coloring

last year i probably drank every night for at least 10 months. never had any stomach problems. sometimes had only one or two beers. occasionally got really drunk, but it never caused me to do anything out of the norm (no blacking out, rage, over-emotion; if anything i drank to reduce the latter).

anyway, i'm beginning to wonder if i have a problem. i feel like i need to drink something nearly every night. maybe it's my lifestyle: i have been in very high stress situations for the past year and though i'm comfortable with how things are going, i'm pretty anxious and isolated. maybe it's a temporary phase: "most people drink a lot in their 20s". but, i don't know; i drink alone in my room and although my roommates drink etc. a lot, i usually hide my drinking from them.

i go through bouts of anxiety and depression (and mania), but am extremely functional and stable. (i am 'good' at internalizing/rationalizing.) although i feel pretty controlled, i'm worried this is gonna turn into full-fledged alcoholism down the road. i dont want to drink every night, but i do.

any thoughts?

Anna

Welcome Coloring,

If you want to stop drinking, you've come to a great place to find support and encouragement and information. You say that you feel pretty controlled, but yet you drink every night, even though you don't want to. That makes me wonder. And, the problem with drinking to deal with stress, is that you never learn more healthy and productive ways to deal with stress. And, if you have problems with anxiety and depression, you should know that alcohol can increase those feelings.

If you want to stop drinking, you can do it. We're here to offer help.

CarolD

Welcome!

Congratulations for seeking answers to your drinking.

Alcoholism is a disease and it is progressive.

I suggest you get more factual info

My favorite book on alcoholism is
"Under The Influence"
and it has a sequel..."Beyond The Influence"

Both can be ordered from Amazon...

Glad to see a new member...we do understand and you are not alone.

Blessings...

coloring

awhile ago i was drinking several cups of coffee a day. morning, afternoon, post-dinner. after a couple months, i managed to quit completely. i felt better: in the morning i woke up easily, didn't get sluggish, never had cravings. but then i realized that i missed coffee and, despite it's negative side effects, i missed the ritual and the taste and the social functionality (much like cigarette smoking, i imagine).

i guess i rationalize by equating alcohol drinking with coffee drinking. but nearly every night is not normal for any phase of ones life (right?). this is far more damaging than coffee, i imagine.

anyway, yeah, there's a problem. at the very least, i should probably pick a healthier way to deal with stress. i already run voraciously, watch movies, read... i'm at a loss for what else to try.

coloring

thanks for the support

CarolD

Check this...

http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm#1

Good luck

lulu70

Hello coloring--Welcome to SR! I'm glad you found us. I don't have any great answers to your questions. Most of them are questions only you can answer! I would suggest you hang around here for a while, read a lot, and see if you can relate. That should help you decide if alcohol is a problem for you!

Keep posting!

leviathon

I hate to break it to you but you are already a full fledged alcoholic... the tip off... drinking alone, hiding it... normal people don't hide alcohol consumption... and most don't hide and drink alone.

Mania is a serious concern, talk to your doc about manic depression a.k.a. bi polar disorder.

Ngokpa

When alcoholism progresses, it messes with your nervous system. We think we drink because of stress, but it's truer that we're stressed because we drink. The viscious cycle of getting polluted and then detoxing happens daily, and we see alcohol as the relief when it sets up the withdrawals we're relieving ourselves from. Plus we use it as a means to dull our feelings which we think should work--because it used to, and it's what we know. But the story has changed.

Don't believe anything you read here. Check it out yourself. Go to 90 meetings in 90 days and don't drink between meetings, and then see what you think.

c'est la vie

Am I missing something in this comment?????
I agree with learning more about yourself and about alcoholism by seeing a doctor and/or attending AA meetings, but you will DEFINITELY learn a lot by reading and BELIEVING the true stories of the people here on SR.

Stick around.