gmanriley

I was never an every day drinker...
more like a weekend warrior.
I still can go weeks without a drink, no problem.
But when I decide to drink, I go full steam til I'm pickled and call it a night.
Then, I may not drink for another week...
Would you say I'm an alcoholic ?

Joe Nerv

If you want to stop, yet can't, then you have a problem. There is no clear and absolute way to define someone as an alcoholic.

Mizzuno

This question is only one that you can answer. It doesn't necessarily matter if the word fits you, it matters what alcohol is doing to you and how you feel with it in your life. What do you think about alcohol and being an alcoholic?

gmanriley

The term alcoholic always seemed beneath me, call it arrogance...or ignorance.
I just know that I'm 46 y/o, layed off from my job, lost every relationship I've ever been in, out of shape... and my evil friend (these days my only friend) Al Cohol is still lurking around every corner.

Received

I think you've answered your own question, gmanriley.

Threshold

If you can go without taking that first drink...you won't have the issues all the one's that follow it lead to.

Don't take that first drink.

if you find it hard or impossible to NOT take that first drink...welcome aboard!

Mizzuno

If you think that alcohol is causing problems you could lay off the stuff for awhile and see if things steadily improve. Alcoholism does not care who you are. It does not discriminate. You do not have to adopt the term Alcoholic. It is different for everyone. After many up hill battles and fighting against the stuff, I realized that I have a problem with Alcohol and Alcohol loves to cause problems for me. I just think that we are better off without one another. The relationship that I created was detrimental to my life. I'm taking it one day at a time. There is no reason to keep losing and to keep falling down. I have much to live for.

Notmyrealname

I was a weekend warrior but come Monday night I'd be still a bit hung over so I'd drink to feel better. Well, after awhile I'd be hung over on Tuesday night, too, so I'd drink to feel better. And then I was hung over on Wednesday night from drinking on Tuesday to feel better from Monday's hangover . . You can see where this is going.

"Alcoholic" is a label. Whether you are or are not "alcoholic" isn't really the question you should be asking yourself. The question ought to be, "is my drinking having a negative impact on my life -- my health, my loved ones, my career, my future (career, love life/marriage, retirement savings, etc)?" And if the answer is "yes," you need to ask yourself the obvious follow-up question: "is the experience of being @#$%ed up on booze on a regular basis worth torpedoing my life and my family and my career and my retirement and my health?"

And if you answer yes to both questions, well, at least you've framed the issue correctly.

HML

I can go a week,too. I went 18 months once. But when I take the first glass, I might as well be on the 10th glass, blacking out, sleeping like ****, and full of self-hatred in the morning. I don't like labels, and I'm pretty solitary (not that into being in group settings), and I let both of those keep me from AA. I don't know what I hate worse -- not being able to enjoy a nice glass or two of wine like a "normal" person or the fact that self-hatred after I binge (and I always do) is taking over my life. Am I an alcoholic? Well the answer seems obvious, but I don't care about the label anymore. I want my life back, and the only way for me to do it is to stop drinking forever. Thankfully I found this site, AVRT, and a whole lot of other resources here, including some helpful AA stuff.

It's only Day 6 for me, but I am determined. I wanted to share 'cause "need to know" resonated with me. Can't tell you how any times I googled "symptoms of an alcoholic" before I let myself just be immersed in this site -- no labels necessary!

gmanriley

Thanks HML.
It's been like 5 days for me since I got blitzed, and now it's Saturday and...
you know where I'm heading.
I am out riding my bike surrounded by nature and its beauty...and alcohol should not be on my mind...but it is.

Sasha4

I spent years debating the alcoholic label, all the while carrying on drinking.

Does it matter?
If drinking is making you miserable is that not reason to stop?

The images you have of an alcoholic, just remember they didn't go from being normal to being a homeless tramp begging for money to buy cheap strong lager overnight.
It will have been over a time period for them, gradually loosing things like their job, partner, kids, home on the way.

Why not read round a bit here and see if you can see any similarities with your drinking rather than looking for the differences.

My best to you x

Maylie

Whenever someone asks this question I always tell them "people who aren't addicted don't question whether they are addicted". If your drinking is so excessive and causing enough problems for you to wonder if you are an alcoholic then the answer is most likely yes.

The big test would be to tell yourself you aren't going to drink for a month and if you find that it is extremely hard and your cravings are very strong then there is your answer. People who aren't addicted don't think about drinking all the time, they don't have anxiety or cravings when they don't drink, they don't get moody, etc.

gmanriley

Point taken Maylee

deeker

What she said. People who don't have a drinking problem don't question if they do. They just know they do not. People who don't have a drinking problem don't generally come to recovery forums except of course friends and familes etc. It's not the end of the world. Keep posting and reading, lotsa good stuff in here.

gmanriley

Thanks Deeker and I certainly will continue with SR.

MidnightBlue

Hi, Gmanriley.

I was somewhat like you. And IMHO there's no clear-cut borderline that separates alcoholic, heavy drinker, etc. I don't like to call myself "alcoholic" either. How about "a person who need to quit drinking forever to make life much better?"

Addiction wears a lot of masks. But it's still addiction, a grenade you are keeping in your pocket and which can blow up any moment.

Life is much better without wine, give it a try.

Best wishes to you.

gmanriley

Your words touched me Midnight...thank u.

gmanriley

I'm actually amazed at the warm responses from ev1 here...
It makes me feel good and it's been a while since I felt good.
Thanks to all who responded.

Received

Yeah, we're a rather friendly bunch.

ElegantlyWasted

Ditto Midnight's take on it. To an extent some of us get hung up on strict definitions (I know I did as my pattern was/is similar to yours). What made it real for me was thinking along the lined of ... I drink and sometimes really bad stuff happens; therefore I should not drink at all. I had to get over the definition fixation (I have a hunch It was part of my own denial).