trez

For me it was when I'd start drinking in the morning to get over a hangover. I'd go to the supermarket at 7am and buy booze (and a bunch of groceries so I looked "normal" to the cashier) and then drink it on my way home. The way-too-frequent blackouts were another clue. Waking up with bruises or other injuries.

anykey

I sure dont miss running ALL day to score some pills.

CAPTAINZING2000

The words you have the right to remain silent entered into it

ScottFromWI

When I needed to drink vs wanting to drink.

hardhearts

When I started blacking out I began to worry, but then I just figured everyone blacked out and had anxiety and regret (HA, not so). I started taking it more seriously when I turned from a fairly pleasant drunk to a very suicidal drunk/human being and despite the constant ideations, I still couldn't leave it alone.

tornrealization

Before I had my first drink - and after having my first drink it was cemented in stone.

DoubleDragons

When I was 18 or 19 and realized that almost after every party I went to, I was either blacking out or passing out, I got concerned. I told my family that I thought I had a drinking problem and I basically got ridiculed for being a drama queen. I continued through the decades to consistently embarrass myself by drinking myself into oblivion with enough "not very drunk" moments sprinkled in to make me feel like I was "normal". (but deep down, not really) When we went through some major financial problems about 5 years ago, my drinking became less of crazy party drinking and more "needing" my wine every night, with periods of "moderating" my drinking only to end up back at drinking about a bottle of wine a night. Ironically, it wasn't until my early 40s that I quit drinking and even more ironically, it had nothing to do with my own drinking patterns. I saw my mom careen into alcoholism (drinking in the mornings, coming to family events drunk) and I came to terms that I would be her someday if I didn't do something about it. I could not bear the thought of putting the shame and pain that I have felt because of her drinking on to my children. So I quit. Bottom line, I knew since I was 18, didn't do anything about it until I was 42. My guardian angels deserve top status and a pay raise.

gettingbetter64

When I started blacking out every time I drank then being paranoid the next day of what I said and how I acted in front of people.
I couldn't imagine not drinking every night
I would be on my first drink and I would already be planning my 3rd and 4th
Those are just a few

Brian316

Good topic. I would say probably 2 years or so into my 14 year active drinking life. Yeah I had a little voice that often said to me ya know you are probably an alcoholic. But I didn't listen. The voice got louder and more frequent over time as things got worse. Finally I thought it was time to do something about it.

deeker

When I totaled out a police car at 19. Didn't get sober though for a very long time .
Very, very long time. Cuz I of course was to young to be in those AA meetings. sigh..

Croissant

Unfortunately, later than I would have liked.

adee

I knew very, very early on (high school and earlier) that I did not drink like most everyone else. I knew that I didn't have an off switch and that almost got me killed on several occasions. I was pretty sure that most people wouldn't have described alcohol as their soulmate. My mom was in recovery and I would go to AA meetings with her to celebrate her birthdays and such and I would identify so much with the stories they told. I really didn't have any doubt that I would end up there one day. I drank for almost 30 years after that realization. So, yeah, it took a while to be willing to do something about it.

MythOfSisyphus

Probably around '92 or so. But I gave drinking another 20 years after that just to make sure.

FeelingGreat

I always loved drinking (still do), but when it crept up to a bottle of wine a night and numerous attempts to stop only lasted so long, I decided I had a real problem. The whole process took about 10 years.

Try18

Sitting in the pouring rain in an empty beer garden in November 2010, alone, necking a bottle of wine.

Things went downhill quickly from there.

snowbunting

After years of denial, even though I was regularly putting myself in embarrassing or downright dangerous situations for alcohol. I don't think there was one lightbulb moment when I realised. Walking across town at 7am drunk trying to get home from strangers' houses, seeing other people going out to work, and having to explain myself to my boyfriend (now husband) - that got really old after a while. I still continued for a couple of years though, and as recently as last weekend.

Jeni26

I remember sitting at a bar when I was in my early 20s, chatting to an older guy about drinking. He was a drinker too. I remember him questioning me about my drinking and asking whether I thought I had a problem with it... I wasn't sure at the time, but that conversation stayed with me, and I guess it was probably the first time I seriously thought about it.

I finally gave up 2 days after my 48th birthday.

It took me 25 years to answer his question...

PurpleKnight

The routine of facilitating alcohol started to become ingrained in my lifestyle, coming home from work and going to the liquor store every few days, drinking more and more hard spirits, rather than the occasional beer after work.

The hangovers started to become more routine, making it through a work day became simply survival, and then I'd think about whether I had enough to drink when I got home, almost panicking if I thought I'd run out and not have enough.

Progression is a word used a lot on SR and when I realised how my life had spiralled into something focusing so much on alcohol . . . I knew I had a problem!!

DisplacedGRITS

I knew I was an alcoholic for a long time. I mean, normal people don't get drunk every night, wake up hungover every morning then start drinking just to stave off the shakes. There was a tiny voice inside my head and that told me this was not normal. There was something wrong but it became my normal. Sure, I was an alcoholic. So effing what? That's who I am. I'm fine. I'm freaking fine and no one bother me.

I knew I was an alcoholic. I just didn't know that i didn't have to be a suffering alcoholic.

snowbunting

I fogot to mention hiding bottles. Everyone knows that that is a classic sign of your common garden alcoholic. Even people who know nothing about alcoholism know that. Even I knew that.

So when I started hiding half-empty bottles around the house, I sort of knew I had a problem. Stayed in denial for a couple of years after that though.