Do I have alcoholism?

[Iamlostin]

Hello!

I have been having a lot of trouble understanding my new wanting for alcohol more than usual lately and wondering if it has become a serious problem, and to be honest I didn't think it was.

 

Here is some background information:

 

Ever since I was 21 maybe I experimented a few times but I hated the idea of drinking and getting tired so quickly that I actually didn't want to drink much at all. Now i'm wondering if i've found my "nitch" with the alcohol I prefer because it allows me to get a good feeling, still stay awake and can enjoy myself.

 

Had a break up about three months ago, yes sometimes we have a drink or two to ease that pain but that need for that goes away. I was actually doing great, working out, losing weight was really upset about the breakup but somehow wasn't destroyed by it. I started to hangout with my one friend more often as he was a great friend and we always had great talks, and usually what we did was go for a bite to eat, get a drink or two. Then he started to invite me to go out on Wednesdays for half price drinks I believe, I would have a three drinks (glasses of wine) and feel great but knew when it was my time to stop. I loved the feeling, and definitely made me feel more confident. Slowly I was going from one glass of wine to three and usually thats where I'm at. I started to associate the calmness of the alcohol with having fun, and being relaxed. So I wanted to hangout with my friend more and more not realizing it was probably just for the drinking experience. I started to have wine with my dinner, maybe take some from my mom and have a glass or two and thats it but then my parents started to think I was using that to "solve my issues", yes there was a lot of stress but I didn't really get upset and then just NEED a glass of wine. There are plenty of times throughout the summer I had opportunities to go out and drink but never followed through all the time. I used to drink maybe twice a week but now I want it more and more. I had one glass yesterday and a lot the night before that but I was okay having ONE glass. This is whats confusing am I increasing my tolerance level, getting bored and trying to have more to drink? Or is this a phase (because i barely ever ever drank? Do I need to quit completely or just cut down. I'll usually have one night when I have 75% of a bottle to myself but then I'm okay and I eat and I'm usually fine. I can go days without it but I'm so lost please help

[Tayla]

Only you can decide if its a need or a want. Would you drink this much milk or orange juice?

 

When did you have a blackout? Or DT'S?

 

Binge drinkers are hard to rehab. Try social events with non alcohol in hand.

[Art_Critic]

There is a pretty easy way to start to believe the truth...

 

If you ask yourself "Do I have a drinking problem" then the answer is yes you do... People who do not have drinking problems don't ask themselves that particular question.

 

Time to take note...

[skydiveaddict]

Hello!

I can go days without it but I'm so lost please help

 

Rest easy. You're worrying about nothing.

[Fugu]

You might be asking the wrong question.

 

"Am I an alcoholic" is a clinical diagnosis that is typically made by a trained professional, such as a psychologist or medical doctor. There are clinical criteria that would enable them to make that diagnosis. There are different stages of dependency, ranging from a the mainly psychological or emotional dependence of wanting or needing alcohol to feel well at the end of the day, to full-on physiological dependence, which is serious business.

 

A lot of people who think they are alcoholics may be concerned that they're entering a phase in which they feel a stronger degree of psychological or emotional dependence. They can quit voluntarily without experiencing withdrawals but there is a periodic urge to drink, which can be a source of discomfort both for the individual drinker and those concerned about his drinking. The real question is really whether your drinking is causing you to feel guilty, or if it interferes with your work performance or relationships.

[Iamlostin]

my drinking has not whats so ever interfered with my job or thoughts of it. I just notice I like to drink more than I used to I went from drinking twice a month to maybe a couple of times a week, and usually ending when I feel I had enough. I want to be able to drink without worry, so I guess just drink less? I mean I feel a stronger tolerance but in no shape or form has it ruined any kind of relationship, work, school etc.

[Iamlostin]

I feel this is something to watch out for but nothing to scream out in severe worry for as long as I continue to allow myself to live a happy and healthy life. Sure, i've been sad and thought I could really use a drink but thats a thought that I don't always really follow through with. I think I'm starting to make myself more worried than I need to be.

[ASG]

I wouldn't say you have a problem.

 

In my country it's not unusual to have wine with every meal, including lunch during the work week. A glass or two is normal with most people. It's cultural.

 

Like someone else pointed out, it's more to do with whether it is a want or a need.

 

I drink more than the average person. But I don't crave alcohol when I'm not having it and will easily go a period without it. So I don't consider I have an alcohol problem. I don't need it. I just enjoy it (and enjoy the socialising that goes with it and much prefer to drink when with other people than alone). So the question is do you feel like you NEED it? Or do you just enjoy it?

