NationStates Jolt Archive

so, at what point do you become an alcoholic? and at what point do you need help?

in sixth form (senior high i guess) i used to take alcohol into school to drink, and then i'd raid my parents' liquor cabinet when i got home. and then i'd have 1 or two glasses of wine with dinner, then i'd raid the drinks cabinet again before bed. after school i went for quite a while without drinking very much. i'd have a drink every day but no more than one or two. then in my first year at uni i replaced this with weed and hardly drank at all but smoked between 5 and 7 spliffs a day. now i'm back to drinking. i have a reputation at work for drinking a lot. i drink on my own as often as i drink with others. and when i start drinking i can't stop until i'm absolutely paraletic(sp?) or the money runs out (if i have my card with me money is never an issue). am i an alcoholic? my sister and i recently banned my mum from buying gin, because she always started her evening drinking with that, because we thought that would stop her going on to the wine and whisky later. but she just drinks vodka now instead. is she an alcoholic?

am i an alcoholic?

Really, you are the only one who can decide that. You have to decide whether to think you drink too much. Thats probably the first step.

you have a substance abuse problem. you should talk to someone about it. it will affect your life more and more as the years go on.

maybe your mom is too. is she drunk every night or most nights?

you and your sister should consider going to alanon in addition to whatever treatment you get for your own problem/

If you're still functional in every other aspect of your life (work, school, social, etc), then you're not an alcoholic. You're just a drunk.

I come from a long line of very proud drunks, but not an alcoholic in the bunch.

There is a simple test. Stop drinking for a few days. If you go through withdrawal symptoms, you are an alcoholic. If you firmly believe that you could stop drinking for a few days but never do, you are an alcoholic.

If you're still functional in every other aspect of your life (work, school, social, etc), then you're not an alcoholic. You're just a drunk.

I come from a long line of very proud drunks, but not an alcoholic in the bunch.

I agree my families Irish and we get drunk at everything but were all functional.

I agree my families Irish and we get drunk at everything but were all functional.

That's just genetics. :D

"The one way to tell the difference between an Irishman and an Englishman? An Irishman can hold his drink."

"The one way to tell the difference between an Irishman and an Englishman? An Irishman can hold his drink."

I contest that.

If it has occurred to you to ask yourself this question, then the answer may be "yes".

"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol --- that our lives had become unmanageable."

Try going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? And find out what you make of it.

well i can't really hold my drink. i mean it depends on... something *shrugs*. sometimes i can go for 16 or seventeen drinks before being utterly incapable and sometimes after 6 or 7 i feel like i should stop. i don't think alcohol tolerance really has much bearing on judging alcoholism.

the thing about AA meetings is i have an image in my head of middle aged men who look like tramps and women with too much make-up and plenty of wrinkles moaning about how shit alcohol made their lives and how they're taking it one day at a time and all tha bull shit. i don't think i'm that far down the road.

Who would want to go that far down the road?

My first AA meeting, I wondered what I was doing in a room-full of sane people who didn't look obviously wretched or wrecked. Took me a while to figure out, that that was the point.

Here are some site you might want to visit:
http://www.habitsmart.com/chkup.html
http://www.aa-uk.org.uk/publications/areyou.htm

There is a simple test. Stop drinking for a few days. If you go through withdrawal symptoms, you are an alcoholic. If you firmly believe that you could stop drinking for a few days but never do, you are an alcoholic.

That's also a good idea.

Whatever you do do NOT go to AA. It is a brainwashing institution for born- agains. Don't you watch South Park?

well according to 'habit smart' i have a high dependence. but maybe i overestimated my monthly and weekly intake. i don't have a very good memory or maths skills.

oh, and before anyone points at that and says "Alkie!!". i've always had a bad memory and maths skills.

bloody hell! AA says i'm "definitely an alcoholic" cuz i answered yes to 12 of their questions. i think that's unfair. and i couldn't answer lots of their questions cuz i started drinking ages ago and i can't remember clearly how i thought back then.

Sorry, that's an absolute bullshit test. According to that, I'm a definite alcoholic.

That's a bollox test.

bloody hell! AA says i'm "definitely an alcoholic" cuz i answered yes to 12 of their questions. i think that's unfair. and i couldn't answer lots of their questions cuz i started drinking ages ago and i can't remember clearly how i thought back then.
From your OP, you very well may have a problem and the fact that you even think you might have a problem is a step in the right direction.

