Following At what point are you an alcoholic? Page 6

  • polar 14 Apr 2008 23:08:46 1,098 posts
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    Rooney wrote:
    Doesn't make you one.

    You like to get drunk

    You want to have a drink

    You drink alone

    You drown sorrows

    You get drunk most if not all nights

    plus 99% of the ones mentioned here

    Does

    You can drink ALOT and it doesn't effect you...less and less each time.

    losing your friends/family/job because of your drinking habits.

    Getting a drink is at the forefront of EVERYTHING else in your mind at any time or any situation.

    I disagree wholeheartedly. Obviously the last two things on your list are extremes, but alcoholism isn't that clearly defined. Firstly, the notion that a lot of drink does not affect an alcoholic is complete bullshit - I've got first hand experience of that. Secondly, I believe that your "doesn't" list contains several bad practices that alcoholics generally share in common, but that aren't necessarily indications of alcoholism when viewed individually. It's when several of your "doesn't" list occur together regularly that I'd start to get worried. You like to get drunk + you drown sorrows + you drink alone + you drink most nights = sounds like an alcoholic to me.
  • deem 14 Apr 2008 23:14:19 31,667 posts
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    polar wrote:
    Rooney wrote:
    Doesn't make you one.

    You like to get drunk

    You want to have a drink

    You drink alone

    You drown sorrows

    You get drunk most if not all nights

    plus 99% of the ones mentioned here

    Does

    You can drink ALOT and it doesn't effect you...less and less each time.

    losing your friends/family/job because of your drinking habits.

    Getting a drink is at the forefront of EVERYTHING else in your mind at any time or any situation.

    I disagree wholeheartedly. Obviously the last two things on your list are extremes, but alcoholism isn't that clearly defined. Firstly, the notion that a lot of drink does not affect an alcoholic is complete bullshit - I've got first hand experience of that. Secondly, I believe that your "doesn't" list contains several bad practices that alcoholics generally share in common, but that aren't necessarily indications of alcoholism when viewed individually. It's when several of your "doesn't" list occur together regularly that I'd start to get worried. You like to get drunk + you drown sorrows + you drink alone + you drink most nights = sounds like an alcoholic to me.

    True, particularly the drinking a lot bit. Quite the opposite - It's fairly common for alcoholics to be rat arsed on half a can of lager.
  • Youthist 14 Apr 2008 23:18:44 14,723 posts
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    PhoenixFlames wrote:
    JYM60 wrote:
    Is it just me that thinks it's really sad to say drinking is part of your lifestyle?

    What as sad as exercise, or counting calories, or religion or gambling or gaming or extreme sports or consciously not drinking etc etc...?

    It amazes me how many people seem to want to burn drinkers at the stake.

    Yep, drinking lots of booze is like religion or excercising or having a good diet.
    Time goes on, and things change, but the gargantuan penis that is "you" is a constant.
  • yupyup 14 Apr 2008 23:44:39 3,701 posts
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    I still don't understand the negative connotations attached to drinking alone. If I did, and I was a alcoholic, how would drinking with someone else change that?
  • FooAtari 14 Apr 2008 23:58:07 3,955 posts
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    I don't think drinking alone makes you an alcoholic.

    I do wonder why PhoenixFlames seems to feel the need to justify his actions though...

    @deem

    First im not judging you here or telling you how to live your life or anything, but it struck me when you seemed to imply you are often drunk when looking after your son in the morning? I dunno, I don't have kids yet and don't (can't) drink but I'd have thought having a young kid you wouldn't drink so much?

    Might seem like im having a go, but im really not. Just made me think thats all.
  • polar 14 Apr 2008 23:58:56 1,098 posts
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    yupyup wrote:
    I still don't understand the negative connotations attached to drinking alone. If I did, and I was a alcoholic, how would drinking with someone else change that?

    Drinking alone doesn't automatically make you an alcoholic, but the negative connotations are justified to a certain extent. Addiction and depression are can be linked and anything that fuels the addiction is bad. Some people get depressed when they spend a lot of time alone. Perhaps it's the isolation that can trigger alcoholism and not the other way around?
  • FooAtari 15 Apr 2008 00:01:52 3,955 posts
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    prawnking wrote:
    Are you gonna like someone cos they drink or if they don't? no so what does it matter.

    Generally no. But I dont have much respect for people that need medical attention because they drunk too much on a night out. Someone could by having a heart attack while the paramedics are picking someones drunk ass off the pavement. Not saying anyone here is guilty of that, just that it pisses me off no end.
  • yupyup 15 Apr 2008 00:07:35 3,701 posts
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    polar wrote:
    yupyup wrote:
    I still don't understand the negative connotations attached to drinking alone. If I did, and I was a alcoholic, how would drinking with someone else change that?

