..in fact it will scream the truth to you!! If you start suffering severe withdrawal, you KNOW you have a physical dependency........if not........that means you don't ........YET. You simply cannot pound away that much booze and not develop a dependency in time. If you quit for a month and have NO withdrawals?? Count yourself VERY lucky, and quit while you are ahead.
I'm sorry to hear about your childhood................but that doesn't mean you have to continue down the path you are on.
The true test??
Go a month without drinking. The first day or two will reveal the truth..in fact it will scream the truth to you!! If you start suffering severe withdrawal, you KNOW you have a physical dependency........if not........that means you don't ........YET. You simply cannot pound away that much booze and not develop a dependency in time. If you quit for a month and have NO withdrawals?? Count yourself VERY lucky, and quit while you are ahead.
I'm sorry to hear about your childhood................but that doesn't mean you have to continue down the path you are on.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,456
Welcome to SR Braomius
Noone else can tell you if you have a problem, and noone here can diagnose you over the internet....but the fact you're here @ SR - and you're telling us you're not happy and that you drink heavily and regularly - all that suggests to me that *you* think you have a problem - and that's the main thing.
Now the hard part is deciding what exactly to do about it.
This is a great place for support, encouragement, and guidance - I hope you find some answers here and I hope to see you around some more, Braomius
D
Noone else can tell you if you have a problem, and noone here can diagnose you over the internet....but the fact you're here @ SR - and you're telling us you're not happy and that you drink heavily and regularly - all that suggests to me that *you* think you have a problem - and that's the main thing.
Now the hard part is deciding what exactly to do about it.
This is a great place for support, encouragement, and guidance - I hope you find some answers here and I hope to see you around some more, Braomius
D
Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Beijing, China
Posts: 3
I am Irish also, and I am convinced there is a genetic component. High tolerance is a sure sign of a forthcoming physical problems if you continue to drink that much. I used to drink like a fish also, and could do that until I hit my late 20's and my body began to revolt. I just couldn't handle it anymore. Heavy drinkers don't live long and have miserable lives usually.
Your family sounds even worse than mine. Man I feel for you.
I disagree with the first poster in that physical addiction is not required to have a problem. I never was physically addicted, and rarely drank during the week. I drank most of a fifth of 100 proof vodka on Friday night though. It's what happens to you when you drink that matters. Do you forget what you did or how you got home? Blackouts are a sure sign. Seems clear to me that you are not a social drinker. Normal drinkers don't drink like that. I got drunk because I could block out bad feelings and get some relief. If you don't want to go to AA, go to a counselor. Better now than later. Wish I had done that when I was your age.
Your family sounds even worse than mine. Man I feel for you.
I disagree with the first poster in that physical addiction is not required to have a problem. I never was physically addicted, and rarely drank during the week. I drank most of a fifth of 100 proof vodka on Friday night though. It's what happens to you when you drink that matters. Do you forget what you did or how you got home? Blackouts are a sure sign. Seems clear to me that you are not a social drinker. Normal drinkers don't drink like that. I got drunk because I could block out bad feelings and get some relief. If you don't want to go to AA, go to a counselor. Better now than later. Wish I had done that when I was your age.
Its time for bed
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Undisclosed Location
Posts: 343
Irish too and I too could drink by the truckload. Hangovers hit progressively harder as you near your 30's. You will become miserable if you continue to drink above the unhappiness you have now.
Sorry about the childhood. That sucks! I believe the high tolerance for alcohol can be converted to a high endurance for sports and THAT is a better buzz if you give it time.
I would never trade a runners high for a bottle
Sorry about the childhood. That sucks! I believe the high tolerance for alcohol can be converted to a high endurance for sports and THAT is a better buzz if you give it time.
I would never trade a runners high for a bottle
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 664
As I learned in my Cravings and Addictions class my last semester of college, people with Irish ancestry have a propensity to develop alcoholism, especially if in your case your father is an addict. A high tolerance is a tell-tale sign of being an alcoholic, or of becoming one. I also drank only a few times a week too, but got drunk each time and needed more the more I drank.
I can't label you an alcoholic though. You have to find that out for yourself. Ask yourself some questions. Is drinking interfering with your normal functioning and thought processes? Do you feel worse after you drink? Are you drinking to bury troublesome feelings, thoughts and emotions? Do you feel your drinking is interfering with your relationships?
Whether you think you are not, I would strongly suggest looking on your insurance provider's website and find some addiction counselors/therapists under your plan. If you don't have insurance, find someone who works on a sliding scale. Maybe go to an AA meeting or LifeRing meeting and find out if there are others like you. Even if you aren't an alcoholic, it's good to stop yourself from becoming one like your dad.