What is alcoholism?

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_is_aa_for_you.cfm?PageID=13&SubPage=77

Sorry, that's an absolute bullshit test. According to that, I'm a definite alcoholic.

That's a bollox test.

yeh, it seems that according to the AA test practically everyone who's ever had a drink is an alcoholic.

you have a substance abuse problem. you should talk to someone about it. it will affect your life more and more as the years go on.

maybe your mom is too. is she drunk every night or most nights?

you and your sister should consider going to alanon in addition to whatever treatment you get for your own problem/

well i'm not at home much but my sister is and she finds my mum's drinking a problem. my sister's fine though, she doesn't drink much, and she started much later than i did.

so, at what point do you become an alcoholic? and at what point do you need help?


Right here:
when i start drinking i can't stop until i'm absolutely paraletic(sp?) or the money runs out (if i have my card with me money is never an issue).

yeh, i know. that looks bad doesn't it. but usually i'd stop when the end of the night came along and my friends were leaving. i just drink faster than them and don't want to leave when they do.

yeh, i know. that looks bad doesn't it. but usually i'd stop when the end of the night came along and my friends were leaving. i just drink faster than them and don't want to leave when they do.

Buy a 6-pack and put it in your fridge. Take one out and drink it.
Don't drink any more (or any alcohol) for 24 hours, just leave the rest in the fridge and ignore them.
If you can do this, then you're probably okay. The amount of strain it puts on you to do this indicates the level of trouble you are in.

Buy a 6-pack and put it in your fridge. Take one out and drink it.
Don't drink any more (or any alcohol) for 24 hours, just leave the rest in the fridge and ignore them.
If you can do this, then you're probably okay. The amount of strain it puts on you to do this indicates the level of trouble you are in.

i'll try that. i was going to buy an 8-pack today (well yesterday now) cuz they were only a fiver but then i thought i'd only end up drinking them all and i have to get up at 11 this morning to show people round the flat. so i just bought a bottle of wine and drank that instead. and now i definitely have to go to to bed cuz i still have cleaning to do before these people arrive. doh!

yeh, it seems that according to the AA test practically everyone who's ever had a drink is an alcoholic.
Well, I really don't think AA believes that everyone that has taken a drink is an alcoholic. There are social drinkers, moderate drinkers and alcoholics.

You started this thread by asking if you have a problem with alcohol. The very fact that you think you might have a problem could very well denote that you do in fact have a problem.

If it has occurred to you to ask yourself this question, then the answer may be "yes".

"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol --- that our lives had become unmanageable."

Try going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? And find out what you make of it.

AA is a crutch used by people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.

Alcoholism, as with any other abuse problem, is caused when someone uses alcohol (or other substance, etc) as an excuse to avoid doing what they need to do with their life.

Human beings are, by their very nature, addicts. Every one of us is addicted to something or another in some measure. Some people are more inclined to allow their addictive behaviour to take over their lives.

However, the pattern of addictive behaviour is no excuse for letting an addiction rule your life. Nothing, not god nor man, causes you to allow this. Looking outside yourself for a cure is also futile. You cause your own addictive behaviour and you control your own addictive behaviour.

Addictiveness is not a disease, it is a fact of life for every one of us. It is not something which can be "cured". It can be controlled, if you want to control it. Failing to control it is simply a sign of weakness, and is worthy of contempt.

AA is a crutch used by people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.

Alcoholism, as with any other abuse problem, is caused when someone uses alcohol (or other substance, etc) as an excuse to avoid doing what they need to do with their life.

Human beings are, by their very nature, addicts. Every one of us is addicted to something or another in some measure. Some people are more inclined to allow their addictive behaviour to take over their lives.

However, the pattern of addictive behaviour is no excuse for letting an addiction rule your life. Nothing, not god nor man, causes you to allow this. Looking outside yourself for a cure is also futile. You cause your own addictive behaviour and you control your own addictive behaviour.

Addictiveness is not a disease, it is a fact of life for every one of us. It is not something which can be "cured". It can be controlled, if you want to control it. Failing to control it is simply a sign of weakness, and is worthy of contempt.
What is your expertise in regards to alcoholism?

