vince

Hi.

I have been drinking most nights for the past 20 years but don't touch a drop through the day.

I usually have 4 cans of stella of an evening whilst watching the TV, and I usually have some beer in the pub on a weekend, followed by about 8 cans on Friday and Saturday nights.

To prove to myself I could go without I have stopped drinking for the month of January. So far I haven't touched a drop.

However on the two Saturday nights (Yesterday and Last Saturday) I could murder a pint.

I've not been bothered today.

So my question is, am I an alcoholic?

MsCooterBrown

Usually..if you question whether you are an alcoholic or not..you have a problem at the very least. Welcome Vince!

Clean4ever

Dee74

Hi Vince
Welcome to SR

Noone here can answer that question I'm afraid. It's not just simply about how much or how often you drink.

Missing a drink is not necessarily a bad sign but it's not necessarily a good one either.

If your drinking is causing you health work or relationship problems then you might be...but only you can analyse that.

There are diagnostic tests available - not conclusive of course - but they may help you to decide

this is one of the standard ones:
Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), Revised

D

Ghostly

Welcome vince! I can't answer your question. If you decide alcohol is a problem for you, and you want to stop, you will find a lot of support here. Well...you'll find support here either way really.

peacefulheart

Hi Vince...welcome. I did and still do question whether I was an alcoholic but all I know is..not drinking anymore (23 days today! wahoo) has been a vast and necessary improvement in my life. When we have to question it at all..it's usually because for some reason or other it's an issue or we see the road where it can become an issue. Personally...I've tried moderation in the past and it never held up in the long run..so for me I must be totally without it as it's a slippery slope back to a night of binge drinking. Whatever you decide, SR is a great place to give you support if/when you need it.

artsoul

Welcome to the forum! When I was drinking up to a bottle of wine several nights a week, I thought I was having 3 or 4 drinks until I found out that (depending on the alcohol content of the wine) it was actually 7-9 units of alcohol. The recommendation for women is no more than 1 unit/day.

Likewise, a can of Stella is 3 units, so if your daily consumption is 4 cans, that's 12 units of alcohol (with 2 units, max 3, recommended per day for men).

So whether you're an alcoholic or not, just the amount could cause you health problems. There's a lot of different tests out there for alcoholism - some set the standard high and some low. I starting suspecting I had a problem when I knew I should quit but didn't. Or couldn't.......

Just glad you're here - reading a lot of posts may help you decide if you're "one of us!"

least

Only you can decide if you're alcoholic or not. But generally people don't visit recovery forums or question their drinking without there being a problem. Alcoholics come in all sizes and shapes. Some drink all day every day, some only occasionally. It doesn't matter. What matters is if you think it's a problem. If it's causing problems in your life or if it's bothering you, why not give it up for a month or two and see. If you have no problem stopping you may not have a 'problem'. But then again, alcohol is a toxic liquid and it's better for your health not to have it at all. The benefits of wine can also be had with grape juice.

Welcome to the family!

Kjell

Well, there's more to it than that for sure.

The fact that your're posting here, on a recovery site, says a lot.

...but deep down, you already know how you feel about alcohol, if you have a problem with it or not, and if you can control your drinking once you start.

Kudos on posting here and keep learning about yourself and about alcoholism and you'll be able to answer your own question.

coffeenut

Welcome to SR!

Only you know if you are an alcoholic. I would say most people without a problem don't land on alcohol sites, though.

Read around. Lots of different experiences here that will help you.

Soph

Trying to control something means you are concerned about it.

(Have you ever stopped eating broccoli for a month? Or drinking cokes? Or eating bread?) Probably not...

People go on diets because they are concerned about what they're eating...people make self-imposed sobriety months because they're concerned about their drinking.

I know because I have done every self-imposed sobriety test out there. The truth lies within my own conscience. Can I live with the voice in my head on those mornings when I am hungover? It whispers "you should just stop...25 years is plenty...you're in your 40's now! do something different." Others say different things, others tell me I am not an alcoholic or I don't have a problem. But it's what I THINK that matters.

Listen to your own voice from within. And whatever you decide, SR is always here.

reggiewayne

Thanks Dee. I took the test and I scored very high LOL... Got a 7. Just another affirmation that drinking is not something I need to be doing. I have known I had issues with drinking for a very long time. I've never seen a test like this though... Thanks for posting the link.

cabledude

Welcome RW, good you're taking a look at this to evaluate it.

I'm a pretty classic alcoholic and often went some weeks or some months to prove there was no problem, not understanding going without proves nothing.

Alcoholism has little to do with drinking, and more to do with how reality without a drink affects us. If things start to bug you, and the world and the people in it begin to appear ugly and misshapen, and your gut begins to tighten more until you have to have a drink, then those are somethings I identify with.

If you were drinking a lot and decided to stop and life is good and you're happy you made the choice you did and don't feel the need to get sloshed, that's not something that rings a bell with me, which is a good thing.

Best to you.

keithj

What happens to you when you drink? Do you have as much as you intend, or does having that pint or two make you want to drink more?

What happens when you don't drink? Do you spend time thinking about it? Are you counting down the days until you can have the next one?

invisigoth

I think the fact you even need to ask yourself that question means that yes you probably have a bit of a problem on some level, but it's all relative to the individual.

hodgie

I agreee with others above... if you have to prove to yourself that you can stop, you are obviously concerned. Might as well stop for good. Alcoholic or not is a matter of personal opinion and doesn't really matter. There are no gains to be had by consuming a toxic liquid anyway... congrats on January!!

CarolD

Welcome....

Alcohol does damage your body and mind in many ways
and the longer and more you drink....the more harmful.
This is true for all drinkers...not only alcoholics.

Sooo to find a healthier future...you might want to stay quit.

vince

Thanks for all your input people. Very interesting reading.

I enjoy a drink and certainly know when I've had enough. I never drink enough to have a hang over.

I'm back on the booze in February and will try to go through the week without. If I can't then I do have a problem and will have to stop altogether. Thanks again for the words of support.

Now I'll go take that test linked above.

Liv2011

I scored 8...

justjo

When I read your post, the first thing that came to mind was "sounds like a big habit". I too can do this, work all day (never drank during the day) come home and have a couple of wines, go to bed and do it all again the next day. I can stop when I want to, make a conscious decision not to drink too. I really do not think I am an alcoholic, I think it is a habit I got into. Tired at night and I saw it as my reward for winding down. Now it depends on how many rewards I needed. Now I decide to have a cup of tea instead and geez I sleep alot better now too.
Be kind to yourself JJ