hard time believing i am alcoholic
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Jacksonville FL
Posts: 164
hard time believing i am alcoholic
I have a hard time believing I am alcoholic because I do not go through withdrawal other then occasionally having slightly shaky hands the next day. But that is as much of a physical withdrawal symptom that I get. I know the label doesn't matter because if it is a problem then it is a problem. But if I am not physically dependent on alcohol then its hard for me to believe that I am in a category that really needs to abstain from drinking forever. Maybe that is my AV talking to me.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
It took me about eight years to become physically dependent. And even then I would call it a medium case. I still went to work every day but I felt absolutely terrible. I was not like what you see in the movies like Nicholas Cage in leaving Las Vegas but dang I sure felt that way. I'm 32 and if I would've continued on a few years that would've been me. My shakes in the hands were actually pretty mild. But inside, it felt like a jackhammer was going off all over my body
It happened really slowly over a period of time of daily heavy drinking. Stop now before you get to that point.
It happened really slowly over a period of time of daily heavy drinking. Stop now before you get to that point.
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,476
I did some research and found that around 70% of alcoholics will get the shakes, the other 30% will drop dead before they shake.
I nearly made it to dropping dead never having shaken back in 2008.
I was absolutely cooked in every other respect.
Bleeding out places I should not bleed from... The works.
After swearing I would quit drinking and admit alcoholism once I started drinking in the morning, I lowered the bar to " I'll quit drinking when I wake up shaking"
So two and a half years later, still no shakes, but I was a sick little parrot in every other respect.
Smart fella that I am
I nearly made it to dropping dead never having shaken back in 2008.
I was absolutely cooked in every other respect.
Bleeding out places I should not bleed from... The works.
After swearing I would quit drinking and admit alcoholism once I started drinking in the morning, I lowered the bar to " I'll quit drinking when I wake up shaking"
So two and a half years later, still no shakes, but I was a sick little parrot in every other respect.
Smart fella that I am
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 250
For me, my first step in realising I was an alcoholic was not about physical dependency at all, although I went through dangerous withdrawals when I stopped drinking. It was the (sudden?) realisation that alcohol had become top priority in my life. Nothing else mattered as much. Maybe it was just a different starting point?
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 4,225
https://ncadd.org/learn-about-alcoho...buse-self-test
Forget the word alcoholic....it stops so many seeking help, like me.
If it's a problem, then it's a problem. Forget the labels.
Forget the word alcoholic....it stops so many seeking help, like me.
If it's a problem, then it's a problem. Forget the labels.
Sober Alcoholic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,539
"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters if you get a full knowledge of your condition.
Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time." (Alcoholics Anonymous 1st edition).
IMO the more alcohol you can "handle" early on, the more at risk you are for alcoholism.
Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time." (Alcoholics Anonymous 1st edition).
IMO the more alcohol you can "handle" early on, the more at risk you are for alcoholism.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
Things changed in my last 2 years of drinking, but I didn't have much in the way of physical symptoms for most of my drinking career...or rather I had a lot of the symptoms already as part of my disability, and I didn't notice much of a change there.
I was still drinking hard enough to fell a elephant, still drinking enough to lose several careers and several life partners...and psychologically addicted to such an extent I thought all that stuff was others people's fault, not mine and my drinking.
Whatever your problem is, it sounds pretty serious:
Alcoholic or not, drinking like we do will kill you...and your soul tends to die a long time before the rest of you, trust me.
I was still drinking hard enough to fell a elephant, still drinking enough to lose several careers and several life partners...and psychologically addicted to such an extent I thought all that stuff was others people's fault, not mine and my drinking.
Whatever your problem is, it sounds pretty serious:
Hi, I'm new to Sober Recovery. I am trying to quit drinking but at the same time I feel like I have no self control, will power, or motivation. The longest I have stayed sober so far is 3 1/2 days. I have no problem going all day long not drinking. My problem has always been when I get home at night. I like to have drink wine, or captain morgan mixed with diet coke to unwind and relax and feel good before I go to sleep. I have been a nightly drinker for a while now. I am going to an Intensive Outpatient group 4 nights a week but I feel like I don't even know why I keep going, since I come home and drink like usual. It would seem like I don't even want to stop drinking. And part of me doesn't. The other part knows my life isn't going the way I want it to and I need to make a change. But... I don't. Im frustrated with myself.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: C.C. Ma.
Posts: 3,697
Hi.
I also hung my hat on a dislike of the word alcoholic. In the long run I needed to learn what I didn’t know about all my misconceptions.
The old timers in AA had it down very accurately. For instance it was suggested to not drink for 90 days, if you didn’t like the results your misery was refundable.
Early on is the best time to arrest this progressive disease, believe us. Unfortunately we are experts on telling ourselves reasons to drink which is a huge signpost.
For many continued drinking results in the loss of everything ending up as so many homeless people do.
The thing most have to do is get honest with ourselves about our drinking and accept the fact we as alcoholics cannot drink in safety.
BE WELL
I also hung my hat on a dislike of the word alcoholic. In the long run I needed to learn what I didn’t know about all my misconceptions.
The old timers in AA had it down very accurately. For instance it was suggested to not drink for 90 days, if you didn’t like the results your misery was refundable.
Early on is the best time to arrest this progressive disease, believe us. Unfortunately we are experts on telling ourselves reasons to drink which is a huge signpost.
For many continued drinking results in the loss of everything ending up as so many homeless people do.
The thing most have to do is get honest with ourselves about our drinking and accept the fact we as alcoholics cannot drink in safety.
BE WELL
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Originally Posted by ItsJustMe89 
But if I am not physically dependent on alcohol then its hard for me to believe that I am in a category that really needs to abstain from drinking forever.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
Dependent can also mean not being able to go a period of time without a drink, withdrawals are only half the story, if your mind cannot not handle not having a drink for a few months, if alcohol is that important in your life, then something needs changed!!
Guest
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,476
Originally Posted by Dee74
Alcoholic or not, drinking like we do will kill you...and your soul tends to die a long time before the rest of you, trust me.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Washington
Posts: 75
Amen, purpleknight. If you have a drinking problem, you shouldn't drink. If you don't, not drinking shouldn't matter. I second those who advise to abstain for at least 90 days. Strong urges to drink are red flags.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,195
I have been physically dependent in the past. There was a 2 year period where I was drinking every day and I was hopelessly addicted. Some one mentioned Nic Cage's character in Leaving Las Vegas. Like that, I had moments where I was shaking so bad that I couldn't do a simple thing like sign my name or interact with people in public.
My first real experience with withdrawal came when I broke this 2 year binge. Afterward, I stopped the heavy daily drinking, but still drank 2-3 nights a week and often binged to black-out once a week. I was no longer dependent, but I was damn sure still an alcoholic.
If alcohol is causing problems in your life and you can't control your intake then at least you are a problem drinker if not alcoholic. Semantics.
My first real experience with withdrawal came when I broke this 2 year binge. Afterward, I stopped the heavy daily drinking, but still drank 2-3 nights a week and often binged to black-out once a week. I was no longer dependent, but I was damn sure still an alcoholic.
If alcohol is causing problems in your life and you can't control your intake then at least you are a problem drinker if not alcoholic. Semantics.
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