After growing up in a family where three of my uncles, two of my aunts, my father, my grandfather, and two of my brothers were alcoholics, I researched the subject fairly heavily. Living with it every day of my life has given me a rather close perspective of it.

I'm also subject to heavily addictive behaviour, and have had to curb myself regularly throughout my life to keep it from taking over. I have discovered that none of us are "powerless" to control our addictions. Controlling our addictions can be painful. Looking our addictions in the eye and refusing to give in is even more painful. Some people choose not to face that pain, which is pathetic.

Our ability to recognize our problems and move beyond them is one of the things which makes us powerful. If we choose to hide behind a non-existent deity and blame all of our issues on him, we're degrading our own power and delegating the control of our lives to others.

After growing up in a family where three of my uncles, two of my aunts, my father, my grandfather, and two of my brothers were alcoholics, I researched the subject fairly heavily. Living with it every day of my life has given me a rather close perspective of it.

I'm also subject to heavily addictive behaviour, and have had to curb myself regularly throughout my life to keep it from taking over. I have discovered that none of us are "powerless" to control our addictions. Controlling our addictions can be painful. Looking our addictions in the eye and refusing to give in is even more painful. Some people choose not to face that pain, which is pathetic.

Our ability to recognize our problems and move beyond them is one of the things which makes us powerful. If we choose to hide behind a non-existent deity and blame all of our issues on him, we're degrading our own power and delegating the control of our lives to others.
Many people cannot control their addictions on their own and they need outside help.

Failing to control it is simply a sign of weakness, and is worthy of contempt.
I do not see your comment as being helpful.

I have discovered that none of us are "powerless" to control our addictions.
Did all of your family members finally "control" their alcoholism?

so, at what point do you become an alcoholic? and at what point do you need help?
When your drinking becomes a problem for you, or a problem for others.

in sixth form (senior high i guess) i used to take alcohol into school to drink, and then i'd raid my parents' liquor cabinet when i got home. and then i'd have 1 or two glasses of wine with dinner, then i'd raid the drinks cabinet again before bed. after school i went for quite a while without drinking very much. i'd have a drink every day but no more than one or two. then in my first year at uni i replaced this with weed and hardly drank at all but smoked between 5 and 7 spliffs a day. now i'm back to drinking. i have a reputation at work for drinking a lot. i drink on my own as often as i drink with others. and when i start drinking i can't stop until i'm absolutely paraletic(sp?) or the money runs out (if i have my card with me money is never an issue). am i an alcoholic? my sister and i recently banned my mum from buying gin, because she always started her evening drinking with that, because we thought that would stop her going on to the wine and whisky later. but she just drinks vodka now instead. is she an alcoholic?
You are alcoholic if the drinking interferes with your ability to do other things that you want to do, or if it interferes with others' ability to do what they want to do. That's when it becomes a problem.

If what your mom does is a problem for you, then you have a right (and even a duty, some would say) to act, hopefully constructively, to eliminate the problem.

I am very proud of you for seeking guidance with this issue.

Do you think you are an alcoholic?

In my personal opinion from what I've read of your posts is: yes, you are an alcoholic. However, I also think that you are in control of yourself more than others. Take this power you have and use it to drastically reduce your alcohol intake, perhaps even to zero. The worst part of being an alcoholic and quitting is the urge to go back to the bottle. I have experienced this with both of my parents, they've gone through denial, defensiveness, excuses, and are finally only starting to realize that a 12 pack a day IS a problem.

You must also ask yourself this, is drinking something 6 - 17 drinks healthy?

You may appreciate my honesty in thinking you are an alcoholic, or you may be very angry. Do what you have to do and know that there are a lot of very kind souls out there that will help you through it.

Okay, yeah, just looked at that test, and it kind of reminds me of a quote from Mitch Hedberg:

"To do this show, I had to take a physical. They asked me a bunch of medical questions. And they were, like, yes or no questions, but they were very strangely worded. Like, 'Have you ever tried sugar... or PCP?'"

I do not see your comment as being helpful.

Of course you don't. The only politically correct response to someone who fails to control their addiction is "Oh, you poor thing, you have a horrible disease and need help to cure it!"

