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What makes an alcoholic?
14 years ago
General
I've discovered this last six months, being in Poland where alcohol is cheap, that I really enjoy drinking. I mean, I really enjoy getting buzzed/drunk (no duh). I'm actually rocking a good buzz right now, but I wonder, where is that magical line that you cross to become a bit of an alcoholic? Is it in the experience, in the addictive "feel good" of the situation, or the necessity to be there, to escape there.
Truthfully, I feel no need to escape from myself with alcohol. I'm pretty content being sober, but once I commit to drinking for the night, I want to take it all the way into a semi-drunk/totally drunken state of being, and it gets to the point that I know it'll really affect me for the first half of the next day or what-have-you.
I kinda wonder if I'm getting to a point where I'm just a regular social drinker... or something else -- if there as any adverse effect it might have on my life, it suddenly had become a problem with alcoholism. I know I could never become an addict to anything because I value my money too dearly, but when do you say you have a problem? Whenever you have a problem? Because, I know I've decided to skip a half day of school before because I'd rather just get wasted.
I dunno, I just want to know what other people's ideas of an alcoholic is, barring the most obvious extremes.
Considering I just put this through the spell-checker and only had one typo, I think I'm doing pretty good on a few beers, hahaha...
Btw, My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic is an amazing show and if you don't watch it you are wrong and should feel bad.
Truthfully, I feel no need to escape from myself with alcohol. I'm pretty content being sober, but once I commit to drinking for the night, I want to take it all the way into a semi-drunk/totally drunken state of being, and it gets to the point that I know it'll really affect me for the first half of the next day or what-have-you.
I kinda wonder if I'm getting to a point where I'm just a regular social drinker... or something else -- if there as any adverse effect it might have on my life, it suddenly had become a problem with alcoholism. I know I could never become an addict to anything because I value my money too dearly, but when do you say you have a problem? Whenever you have a problem? Because, I know I've decided to skip a half day of school before because I'd rather just get wasted.
I dunno, I just want to know what other people's ideas of an alcoholic is, barring the most obvious extremes.
Considering I just put this through the spell-checker and only had one typo, I think I'm doing pretty good on a few beers, hahaha...
Btw, My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic is an amazing show and if you don't watch it you are wrong and should feel bad.
If you drink alone and find yourself in a depression where you need to drink and it is causing issues in being able to do your simple life stuff. Then that is least nearing alcoholism.
Anyways, thanks for the insite. Asking arond, that's pretty much what I've heard from people -- if you drink when depressed.
I was always a little debative about whether alcoholism meant drinking in frequency or because of emotions. I still think its between both.
Good times. God, I suck as a person!
My step father was and always will be an alcoholic, so he has to avoid all that stuff at all costs. One is enough to start the problem again, and he doesn't seem to have anything emotional that might triggering his need to drink either.
Alternatively, my friend was an everyday social drinker for about a year and a half of his life, but when he left that certain group of friends he hardly drinks anymore with no apparent ill effects. :\
Again, if you are doing it as a social interaction it's not the same as your body craving alcohol. Cause if you were a heavy drinker, you'd just get toasted no matter if folks were about or not. From what I've witnessed, it seems to forgoe the enjoyment/casualty of imbibing and just becomes a habitual reaction stemming from a number of sources. It could just be they got into a heavy pattern of drinking, constantly depressed or use it as an escape, feel it's the only way they can truly have fun/be relaxed...whatever excuse that works to get a drink in hand.
I guess I never really suspected I had a problem, I'm not exhibiting anything of what people have been warning about, but I did kinda scare myself with how I've gone from pretty much never drinking to being able to drink like a fish in about half-a-year's time.
Good discussion.
Most people aren't aware, but alcohol forms a chemical dependency if you consume enough of it, and quitting it can be just as hard, or harder than quitting some opiates. If it becomes enough of a problem, people can actually die from alcohol withdraw. I've met people who've had loved ones die from withdraw. I'm not saying you're anywhere near that point, but it something to think about before making alcohol an all consuming hobby.
I don't know you, so I can't say that you have a problem, and I'm not going to preach at you to stop. Just be careful, and if you're worried about losing control, listen to your own voice of reason.
Moderation is a good thing.
I've just been drinking a lot more now that I would have ever really expected, but I'm not an everyday drinker, and I'll be cutting waaaay back when I get back to America in a few weeks.
Thanks for the good feedback. :)
My mother drinks ( WAY TOO MUCH ). She can rarely drink with out crying or being an ass. If you find yourself crying and acting like an ass every-time you drink ( or are told so from friends ) you may want to try to drink less.
I'm no expert of course.
Sound advice though, thanks for the feedback.
in the end it's an individual thing. some people can drink a few beers every day, and next day they won't touch it for weeks or months without feeling the need to drink. others might suddenly find out they have a problem from a beer a day.
I don't know you enough to judge anything, and it's not my place to tell you what to do, but please take care.
Thanks for the concern though. :)
If you have to drink to stay normal in stead of having real medical withdrawal symptoms, the above scenario will inevitably happen sooner rather than later, so you definitely have a problem and most likely should seek help.
Drinking a lot or drinking regularly have nothing to do with it, and how much/often you drink before people start gossiping about you being an alcoholic varies entirely by subtle cultural differences.
For instance, some of the fine people here say drinking when alone is a sign of alcoholism. I disagree, because for the more introverted personalities among us getting away from other people and having a nice quiet alone drink, or maybe two at very most to take the edge off and allow time to collect the thoughts can be a refreshing antidote for a bad day.
Then there are people who unfortunately feel the need to go off alone to a bar and get completely shit-faced among strangers, or go home and down entire bottles of hard liquor. That's... inadvisable, and if you don't know why, you shouldn't be allowed near alcohol in the first place.
Basically, I was just saying that I liked your definition of "if it affects something important to you, then you have a problem".
Also, that I haven't reached a point that I would use alcohol to smooth over my emotions, a tough day, etc. yet. Nor, can I really imagine myself drinking alone unless it was with me chatting with some friend online or what-have-you, but that's not really drinking alone since its still a social excercise.
Thanks for feedback, man. Other people's insight is often a good tool for potentially finding insight into myself.