    Drinking alone doesn't automatically make you an alcoholic, but the negative connotations are justified to a certain extent. Addiction and depression are can be linked and anything that fuels the addiction is bad. Some people get depressed when they spend a lot of time alone. Perhaps it's the isolation that can trigger alcoholism and not the other way around?

    That does make sense I suppose. Weirdly, I drink more now (alone) living with people than I did living alone.
  • deem 15 Apr 2008 23:05:23 31,667 posts
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    I'm an alcoholic.
  • deem 15 Apr 2008 23:09:01 31,667 posts
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    I'm still knocking back the beers even though my wife is in the position she's in.

    I thought to myself a minute ago, that I shouldn't be drinking like I am when she's where she is, and that I'd do anything to sort out my drinking problem, except stop drinking.

    I couldn't do it.
  • Stickman 15 Apr 2008 23:10:34 29,986 posts
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    To be honest, I'd say your situation gives a reason to drink. I suppose it depends how wasted you're getting every night.
  • Psiloc 16 Apr 2008 10:18:07 6,366 posts
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    What situation?
  • spamdangled 26 Apr 2016 20:18:05 31,803 posts
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    Scared that I'm becoming an alcoholic. My dad was. For years, I have fought it. But it's become a reflex action. Something bad happens? Pour a glass of wine.

    I tried to trick myself for ages that the fact I wasn't drinking hard spirits meant nothing was wrong. No whiskey, vodka or rum in the house. I was raised in a family where we had wine with dinner.

    But now it's not just a glass of wine with dinner. It's a glass of wine with lunch. It's chasing my morning coffee with the wine ;eft from the night before.

    I don't get the shakes or anything. I think it's psychological, not physical. But I want to stop. Completely. I just don't know how. Something bad happens - and fuck knows my life is pretty much a walking soap opera - and my first response is "pour a drink."

    In the last year alone, I left a bad relationship and stayed on a friend's sofa in London for 3 months. I was then moved to Brighton and am living in refuge accommodation. Doctors couldn't get the medication I needed to manage my renal condition, which led to 7 hospital admissions in 6 months. I nearly died at the last one. They finally work out how to get my meds, and my father drags me into his divorce. Then I break my leg, after hoping I won't see a hospital again for a long time. Then my dad kills myself. Then I have a mental breakdown that I'm trying to recover from. And then I'm in an inheritance dispute. And then my housing officer called me on Friday and says the council wants to "move me on" as they can't house me, just as as I have a boyfriend and have been putting down roots.

    And my response to all of it has been "have a glass of wine, have another glass."

    Edited by spamdangled at 20:29:35 26-04-2016
  • Trafford 26 Apr 2016 20:24:08 9,358 posts
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    Is your usage affecting the world around you for the worse? Like upsetting friends and loved ones with your actions.
    Worries about drinking too much are common if you have a moderate mind set.

    Cut yourself some slack but remember that the booze ultimately fuck with the grieving process and your meds presumably.

    Edited by Trafford at 20:27:30 26-04-2016
  • challenge_hanukkah 26 Apr 2016 20:25:29 14,394 posts
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    What happened to Stickman? He was funny.
  • spamdangled 26 Apr 2016 20:31:23 31,803 posts
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    I'm a living fucking soap opera and I fucking hate it. I want my life to be boring.
  • wrinkly 26 Apr 2016 20:36:35 3,721 posts
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    No you don't. You just need to be in control of the non boring bits.
  • Deleted user 26 April 2016 20:39:34
    A Russian family father on TV once nailed it.

    You drink when you're in company
    You drink when you're alone
    You drink if you're happy
    You drink if you're sad
    You drink to go to sleep
    You drink to wake up
    But if you drink without a reason, you're an alcoholic.

    Edited by DrStrangelove at 20:40:15 26-04-2016
  • spamdangled 26 Apr 2016 20:42:36 31,803 posts
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    @DrStrangelove

    I don't know if im drinking without reaon, or if drinking has become the reason. I really don't My boyfriend has commented on it but he says he thinks it's grief. but deep down, i know it's not. i wake up at 4am from nightmares and pour a glass of wine. i have wine with my brekfast. that's not normal.
  • Deleted user 26 April 2016 20:44:48
    Don't the mediterranans have a glass of wine with everything, and they live forever?
  • Deleted user 26 April 2016 20:46:21
    @spamdangled

    What is normal? I drink to stop caring... guess that's beyond the line
  • spamdangled 26 Apr 2016 21:05:36 31,803 posts
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    @ClemFandango I drink one or two bottles of wine a night right now. If I don't, I can't sleep. And then I wake up after nightmares that you don't even want to know about.
  • spamdangled 26 Apr 2016 21:07:57 31,803 posts
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    I'm drinking to forget I guess. I don't get any physical symptoms )lol maybe im immune at this point). I drink purely to forget and help me sleep.
  • Deleted user 26 April 2016 21:50:17
    https://ncadd.org/get-help/take-the-test/am-i-alcoholic-self-test
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