Some of my family have managed to control their addictive behaviour. Some have not. I hold the ones who failed in the same disregard as strangers who fail to do the same.

Don't misunderstand me. Having people around who support your actions when you're controlling your addictive behaviour can be helpful. But unless you choose to do it yourself, it will never be controlled.

The people who use AA as a crutch to control their behaviour are simply fooling themselves. They are allowing an outside source to act as a control for them. This does not solve their problem, and as soon as that crutch falters, they're going to be right back where they began.

Of course you don't. The only politically correct response to someone who fails to control their addiction is "Oh, you poor thing, you have a horrible disease and need help to cure it!"
So you mock those who seek help, or are unable to help themselves?

Some of my family have managed to control their addictive behaviour.
How did they control their alcoholism?

Some have not. I hold the ones who failed in the same disregard as strangers who fail to do the same.
Some people do not have the same determination that you have. Would you consider those that seek help from others and succeed in recovering from alcoholism, as being somewhat lesser human beings?

Don't misunderstand me. Having people around who support your actions when you're controlling your addictive behaviour can be helpful. But unless you choose to do it yourself, it will never be controlled.
Very few people can be helped, unless they help themselves first.

The people who use AA as a crutch to control their behaviour are simply fooling themselves. They are allowing an outside source to act as a control for them. This does not solve their problem, and as soon as that crutch falters, they're going to be right back where they began.
Over 2,000,000 recovered alcoholics might disagree with you.

So you mock those who seek help, or are unable to help themselves?

There is nobody unable to help themselves. There are only those who won't put forth the effort to help themselves.

How did they control their alcoholism?

In the end, each of them had to make a decision about their lives and helped themselves. That is the only way anyone can control their behaviour.

Over 2,000,000 recovered alcoholics might disagree with you.

And yet, AA always touts that alcoholics never "recover". One of their main tenets is that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Nice ploy, let people lean on a crutch and then tell them they won't be able to control their own habits unless they keep going to AA meetings. And, as long as the crutch is there, people won't try to control their own habits.

There is nobody unable to help themselves.
Some people are so seriously addicted, that they cannot help themselves and they end up in prisons, mental institutions or they die.

There are only those who won't put forth the effort to help themselves.
Sometimes, helping oneself means getting help from someone else.

In the end, each of them had to make a decision about their lives and helped themselves.
So your family members that cured their alcoholism did so without help?

That is the only way anyone can control their behaviour.
Admitting a problem is the first step and then seeking help is the second.

And yet, AA always touts that alcoholics never "recover".
That is not what their book says.

http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_BigBook_chapt2.pdf

One of their main tenets is that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.
I know quite a few people who quit drinking for years due to their problem. One day they decided that they could take a drink and the next thing they knew they were suffering from full blown alcoholism again. So the tenet could have some truth to it?

Nice ploy, let people lean on a crutch and then tell them they won't be able to control their own habits unless they keep going to AA meetings. And, as long as the crutch is there, people won't try to control their own habits.
Some people quite enjoy their "crutch" and if you tried to take it away from them, they would beat you over the head with it. If they feel comfortable with it, who are you to say that they shouldn't have it, especially if it works for them?

Some people are so seriously addicted, that they cannot help themselves and they end up in prisons, mental institutions or they die.


Sometimes, helping oneself means getting help from someone else.


So your family members that cured their alcoholism did so without help?


Admitting a problem is the first step and then seeking help is the second.


That is not what their book says.

http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_BigBook_chapt2.pdf


I know quite a few people who quit drinking for years due to their problem. One day they decided that they could take a drink and the next thing they knew they were suffering from full blown alcoholism again. So the tenet could have some truth to it?


Some people quite enjoy their "crutch" and if you tried to take it away from them, they would beat you over the head with it. If they feel comfortable with it, who are you to say that they shouldn't have it, especially if it works for them?

Omigod, I think I am agreeing with CanuckHeaven. Enthusiastically.

There is nobody unable to help themselves. There are only those who won't put forth the effort to help themselves.



In the end, each of them had to make a decision about their lives and helped themselves. That is the only way anyone can control their behaviour.



And yet, AA always touts that alcoholics never "recover". One of their main tenets is that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Nice ploy, let people lean on a crutch and then tell them they won't be able to control their own habits unless they keep going to AA meetings. And, as long as the crutch is there, people won't try to control their own habits.