[somegu]

If drinking is effecting your life negatively and you are screwing up your life why don't you just stop. If you can't stop then maybe it's time to get help. Doesn't matter if you are an alcoholic or not it's just a label. You are obviously conflicted enough to post on a forum asking if you are an alcoholic. Look for the issues of why you drink and focus on fixing those focus on using alternatives to drinking alcohol to deal with your problems. See if you can go for a month with no alcohol. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones who arn't drinking.

[GunslingerRoland]

You don't drink everyday. And by most people's standards you don't really drink a lot. Even 3/4 of a bottle of wine isn't a lot for a normal adult on a night of "heavy" drinking.

 

 

But like others have said more importantly like that is do you feel like drinking is having any negative impacts on your life? Are you doing bad things while drinking? Are you using drinking to avoid your problems?

[Pete2304]

Guessing you aren't from the UK? That level of drinking would practically class you as tee total!! Honestly, whilst it might not be perfect in terms of recommended limits, I don't think you'd have your doctor in a panic over it and an alcoholic can't stop, you can. Don't beat yourself up over a problem that's not really there. If you don't drink every night but aren't happy with how much you are drinking over the course of a week then just take out another couple of nights. I've also often thought that it's better if and when you do drink to try and get decent quality if you're concerned about the toxins etc. 3/4 of a bottle of decent wine a few times a week isn't really a major worry I wouldn't think.

[basil67]

I think the view of alcoholism varies by country. Pete points out that you'd be a very mild drinker in the UK. ASG says daily alcohol is normal where they come from and in Australia, where I am, you'd also be viewed as a conservative drinker.

 

If you're comfortable with what you're drinking and it's not causing you any harm, I wouldn't worry too much. Although, from personal experience I'd remind you that it is addictive and it's probably best to avoid doing on a daily basis. I try to have 3 alcohol free days per week, but sometimes I struggle with that

[Pete2304]

I've seen a few threads in this section on the first few pages from people with similar alcohol intake to the OP. If for a couple of months a few glasses of wine or a few cans of beer help take the edge off then there's just not a problem. There are also a few threads about booze that I've seen where there is a genuine problem. I've drunk to disgraceful levels in the past and still drink too much now. In the past I'd gotten to the point where I was never getting drunk, simply just drinking for hours on end and falling asleep but if anyone rung me they had no idea I'd been drinking.

 

This much booze as per the OP....I reckon there's plenty of doctor's who drink more.

The problem no doubt is that after the first glass the sad songs and the self loathing kick in and so that bottle of wine instantly feels like the route of all the pain. It isn't.

[Miss Clavel]

the only person who can answer the question "am i an alcoholic" is you.

 

remember, alcohol does not alleviate pain, it causes pain.

 

most doctors say to take the number of times their patients say they do something, like smoke or drink and multiply it by three to get the true number. so to answer the question of how much you drink, which is not as important as what it does to you, be honest with yourself.

 

https://www.ncadd.org/get-help/take-the-test/am-i-alcoholic-self-test

[Satu]

Nobody 'has' alcoholism, but there are a class of behaviours that can lead to a diagnosis of Alcoholism.

 

"The young adult subtype accounts for about 32% of U.S. alcoholics. They're young adults who rarely seek help for alcohol dependence. About 24 years old, they became alcoholics by age 20, on average. They drink less frequently than other alcoholics, but they tend to binge drink when they drink. This is the largest subtype."

 

"The young antisocial subtype comprises 21% of U.S. alcoholics. They are 26 years old, on average. More than half have antisocial personality disorder. They tended to start drinking at 15 and became alcoholics by 18 -- earlier than other subtypes."

 

"The functional subtype accounts for about 19% of U.S. alcoholics. They're generally middle-aged, working adults who tend to have stable relationships, more education, and higher incomes than other alcoholics. They tend to drink every other day, often consuming five or more drinks on drinking days."

 

"The intermediate familial subtype makes up nearly 19% of U.S. alcoholics. Nearly half have close relatives who are alcoholics. Alcoholics in this subtype typically began drinking by 17 and became alcoholics in their early 30s."

 

"The chronic severe subtype is the rarest subtype, accounting for about 9% of U.S. alcoholics. This subtype mainly includes men, has the highest divorce rate, and frequently includes users of illicit drugs."

 

Source.

 

 

Don't try to self-diagnose. Talk to your doctor.

 

 

Take care.

[pureinheart]

I used to go through periods where I'd drink more than others. Like one time for three weeks straight I drank 5 beers every night. Had a wonderful time, did some intoxicated phone calling and was done.

 

I don't think there are issues now. There are some that would disagree, although 95% of the people I know are on some sort of med that's a downer/pain killer, which in my book is no different than alcohol...

 

Just keep an eye on it though, k...