bagpussgirl

Hi
Sorry more questions!
Hubby is away on business this week and left for the week tonight. I was initially excited that no one would be watching how much I was drinking for 5 days and that I would have the freedom. However tonight ive had enoug...the wine just wasn't going down despite my trying to eat various food to help it so after a bottle ish Ive decided to come to bed.

This leaves me wondering. ..do I actually have a problem? Surely a real alcoholic wouldn't be able to stop knowing more alcohol was left?

What do you think?

fantail

Someone with a healthy relationship with alcohol doesn't try to force themselves to drink when it doesn't feel good initially. Or for that matter get excited about 5 days where no one will be watching them drink. It's good that you're not so far down the road that you'd drink everything in the house even though it was making you sick, but it's not great that you'd still drink a whole bottle while feeling unwell. If you keep drinking you'll get there eventually... I'd encourage you to stop now before it gets worse.

Elisabeth888

I don't know. It depends on how much you are obsessing about it.

Nattythreads

Here's some thoughts BPG:

A) Nobody here can answer that question for you. Only yourself. We can certainly proffer some advice but no more really.

B) If you're forcing food down you just so you can drink a bit more wouldn't you agree that's not exactly rational behavior?

C) Go back and read some of your recent posts on here and see if that helps sway you one way or the other.

D) Stick around here whatever you're feeling and talk it out with people that totally understand where you're at.

Have a peaceful and safe night.

avocado

whether you're an alcoholic or not, or if you have a drinking problem or not, isn't really that important. what matters is, do you want to keep drinking or don't you? if you do, then I hope you enjoy it and remain safe and happy while choosing that lifestylr. If you don't want to keep drinking, then there are people here and elsewhere that can help you on that path. But ultimately, the choice is yours. No one can make that decision for you. It doesn't work that way.

suki44883

When I was actively drinking, and trying to convince myself I didn't really have a problem, there were many time I was able to have two or three drinks and then stop. After all, the fact that I could stop meant that I wasn't an alcoholic, right? Well, after a while, there came a time when I didn't want to stop, so, I didn't.

If you can continue to only have a couple of drinks and then stop, not wanting any more, for a year or so, maybe you don't have a problem. I don't know your story, so I don't know if alcohol has caused problems in your life, but something caused you to look up an alcoholism recovery site.

In any case, I hope you don't let the fact that you only drank a bottle(ish) (which is a lot) convince you that you don't have alcohol issues.

Dee74

Those times when I was able to 'drink like a gentleman' which for me was anything left of not passing out, were dangerous.

I had hundreds of times, thousands even, of times when I had no control and when sad, awful, bad or embarrassing things happened...but I clung to those few times when I 'stopped' or 'didn't get drunk'....

I so DESPERATELY WANTED to be a normal drinker.

I'm glad you stopped - it's never a bad thing to know when we've had enough (no matter how infrequent that might be)...but this

says more to me about your relationship with alcohol than the fact you stopped tonight bagpussgirl.

D

BEAUTIFULIFE

I agree with the others....only YOU know if this is an issue for you.

I can tell you...I have felt he same way at times...planning drinking..hiding actually how much I really drank. I have stopped after 2 or 3....but very seldom.

I know after drinking a bottle last night how I felt this morning...and I know Im sick of that feeling.

Good luck to you ...blessings xo

doggonecarl

I think you will continue to stuggle as you gather evidence to support your drinking.

Exactly what I did for so many years.

sugarbear1

This would be a non-issue for a non-alcoholic.

I always knew how much was left, or if any were left....

MeSoSober

Danger, Will Robinson!

This is, as others have indicated, a big red flag.

It's good that at least you're aware that you have or may have a problem, though, and that you came here!

Zebra1275

What do you think?

It doesn't matter what I think, we've never met and it's highly doubtful that we ever will. More importantly, what do you think?

I might remind you that you signed up to be a member of this website, so perhaps deep down you already know the answer.

Mizzuno

I think that you know the answer. I could have a few one night...a bottle a few days later. Something inevitably happened that was out of control and downright problematic.
You are on a recovery site for drugs and alcohol. What do you think? Do you have a problem?
I hope that you stick around here and let us get to know you better. This place is wonderful.

FreeFall

There were plenty of times I went out and drank to excess, and had booze at home that I didn't touch. I still had a problem.

I only drank 2-3 nights a week. I still had a problem.

I've been able to stop for 8 months (largely thanks to SR). I still have a problem.

My guess is you belong here if you found your way here. Only you can decide if you're really ready to face and halt the addiction. You'll get lots of help here if that's the route you decide to take. Welcome!

Leemzer

A bottle-ish, especially when sick, is a lot. It is a lot when you are well...a person who does not drink could not walk after a bottle...

Fallow

Hi BPG, I remember your name from when you posted a year ago. I just read thru your older posts to remind myself. Maybe you should look back at those too?

smacked

Just please don't take your 5 year old out in the middle of the night for a bottle, again. Who is responsible for his welfare while hubby is gone and you are still drinking?

fhl41

When the little voice in my head started to rationalize my drinking I KNEW in my heart this had become a problem.

schickgrad

For years, I would try to justify to myself that I was a normal drinker until my life was so out of control and I'd hurt so many of my loved ones my life was a complete mess.

In my opinion, it's better to get a handle abusive drinking before it gets so bad your life is a mess.

If YOU are worried about your drinking, then you probably are drinking too much.

FlyerFan

Do "normal" people worry about things like that? I personally don't think they do. When you start questioning yourself about alcohol, it usually means you MAY have a problem. If you still are not sure, you should try some controlled drinking, or try to stop for a certain period of time (a lot of folks say 30 days but i set my own goal when I first tried to get sober I did 50 days)


If you find that you struggle with that, you may very well have a problem, but only YOU can decide that. Nobody else can decide it for you.