I have family members in the program. One of their basic tenets is "You cant get better if you dont want to." Those in the program admit that the person wont get better if they dont want to. The point of the program is to offer a hand and give them more support. Sometimes doing something is daunting, and it is reassuring knowing that there are people there who are willing to support your cause if you are in doubt, and perhaps remind you why you are attempting such a thing. Perhaps AA is in some sense a crutch, but if youve broken your leg its likely youll need to use a crutch before you can walk.


And as to the never recover bit, it's as someone else already said. There have been those who went years without a drink, thought themselves cured, tried a drink, and fell deep into their disease again. There is some truth to the statement.

It's a lot like most things in life. You are most likely to take advice from someone who has been in that same boat and can give you some constructive advice from a position of knowledge and experience, than you would from someone who has no practical experience of the matter they are attempting to give you advice about.

AA saves lives.

If you're still functional in every other aspect of your life (work, school, social, etc), then you're not an alcoholic. You're just a drunk.

I come from a long line of very proud drunks, but not an alcoholic in the bunch.


Amen. If the alcohol is causing a problem, then you have a problem. If not, then you can go on about your business. I also come from a line of proud and successful drunks. Only a few along the way have made the move from drunk to alcoholic and they ended up pulling their shit together... mostly.

Bottom line, if you're fully functional on a day to day basis, there is nothing to worry about.

Alcoholism sets in when it directly affects your life and the lives of those around you, indeed.

A lot of people on my mother's side of the family are alcoholics. The kind of people who down a six pack per day. She has 3 brothers, only 2 now. One of my uncles had liver issues, and had a list of things he couldn't consume anymore. He kept drinking with his brothers anyway, saying "a few beers'll never hurt me". He was 50. My other 2 uncles still drink plenty, sharing 6 packs with each other. I don't interact with these people. Didn't especially know the other, either. Never will now. And the others will never quit. I know that, it's a no-brainer. That's alcoholism.

well i'm not at home much but my sister is and she finds my mum's drinking a problem. my sister's fine though, she doesn't drink much, and she started much later than i did.
i wasnt implying that your sister has a problem. alanon will help her deal with living with an alcoholic (your mother) even if she doesnt live with your mother, it will help her since your mothers drinking bothers your sister very much.

you have a substance abuse problem. talk to your doctor about how much you drink. he'll recommend a good treatment program for you. why wait until your drinking has destroyed your life?

To the point where you can't have fun while sober, and can't function properly without alcohol. If you can't go a day without booze, you're probably an alcoholic.

It's not really anything to do with binge drinking or even drinking every day. As Keruvalia said, that makes you a drunk, not an alco. :p

bloody hell! AA says i'm "definitely an alcoholic" cuz i answered yes to 12 of their questions. i think that's unfair. and i couldn't answer lots of their questions cuz i started drinking ages ago and i can't remember clearly how i thought back then.

12?! Cripes, man ... I drink 3 liters of whiskey a week and I only answered yes to 2 of them. Sleep and memory loss (hey, happens to all of us).

I am no alcoholic. I say piss on AA.

If you're worried about drinking too much, stop drinking so much.
If you can't stop drinking so much, you're an alcoholic.

12?! Cripes, man ... I drink 3 liters of whiskey a week and I only answered yes to 2 of them. Sleep and memory loss (hey, happens to all of us).

I am no alcoholic. I say piss on AA.

LOL. I got three. Before last saturday, I went over a week without a drink.

I especially like the "do you drink alone" one. You damn right i'll have a couple of drinks by myself to relax. What's wrong with that?

I especially like the "do you drink alone" one. You damn right i'll have a couple of drinks by myself to relax. What's wrong with that?

Nothin' at all. I used to drink alone sometimes, but now when I pour myself a drink, my wife likes to have one as well. So I never drink alone anymore. :)

I went over a year without drinking. Never again. I am the Anti-AA. Drink!

Nothin' at all. I used to drink alone sometimes, but now when I pour myself a drink, my wife likes to have one as well. So I never drink alone anymore. :)

I went over a year without drinking. Never again. I am the Anti-AA. Drink!

