Do you think about being an addict all the time?
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
Not sure where I stand and right now I'm definitely overwhelmed with the possibility of being labelled something for life. As time goes on, do those of you who are alcoholics think about the fact that you are an alcoholic less? Not about drinking, but about the label?
Hoosier,
no need to be sure right now, is there? about a word/label.
for me, as time went on, i changed my mind, or, more accurately, i changed in regards to how i saw myself.
i started out understanding i was a drunk, and looking back you'd think that would mean i could have called myself an alcoholic, but no, it wasn't so. that came later, and was inexplicably still shocking to me
even though i knew it prior.
all very odd, that journey.
as far as thinking about the fact that i'm an alcoholic...hm...i don't really "think about" it, i know it. not sure that makes sense to you. i know it and it's alright. keeps me sober, that knowing it.
Hoosier,
no need to be sure right now, is there? about a word/label.
for me, as time went on, i changed my mind, or, more accurately, i changed in regards to how i saw myself.
i started out understanding i was a drunk, and looking back you'd think that would mean i could have called myself an alcoholic, but no, it wasn't so. that came later, and was inexplicably still shocking to me
even though i knew it prior. all very odd, that journey.
as far as thinking about the fact that i'm an alcoholic...hm...i don't really "think about" it, i know it. not sure that makes sense to you. i know it and it's alright. keeps me sober, that knowing it.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SoCal, California
Posts: 990
I'm only going on day 12 so, yeah, I think about it a lot. It helps me stay sober.
Just like if I needed to lose weight I would think about that a lot too.
Or, if I wanted to get really good playing the guitar, I'd be thinking about that all the time.
As for being an addict - so what.
Just like if I needed to lose weight I would think about that a lot too.
Or, if I wanted to get really good playing the guitar, I'd be thinking about that all the time.
As for being an addict - so what.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 136
Originally Posted by ClearLight 
I'm only going on day 12 so, yeah, I think about it a lot. It helps me stay sober.
Just like if I needed to lose weight I would think about that a lot too.
Or, if I wanted to get really good playing the guitar, I'd be thinking about that all the time.
As for being an addict - so what.
Just like if I needed to lose weight I would think about that a lot too.
Or, if I wanted to get really good playing the guitar, I'd be thinking about that all the time.
As for being an addict - so what.
But once you start eating better, exercising, now you've lost that weight. Who cares if you have fat slob tendencies? You got a six pack now.
I only care that I'm an alcoholic as I am suffering. If I'm sober 10 years I would not care the slightest at the label
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Central America/Florida USA
Posts: 4,064
My therapist (a recovering addict herself) said she refers to herself as "having an alcohol allergy". I suppose that's true, considering alcohol does react badly with us folks. It doesn't appear as a rash or anything - it appears like a cancer, slowly eating away at life.
I think there's a fine balance. To minimize my struggles with alcohol by saying "Eh, I had a problem and now I'm okay" seems to trite. If I maximize my label I could say "I'm forever an alcoholic and it ruined my life and took me into a dark hole of despair from which I am lucky to have escaped"....and that's pretty overly dramatic.
I think I flip flop. When I go to AA (only about once a month), I firmly and strongly say "I am an alcoholic". But last weekend when I was enjoying breakfast and coffee with friends, I was just "me". An intelligent, well-rounded, friendly good-looking guy who happens to not drink alcohol.
Self-talk and particularly self-degradation was a huge obstacle for me. I used to joke to some of my friends "If you know any women who want to date an unemployed alcoholic, tell 'em to give me a call haha!" -- while that's kinda funny, it's really not nice to talk about yourself that way.
I'd say you should call yourself whatever makes you feel GOOD and PROUD. As long as you don't drink and are committed to it, all will be well. Treat yourself with dignity.
I think there's a fine balance. To minimize my struggles with alcohol by saying "Eh, I had a problem and now I'm okay" seems to trite. If I maximize my label I could say "I'm forever an alcoholic and it ruined my life and took me into a dark hole of despair from which I am lucky to have escaped"....and that's pretty overly dramatic.
I think I flip flop. When I go to AA (only about once a month), I firmly and strongly say "I am an alcoholic". But last weekend when I was enjoying breakfast and coffee with friends, I was just "me". An intelligent, well-rounded, friendly good-looking guy who happens to not drink alcohol.
Self-talk and particularly self-degradation was a huge obstacle for me. I used to joke to some of my friends "If you know any women who want to date an unemployed alcoholic, tell 'em to give me a call haha!" -- while that's kinda funny, it's really not nice to talk about yourself that way.
I'd say you should call yourself whatever makes you feel GOOD and PROUD. As long as you don't drink and are committed to it, all will be well. Treat yourself with dignity.
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