Good luck.
I can't label you an alcoholic though. You have to find that out for yourself. Ask yourself some questions. Is drinking interfering with your normal functioning and thought processes? Do you feel worse after you drink? Are you drinking to bury troublesome feelings, thoughts and emotions? Do you feel your drinking is interfering with your relationships?
Whether you think you are not, I would strongly suggest looking on your insurance provider's website and find some addiction counselors/therapists under your plan. If you don't have insurance, find someone who works on a sliding scale. Maybe go to an AA meeting or LifeRing meeting and find out if there are others like you. Even if you aren't an alcoholic, it's good to stop yourself from becoming one like your dad.
Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 666
Hey Braomius,
I'm Irish, grew up in Boston, and could drink you under the table at 22! Why, I've spilled more whiskey than you have ever drank!
Just kidding. Your drinking sounds a lot like mine. For me, it got much worse and the tolerance began to go down. At 36 three shots would level me and I was staggering, toothless wreck of a man.
The good thing is that you don't have to make the same mistakes. Your presence on this site shows more intelligence and perception than I had at your age. I was stuck on Harvard Ave. and thought I was on the top of the world.
Give sobriety a shot. You deserve to experience your twenties as more than a drunken blur. The drinking can get really scary. Sobriety only gets better.
Mike in Boston (Allston) - go Sox!
I'm Irish, grew up in Boston, and could drink you under the table at 22! Why, I've spilled more whiskey than you have ever drank!
Just kidding. Your drinking sounds a lot like mine. For me, it got much worse and the tolerance began to go down. At 36 three shots would level me and I was staggering, toothless wreck of a man.
The good thing is that you don't have to make the same mistakes. Your presence on this site shows more intelligence and perception than I had at your age. I was stuck on Harvard Ave. and thought I was on the top of the world.
Give sobriety a shot. You deserve to experience your twenties as more than a drunken blur. The drinking can get really scary. Sobriety only gets better.
Mike in Boston (Allston) - go Sox!
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Welcome....
Alcohol is a toxic liquid ...it does physical and mental
damage to drinkers.....even those who are not alcoholics.
The sooner you quit drinking...the quicker you can begin a
new healthy sober lifestyle....
You have improved yourself already over a bad childhood
why not make your future even better?
Alcohol is a toxic liquid ...it does physical and mental
damage to drinkers.....even those who are not alcoholics.
The sooner you quit drinking...the quicker you can begin a
new healthy sober lifestyle....
You have improved yourself already over a bad childhood
why not make your future even better?
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
braomius welcome to SR, as others have said simply being here is a yes in answer to your question. Here is a little quiz to take to help you decide whether you have a problem or not Alcoholics Anonymous : Is A.A. For You? It is very important you answer the questions honestly, it is even more important that you are honest with your self about the results.
In AA we say it is not how much one drinks, how often one drinks, nor for how long one drinks that determines whether one is an alcoholic or not, what determines that is what happens to one when they drink.
In AA we say it is not how much one drinks, how often one drinks, nor for how long one drinks that determines whether one is an alcoholic or not, what determines that is what happens to one when they drink.
Disposable Hero
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Being, ME
Posts: 3,758
Good morning & welcome to the Sober Recovery community.
It sounds as if you are searching for a deeper satisfaction
in life that you know is there, but can't seem to grasp.
Your alcohol consumption may be creating an obstacle
in your spiritual growth and impeding your progress in life.
i hope that you keep coming back and begin to find
the solutions to the problems you are experiencing.
It sounds as if you are searching for a deeper satisfaction
in life that you know is there, but can't seem to grasp.
Your alcohol consumption may be creating an obstacle
in your spiritual growth and impeding your progress in life.
i hope that you keep coming back and begin to find
the solutions to the problems you are experiencing.
Guest
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
I definately can relate to the high-tolerance thing, Right from the off I have always been able to drink way,way more than anyone else in my family and peers in general, and I am only of slim build. It figures that if you can naturally hold tons of booze without the usual falling asleep/feeling sick/headache/room spinning/Calling it a night after 5 drinks that most 'normies' do then the safety mechanisms for stopping drinking just aren't there and so the habit of binging on massive amounts of booze are set right from the off. Also in england it is somewhat seen as a badge of honour TBH when you are 16/17/18 to be able to drink like a fish so I used to love my 'natural talent' hahaha. if only I knew how it would consume my life for the next 7 years, Still I wouldn't change it, I am who I am because of it and I have done a hell of a lot of growing up since getting sober.
I doubt most people visit SR tbh if they ain't got a problem, they ain't that obsessed to care.
I doubt most people visit SR tbh if they ain't got a problem, they ain't that obsessed to care.
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