Don't mind if I do. :p

Oh, and many congrats on breaking the sobriety. It's a terrible disease. :(

yeh, it seems that according to the AA test practically everyone who's ever had a drink is an alcoholic.Well, I had two drinks, ever, and they don't say I'm an alcoholic :p
(Of course I realize that only proves I'm not practically everyone)

Oh, and many congrats on breaking the sobriety. It's a terrible disease. :(

I know! The statistics on how many families have been ripped apart by sobriety are staggering.

I know! The statistics on how many families have been ripped apart by sobriety are staggering.

Exactly. I mean, you might be able to tolerate the persistent whining of your children with a bit of whiskey in ya, but take that away, and you're probably done for - what's better, a couple of drinks or eventually locking yourself in your car with the exhaust pipe blocked up, slowly losing consciousness?.

...not to mention those marriages that took place under the effect of alcohol. A sober moment can be a bitter revelation of the truth...and just think! before that, everyone was perfectly happy. :(

AA is destroying families worldwide. :(

That AA-test really sucks. It says I'm an alcoholic although I hardly ever drink.

I think that if your drinking is interfering with your life, then its a problem, if it is not, then its not a problem. The only thing is, people who do drink too much and become a pain in the ass, often don't realise it...they think that they are funny, witty and great at just about everything...its the people who have to live with them that realise first...

*this is from the woman who just admitted to peeing her pants when drunk in another thread, so just ignore me*

*this is from the woman who just admitted to peeing her pants when drunk in another thread, so just ignore me*

Oh hell ... who hasn't? And if you haven't yet, you will.

I come from a drinking family, so I'm poor judge

I have one word of warning...well its not one word at all, but its one sentence of warning and it shines like a beacon above all other sensible advice.

Beer...helping ugly people get laid since 1869

Seeing people through beer googles is not always the best way to pick a partner, if you ever woke up with a plug ugly charisma bypasser, then maybe you might want to limit your intake *nods*

I have one word of warning...well its not one word at all, but its one sentence of warning and it shines like a beacon above all other sensible advice.

Beer...helping ugly people get laid since 1869

Seeing people through beer googles is not always the best way to pick a partner, if you ever woke up with a plug ugly charisma bypasser, then maybe you might want to limit your intake *nods*

haha actually that's probably the only actual problem i've found from drinking. but then i've only ever got laid when i've been wasted, so meh. apparently i'm a hilarious drunk. what can i say - as long as other people find me amusing and i don't get too bad hang-overs i don't think i'm going to stop.

i only tend to think my drinking's a problem when i get drunk on my own because i'm bored. when i wake up the next day i don't feel like it's a problem. *shrugs*

Here are some site you might want to visit:

http://www.aa-uk.org.uk/publications/areyou.htm



That's also a good idea.

That one should definitely be taken with a pinch of salt. On the basis of answering 'yes' to the following questions:

5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?

I fall into the If you have answered YES to three or more, you are definitely an alcoholic.

Despite the fact that the last time I blacked out from drinking was about 17 years ago.

If you take care of your responsibilities and dont beat your wife then I dont see what the problem is.

In response to the OP, you have a problem, I know it sucks admiting it, and you can rationalize it all you want, but you do have a problem. Now, are you an alcoholic, the kind that lays in the gutter.... probably not. That doesn't mean you don't have a problem though.

When I was a meth addict I had a pretty successful life, I mean I always showed up to work, I worked harder than anyone else, my house was clean, my checkbook balanced, everything on the outside looked fine. It wasn't though.


i have a reputation at work for drinking a lot. i drink on my own as often as i drink with others. and when i start drinking i can't stop until i'm absolutely paraletic(sp?) or the money runs out (if i have my card with me money is never an issue). am i an alcoholic?

I was told when I went to AA/NA meetings that I never had a normal relationship with alcohol, because my goal of drinking was to pass out. Apparently it's abnormal to do that. I realized that my father was an alcoholic, that my mom abused drugs, and I used that to rationalize my problem

"well, at least I show up to work, so I am not that bad"

then I started making rules for myself

"I won't have a drink until after 7pm"
or
"I won't smoke any ice, unless I have to go to work and I am really tired"

and then I started breaking my own rules, and felt guilty and then abused drugs and alcohol more.

I just took the AA test, and while now my answers to all the questions are "no" they used to be all "yes" not very long ago at all.

