aeo1313

I'm sorry I keep posting this morning, but things are clicking in my mind and the more they click the more questions I have.

-do "normal" drinkers think of every social event as a time to get wasted?
-why does my husband act the same after 1 drink or 10 drinks where I am on the bar dancing and making an ass of myself
-do most people get an excited heart racing feeling when they are going out knowing they will be drinking?

Fubarcdn

In my opinion normal drinkers never think of social events as a time to get wasted nor do they even want to get wasted. That is a definite red flag
Different people react differently to drinking. Some become more introverted, some stay the same, and some become more extroverted and demonstrative.
You will see a lot of people posting that only drink alone.
Different strokes for different folks.
In my opinion most people do not get an exited feeling knowing they will be drinking. If this is you it may be another red flag.

KarrieJay

It's difficult to answer all of your questions, because I'm not a "normal" drinker, I'm an alcoholic. However, I wasn't always an alcoholic - there was a time years ago when I could drink normally, so I'm reaching back in my memory for the answers:

1. No. Normal drinkers definitely do not think of every social event as a time to get wasted. Most of the time, they don't want to get wasted at all.

2. I don't know. I doubt that anyone acts exactly the same after 10 drinks as they do after 1, but I guess they could still avoid making an ass of themselves. Alcohol can distort your perception of what kind of behaviour is acceptable, so what seems like a good idea when wasted makes you cringe when sober. I guess normal drinkers just avoid drinking to the stage that that happens; alcoholics don't.

3. No. If normal people do get that excited, heart racing feeling it's not because they will be drinking.

aeo1313

hmmmm. I see every party or social setting as a drinking one and plan around it. If I know I am going out I clear my calendar the next morning or arrange for the kids to be at my mom's. I get my husband to drive so I can drink. I plan nights out with one of my friends strickly planning on us both getting wasted...and we are 36. Yeah- it's getting clearer.

Sapling

I hope it's getting clearer....Because I don't see anything normal about it. Might be a good time to think about some kind of recovery program.

jocata

I would have those same feelings when I knew I was going to get drunk. That was almost every night, or at least several times a week. Then it became dreadful. It got to the point where I didn't want to drink, but got wasted anyway. Always vowing the next morning to stop completely or at least tone it down.

If you are an alcoholic like me, there will come a time when you no longer get excited about the prospect of getting drunk. You will dread it and still do it anyway.

It doesn't have to be like that anymore.

God bless.

Threshold

Yeah, everything everyone else has said, and one other thing. This keeps standing out in my mind because you've mentioned it in several posts. You say your husband acts the same after one drink as after ten. Do "normal drinkers" drink ten drinks?

As noted above, people act differently when drinking, when drunk. Ten drinks...unless the person is the size of an elephant is dang blasted drunk, no matter how they act on the outside.

If what you are basically asking here, in a variety of ways, is are you an alcoholic. Well, in the end, only you can decide if you want to wear that label, but you sure do think, act and talk like those of us who consider ourselves alcoholics.

since I'm at it. I wonder about the term "normal drinkers" because people who's lives don't revolve around drinking...would have another "label". I mean, they wouldn't be defined by how much or little they drank.

If you categorize people by how much they drink, how they behave IF they drink, whether or not they can stop drinking without making fools of themselves. If YOU see others through the lenses of drinking..I think it's clear what the focus of your life is.

Just an outside observation.

lisa29

^ Ditto @ Jocata

I think that is the obvious sign that you are an alcoholic: when drinking is no longer fun, yet you still drink every night anyway.

For me it was always trying to catch that euphoric buzz that I used to get my first few years of drinking. For me, every social event was a reason why I couldn't stop drinking. For example, " I can't cut back today, the weekend is coming up. I'll cut back on Monday." (Monday rolls along) "Monday Night Football is on. I'll cut back tomorrow..." Days turn into years quick when you think like this.

raqbord

Here is the thing hon... How do you really know how your hubby is acting if you are totally wasted? Just because he is not the focus of everone's attention (because that is you & me) doesn't mean he isn't wasted. I'm sure he is in no position to drive, but you probably can't even form a sentence and think you are da bomb! Omg, I have been there so many times. Problem is.... Our friends have never told us they thought we had a problem, they think we are funny? I would have never quit drinking had I not had 2 blackouts, 2 weekends in a row and it scared the Sh!& out of me. I finally, finally did it for myself. You will quit asking questions when you see that if one drink ALWAYS turns in to wasted, ya may have a bit of a problem.

I would never judge anyone nor tell them they have a problem. Look inward for that answer.

Much love and hugs!
Raquel