Hi, im new. I may have a problem
 

Hi,im 23. ok this is realy hard to say because this is the first time i admit it. but i think these last few months i may have developed a small problem with alcohol. Its like every weekend i drink ATLEAST a bottle of whisky ,sometimes during the week aswel. I drink about 3-4 days a week. And if i dont atleast drink during the weekend im depressed, its mostly out of boredom though,and i got a problem with anxiety and i noticed alcohol realy worsens my anxiety the next day . Mostly i want to stop because i know its bad healthwise.Do you think its possible to teach yourself to drink moderately? Like i would love to just oneday go out and just have a few glasses of wine and stop.Btw (i havent drank anything since thursday,) i thought id give this sober thing a shot for atleast 2 weeks Hopefuly more, but like they say,one day at a time. already Im finding it hard,im cranky.And i just want to have a drink. thanx and btw pleased to meet u all

Hi and welcome to sr.......im glad you here with us.
i have no experience of moderate drinking or returning to moderate drinking.

i guess some problem drinkers have managed it........but ive never seen an alcoholic do it......plenty try......some die trying sadly.

someone will post a link..hopefully which will help you decide whether you are an alcoholic.....

i would guess that if you are a problem drinker you should be able to stop for long periods without to much trouble.

but im speaking outside of my experience so ill shut up.

again nice to have you here.

Welcome to SR! :wavey:

I'm with Trucker here... never seen an alcoholic do it. I wish you the best of luck, and everything else that goes with it. Hang around some...

It's hard at 23 to admit anything that is going to have to redefine your life... I know. Sober is actually fun though... go figure.


TB...

Hello Cadence,

I am also 23 and was in the same boat as you. The first time I thought I might have a problem is ultimately when I KNEW I had a problem. I tried moderate drinking and like Angelina it would work occasionally but usually I ended up hammered and then on a drinking binge which ultimately started destroying me. I would drink because of boredom, to mask problems, etc... My anxiety was always high. I noticed after a few times being sober that over time without alcohol that my anxiety was so much lower and my problems so much smaller. I am dependent on alcohol for boredom, stress, etc...I am fairly new at the sobriety thing, have tried once before, but I realize that I must overcome my underlying issues causing me to drink.

Welcome to SR!

I am with the majority... an alcoholic cannot drink in moderation!

I know moderation never worked for me, but that's probably because I drank to get buzzed or drunk, and 'moderate' drinking, defined as what, 1 drink for women, 2 drinks for men would never have me where I wanted to be. I drank for the effect, not the 'taste'. Plus, all the times I tried to moderate, I just obsessed about it more .. much more of a relief not to even have to bother with it.

Welcome CadenceS - congratulations for being smart enough at 23 to take a hard look at your behavior. I wish I had. I knew in my heart my drinking was out of control, but I refused to do anything about it. I continued drinking through every phase of my life, always trying to control how much I drank, but never once did it work. In the end I was drinking straight vodka and not even feeling it. I'm not saying this is where it would lead for you, but if you feel it might, stop now and don't put yourself through the hell that many of us have been through.

It does feel strange in the beginning, when you're so used to having it to fall back on.
Give yourself chance to adjust to life without it, don't be discouraged by how you feel in the beginning. Things will get better & easier. Please let us know how you're doing.

Hi CadenceS

We can offer lots of opinions, but the bottom line is noone here can tell you if you're an alcoholic or not, or whether you might be able to drink moderately.

I think it's far more important right now to focus on the fact you think it's a problem. Why not try the sobriety period - see how you feel after that?
Have you thought about seeing a doctor and getting their advice?

You'll find a lot of support here - no matter what you decide :)

This is the test trucker mentioned - it's not conclusive but it may help to focus things for you :)

Michigan Alcohol Screening Test

welcome to SR :)
D

:welcome

Welcome aboard Cadense!!!!!! Your minimun 1 wiskey-bottle-per-weekend regimen tells me that something is not right. You should go see a doctor or counselor to discuss your issue.

Welcome

I have found having a small problem with alcohol was like being a little bit pregnant

maybe it will be different for you, however the odds are against it

you have gotten some great advice, oh, and by the way, I am 44 and most everyone I know my age got sober in their teens or twenties, so you are not too young, and also by the way, we had a blast in sobriety

Personally my experience with counselors and doctors is they didn't know f*ck all about alcoholism except a little bit here and there, which was mostly wrong, my experience in sobriety has done little to change my opinion of that, although there are good therapists that specialize in addiction for after you get sober, that however is just my experience, thus my opinion, I found people who know about alcoholism are recovered alcoholics.

Looking forward to watching your journey

Thank u!
 

Wow,gosh! Thanx to all of you,so much support here. I wish i could reply to each one of you individualy, awesome advice Its my 3rd day and already my mind feels much clearer. Im starting to like this :) thanks again for all the answers, il keep it in mind, and congratulations to all of you that made the right choice in staying sober. I think i might just do the same. Itl be hard, since all my family/friends drink,but with such great support, itl be a lot easier. Have a great sunday!