The question you need to ask yourself isn't "am I an alcoholic?" but "what am I going to do about it?"

If you take care of your responsibilities and dont beat your wife then I dont see what the problem is.

The real question is "do you still beat your wife?".

That AA-test really sucks. It says I'm an alcoholic although I hardly ever drink.
I think the point of the test is that if you answer yes to the questions that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Similar to if you were asking questions about food, if someone answered yes to the question "do you feel quilty after eating?" that they have an unhealthy relationship with food.

Fine i came back. i dont care, i meant last THREAD not last post.
...
(is an addict.)
Hello all.

So yeh, alcoholism.


Your an alcoholic when.
You drink alone.
You drink not doing anything.
I sit in a chair and drink wine and vodka, me alcoholic. RAWR
Your friend seems to just be living it up, its alcoholism when you havnt been sober for 3 weeks. (day 5 and counting ;D)

Ok heres maybe a different test you can take.If you have a below avarage LFT every six months and the amalyse isn't too high.Then the liver is holding out.If the pancreas is producing enough insulin and if your are holding an appitite while gaining weight than more or less all is ok with you phisicaly.As for the rest well thats depends on how you can mentaly handle drink.

Omigod, I think I am agreeing with CanuckHeaven. Enthusiastically.
I am glad that we can find some issues that we can agree upon!!

Fine i came back. i dont care, i meant last THREAD not last post.
...
(is an addict.)
Hello all.

So yeh, alcoholism.


Your an alcoholic when.
You drink alone.
You drink not doing anything.
I sit in a chair and drink wine and vodka, me alcoholic. RAWR
Your friend seems to just be living it up, its alcoholism when you havnt been sober for 3 weeks. (day 5 and counting ;D)
3 weeks?? Does being sober for a day or two each month count.. Not to make light of the condition but isn't it all relative to how one deals with drink??

12?! Cripes, man ... I drink 3 liters of whiskey a week and I only answered yes to 2 of them. Sleep and memory loss (hey, happens to all of us).

I am no alcoholic. I say piss on AA.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and some are more adversely affected by alcohol consumption than perhaps you are. Was there a time when you could get by on two liters of alcohol per week? Do you augment your drinking with other forms of mind altering drugs or chemicals?

Nothin' at all. I used to drink alone sometimes, but now when I pour myself a drink, my wife likes to have one as well. So I never drink alone anymore. :)

I went over a year without drinking. Never again. I am the Anti-AA. Drink!
Why would you encourage a person that may have a problem with alcohol to drink?

3 weeks?? Does being sober for a day or two each month count.. Not to make light of the condition but isn't it all relative to how one deals with drink??
every single day you are sober counts. I have been drug free for 7 years, and only recently have I been able to enjoy a cocktail or two. In the begining the first day just about killed me (literally) when you are going one day a time, 3 weeks is a huge success.

every single day you are sober counts. I have been drug free for 7 years, and only recently have I been able to enjoy a cocktail or two. In the begining the first day just about killed me (literally) when you are going one day a time, 3 weeks is a huge success.
3 weeks without drinking or doing drugs has never been a problem for me I just had my first session in a month for the last bank holiday.Drank like a marine on leave(12 ish pints and 2 bottles of rum on sunday alone ) and dont really feel like going out till the weekend.My thing is to respect alcohol as an addictive substance but when I do use is I use it to its full effect.Has not caused me any harm bar the few unexplained knocks.

3 weeks without drinking or doing drugs has never been a problem for me
then you aren't addicted. ;)

then you aren't addicted. ;)
But when it would come to the AA test I have a problem????

But when it would come to the AA test I have a problem????
having a problematic relationship with alcohol and having a physical addiction to it, while they can happen at the same time are not the same thing.

having a problematic relationship with alcohol and having a physical addiction to it, while they can happen at the same time are not the same thing.
True. I am an abuser but not reliant. Have seen people who are what are called high functioning alcoholics,Now that I find bizzare.A girl who I met this weekend went to a nurseing job on monday in a terrible state and her workmates thought is was pretty normal.??

Why would you encourage a person that may have a problem with alcohol to drink?

Because we overcome problems by facing them, not by cowering from them.

