Question
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 1,701
Originally Posted by MeSoSober 
If other people call someone an alcoholic, to me that strongly implies that the person is still actively drinking.
When I tell people that I am an addict or alcoholic, they usually assume I am in recovery....and often ask for advice on dealing with a person in active addiction.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 174
I'm not terribly offended by someone calling me an alcoholic, but I do think an alcoholic is really someone who has a problem with alcohol and continues to drink. I prefer the term recovering alcoholic, but I don't expect someone who has never had a problem with alcohol to necessarily understand the difference.
For me, I think I'll always consider myself a recovering alcoholic and recovering addict, because for me to be recovered would mean to me that I could use alcohol like a person who isn't an alcoholic. But, I may change my mind after I have many years of recovery under my belt, who knows.
I really don't care what words other people use to describe me though. Their words don't change me and they don't define me.
For me, I think I'll always consider myself a recovering alcoholic and recovering addict, because for me to be recovered would mean to me that I could use alcohol like a person who isn't an alcoholic. But, I may change my mind after I have many years of recovery under my belt, who knows.
I really don't care what words other people use to describe me though. Their words don't change me and they don't define me.
Psalm 118:24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 15,203
I call myself a grateful alcoholic.
Until I came to terms with it, I wasn't grateful.
We have a saying around here, it's alcoholism not alcoholwasim.
The chromosome missing in my body that causes me to not be able to control my drinking is still with me after numerous years of not drinking.
Until I came to terms with it, I wasn't grateful.
We have a saying around here, it's alcoholism not alcoholwasim.
The chromosome missing in my body that causes me to not be able to control my drinking is still with me after numerous years of not drinking.
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 919
Words are tools, I think.
I think the good in calling yourself in alcoholic is surrender, and surrender is a great power. You admit that you need help.
I think the bad in calling yourself an alcoholic is defeatism, and defeatism is a great weakness. You accept that you cannot win.
It may depend on who you are and what you need. The value of SR seems to be the plurality of perspectives and the support it brings.
I personally agree that I need to surrender by calling myself an alcoholic and admitting I have a problem that I cannot fix. I can never drink, it always leads me to square one.
On the other hand I do not like to call my problem a disease or elevate it to some special level. We all have our demons, if mine is my desire to consume (and for me that can be food, alcohol, many things) then my friends might be something else. We learn to live with our demons, perhaps never kill them.
I think the good in calling yourself in alcoholic is surrender, and surrender is a great power. You admit that you need help.
I think the bad in calling yourself an alcoholic is defeatism, and defeatism is a great weakness. You accept that you cannot win.
It may depend on who you are and what you need. The value of SR seems to be the plurality of perspectives and the support it brings.
I personally agree that I need to surrender by calling myself an alcoholic and admitting I have a problem that I cannot fix. I can never drink, it always leads me to square one.
On the other hand I do not like to call my problem a disease or elevate it to some special level. We all have our demons, if mine is my desire to consume (and for me that can be food, alcohol, many things) then my friends might be something else. We learn to live with our demons, perhaps never kill them.
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