Bubbalicious

So, here's my story in a nutshell.

I've had a beer or two or three a night since I was 22 or so - honestly a beer or two or three. After a days work, the guys and I would gather around a tailgate and have a beer or two and shoot the **** about the boss/job/wife/what have you. Then I would usually have a beer with dinner, and maybe one afterwards depending on my anxiety level.

Fast forward 20 years. That beer or two or three still existed. On the weekends we'd sit out fishing, working on a car, mowing the lawn, digging a ditch, hanging drywall, pouring concrete, etc, and these activities usually involved a beer or two or three; A buddy of mine and I would kill a 12 pack reviving an old briggs five horse on the odd Saturday night.

So, I did the whole January challenge this year - stop drinking for a month. That month turned into two, and now nearly three. I've actually gone to a Doc about my anxiety, and was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder (this was 45 days or so after I had my last beer).

I still have those beers with my buddies after work, although now it's Busch NA (which, btw, isn't bad). I got a little ribbing about it, but just blamed the meds, and they layed off after a bit

I hate labels, but I am trying to figure out if I am/was an alcoholic. I don't crave alcohol - hell, I have several bottles of wine, liquor (open), margaritas, limearitas, and good ole Busch in the house where they have always been. St. Patty's day I missed the traditional shots of Jameson and a Guinness (also in the fridge) sounded really good to go with the corned beef and cabbage, but alas - a Kaliber had to suffice.

So, let's hear it from the crowd here - am I an alcoholic?

ReadyAtLast

Hello and welcome

Only you can decide that if you are an alcoholic. I've never liked the term tbh. I prefer to think -does alcohol cause me problems? Am I better off not drinking? Is alochol casuing my anxiety/problems/ depresssion etc in life? If the answer if yes then surely it's better not to drink.

I'm studying at the moment and the current topic is alcohol and human health. The current thinking is moving away from the term 'alcoholic' and using 'alcohol use disorder' I think people will relate better to this. 'alcoholic' is very much 'homeless man in doorway drinking from a bottle in a paper bag'

If we look at our drinking as causing us problems, whatever they may be then we can relate better to it, stop ignoring it, seek help and take action.

360shoes

Oh shoot Bubbalicious. The million dollar question that probably only you can answer. You will get opinions I'm sure.

I can only tell you about me. Drinking a lot, drinking a little, not drinking. I've done it all. And all I know is I am a far better version of me if I don't drink it. And I have GAD too. Always have. So who knows if I used it to self treat my anxiety...probably if I had to guess.

I wouldn't worry about a label right this minute. I work in healthcare and they call it Alcohol Use Disorder and consider it a spectrum disorder now. So it can run the scale. So AUD or alcoholic. Who knows.

Since you asked for opinions here's mine. I have friends who have absolutely no issue with alcohol and it would never even cross their mind to get on this forum. So probably something about your drinking is causing you some issues.

Welcome and stick around!! It's a great place to figure it out for yourself with people who get it.

Meddles

Gottalife

The AA program narrows it down to two very specific elements.

"If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic."

It also talks about the temperate drinker who can take it or leave it, and the hard drinker who can stop or moderate by choice if they have a good enough reason. Alcohol used disorder is a very broad spectrum diagnosis and a very large number of the population will be on the spectrum for a time in their lives.

The temperate drinker would probably not register most of the time, the hard drinker could be anywhere in the mild to moderate aud range. The alcoholic, AA says, might have been a temperate drinker at one time, may or may not have been a hard drinker, but at some point in their drinking career they loose all control and become unable to stop. They land up at the severe end of the aud scale.

A lot of my friends moved into then out of the aud scale as other things took their interest.

Regadless of alcoholism, which is more to do with loss of choice, it is still dangerous to drink excessive quanitities. All sorts of illnesses are linked to excessive consumption. Some say any consumption at all can be bad for you. So there are good health reasons to stay quit.

Anna

It's really up to you to make the decision as to whether or not you're an alcoholic.

Is alcohol causing problems in your life? If so, then stopping drinking is a great idea.

nez

Doesn't matter. The answer won't change anything anyway.

Actions will change things though. Is there anything in your life that you want to change? If so, what are your plans going forward?

August252015

What Gottalife said - and I'll add that drinking makes anxiety worse, and can be a vicious cycle where each feed off the other.

D122y

Bubba,

I don't call myself an alky usually. At the aa meetings I attended I would have been the only one not, so i did.

I am an addict for life. Knowing that is defense against the casual slip. I crave the buzz.

But, now educated, I get the buzz elsewhere.

I don't drink anymore. This place, and all of my peers here, save my life.

I don't really get sick any more and I have energy like I can never remember.

Why mess that up.

Health is wealth.

Booze alters dopamine production, so I needed it to feel happier. Not any more.

The term alky alters insurance premiums etc. The only place I talk about addiction etc. Is here.

Definitely better that way.

Thanks.

least

I don't think it matters what you call yourself. If alcohol is causing problems, then don't drink. I got sober over 9 yrs ago and never once have I woken up and wished I had drank the night before.

Dee74

Welcome Bubbalicious

Is life better now you're not drinking?
If yes - does it matter what you are/were?

D

Tailai

AAPJ

I think this all sums it up quite well.

August252015

I have to chime in again.

Not having withdrawals doesn't mean you aren't an alcoholic.

Being homeless or other stereotypes like the guy with the brown bag? Doesn't mean you aren't an alcoholic.

I agree that many find labels of any kind unhelpful. I'm not going to get into the mixed feelings I have about this new terminology of AUD - I will say that I (now) have no problem identifying myself as an alcoholic. I am quite public about it, which is another topic altogether.

You are here asking questions which is great- perhaps learning about what alcoholism (or problem drinking or whatever you want to call it) IS would be useful to you.

I am an AA person - and I also lead a non AA/NA group for the restaurant industry. In the latter especially, the focus is what you (anyone) who finds using alcohol or drugs damaging to their lives, sufficiently to bother them (so I would include you there, right?), can do about it.

bexxed

There’s a questionnaire on the aa website I believe. I took it and checked some boxes, when I was very honest with myself. Was shocked by what it told me that meant and closed the window for a few years. The next time I took it, a few more boxes were checked. And so on.

Things worked out in the end, but if I’d gotten sober after that first time, it would have been easier. Live and learn. I wasn’t ready to diagnose myself.

Hope that helps you?

MindfulMan

There's addiction and dependency.

People can have withdrawal symptoms from things like antidepressants, sometimes fairly severe ones. They are definitely dependent.

Are they addicted?

Would they sell themselves for an antidepressant? Does the antidepressant use cause relationship problems, job loss, etc? Have they gotten an DUA (driving under antidepressants)? Are there negative consequences from their use of antidepressants?

Probably not.

They're not addicts.

If someone has an intractable gambling problem, do they suffer withdrawals when they stop? Do they have dangerous withdrawal symptoms from drugs like cocaine?

No, they are addicted, not dependent.