Because we overcome problems by facing them, not by cowering from them.
And an alcoholic can overcome his/her problem(s) by continuing to drink?

Why would you encourage a person that may have a problem with alcohol to drink?

Well, I would encourage him because I don't believe he has a problem.
Cheers!

every single day you are sober counts. I have been drug free for 7 years, and only recently have I been able to enjoy a cocktail or two. In the begining the first day just about killed me (literally) when you are going one day a time, 3 weeks is a huge success.
Smunkee, not to pry, but I have a question for you. A couple of friends of mine joined AA about 7 years ago and while they did quit drinking altogether and remained sober, during the first year of their sobriety, they were on what they called the "marijuana maintenance program". After a year of doing this and still not feeling right, they quit the drug, and have been clean and sober for about 6 years now. They say that they feel much better about themselves as a result.

My question to you, is have you heard the same thing from the NA perspective, whereby people have quit abusing drugs but continued to use alcohol as a substitute? If so, what happens to those that continued to drink? Did they drink more to compensate or do they go back to drug abuse or what?

12?! Cripes, man ... I drink 3 liters of whiskey a week and I only answered yes to 2 of them. Sleep and memory loss (hey, happens to all of us).

I am no alcoholic. I say piss on AA.
anyone who drinks 3 liters of whiskey a week is an alcoholic. it doesnt matter that you dont drink alone, it doesnt matter that you go to work every day, it doesnt matter that you dont pass out.

not that i believe you but if by some odd chance its true that you drink that much you should find a quiet moment one of these days and ask your wife what she thinks.

then get treatment, your kids shouldnt be seeing you drunk every fucking day of your life.

Smunkee, not to pry, but I have a question for you. A couple of friends of mine joined AA about 7 years ago and while they did quit drinking altogether and remained sober, during the first year of their sobriety, they were on what they called the "marijuana maintenance program". After a year of doing this and still not feeling right, they quit the drug, and have been clean and sober for about 6 years now. They say that they feel much better about themselves as a result.
that's pretty typical.

My question to you, is have you heard the same thing from the NA perspective, whereby people have quit abusing drugs but continued to use alcohol as a substitute? If so, what happens to those that continued to drink? Did they drink more to compensate or do they go back to drug abuse or what?
actually NA didn't help me much, but most of the people I met there were on the marijuana maintenance program anyway, it's like they say "Mary Jane isn't a narcotic, so it's not a real drug" or some other rationalization. I did for a while do other things to deal with my absence of drugs, I worked a lot, I cleaned my house way too much, and I got addicted to video games, I tried to stay busy to keep from thinking about it. I have for the most part overcome my addictive tendancies, and have a cocktail or two about once every 3 months, but no longer have the desire to get drunk. In fact, most of the time I can drink one with alcohol and 2 without and be fine, I would probably be fine with no alcohol, but I like the taste of rum. I am starting to see that NS is becoming a problem for me, and while it's not "mood altering" it's probably something that I will cut back from, just in case.

on another note, I did kinda replace my pot smoking with food, and gained about 120 pounds, that I am still trying to lose, 40 pounds gone so far.... keep hoping I will wake up thin again.... but no such luck LOL

that's pretty typical.


actually NA didn't help me much, but most of the people I met there were on the marijuana maintenance program anyway, it's like they say "Mary Jane isn't a narcotic, so it's not a real drug" or some other rationalization. I did for a while do other things to deal with my absence of drugs, I worked a lot, I cleaned my house way too much, and I got addicted to video games, I tried to stay busy to keep from thinking about it. I have for the most part overcome my addictive tendancies, and have a cocktail or two about once every 3 months, but no longer have the desire to get drunk. In fact, most of the time I can drink one with alcohol and 2 without and be fine, I would probably be fine with no alcohol, but I like the taste of rum. I am starting to see that NS is becoming a problem for me, and while it's not "mood altering" it's probably something that I will cut back from, just in case.

on another note, I did kinda replace my pot smoking with food, and gained about 120 pounds, that I am still trying to lose, 40 pounds gone so far.... keep hoping I will wake up thin again.... but no such luck LOL
To be quite honest with you, I was a bit concerned about you when you mentioned cocktails, and that is why I asked the question.

At any rate, if you sleep long enough, you will wake up thin. :D

Best wishes to ya!!