"People say I got a drinkin' problem but I got no problem drinkin at all."

I had wondered for a time if I 'had' to have it.
I drank quite a lot of cheap beer from 16 through my twenties and had made a transition to better, more expensive beers at about 30. I lost/had to change jobs and had to cut out non essentials from the budget. Beer being utterly non essential,was on the list. One day about a year later I realized I had not had any alcohol for that whole time. Moreover, I realized I did not have any urge to drink either. I hadn't quit, I had just sort have stopped. And didn't even think of it for the longest time.

I surely still love a good cold beer and still keep some in the fridge, at least in the mini fridge in my home office. But I really have to think about it every now and then to keep it from getting too old.

It can be a year between beers for me now sometimes and I am just happy that I can have a drink of any kind whenever I want. The only consideration is driving and/or carrying a handgun.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Can't control the drinking is a good criteria. May be daily, may be less frequent. But can't not drink is it.

I would say this ^^^

I wouldn't exactly prescribe the OP's reasons specifically as alcoholism but may be present.

I never had a drinking problem - I had a huge stopping problem. I was a binge drinker.

AA says alcoholics are on an down elevator. We can choose where to get off but if we stay on we'll hit the bottom. I rode that elevator for a while but was lucky enough to get off w/out killing someone in a car wreck or destroying my health/finances. It's been over 22 years since I've had a drink of alcohol (quit at age 45) and I'm not going to drink today. I can't change yesterday and tomorrow is just a promise but today I'm going to keep the plug in the jug.

It's not how much or how often we drink.The terrible part is not knowing how it will end up when we take a drink.

I'm sure my dad rolled over in his grave when I gave up and sought help. I was taught "you have a problem, you fix it yourself". "And keep your problems to yourself".

One of the nice adages is " A problem shared is a problem cut in half". So that right there was contrary to my upbringing.

Only I can say that I'm an alcoholic or not and some people that are alcoholics stop without any help from AA.I always stopped just couldn't stay 'stopped'.

What has been given me is a wonderful, sober, loving life. Who knew lol. AA is simple, not necessarily easy but what the heck, if all else has failed, why not give it a try.

And if you have any questions feel free to email me. dcknsndnny5@aol.com

good points in here for sure.

here's another one i learned way back when:

How does the drinking - regardless of the amount - affect your life roles / relationships / responsibilities?

missing work? getting DUIs? saying horrible things while drunk to family members? thats a problem

drinking 10 beers at a tailgate over the course of 6 hours with a bunch of guys and getting a ride home is not a drinking problem.

same situation ending up with a fistfight, arrest, job loss? thats a drinking problem

basically it's controlling you versus the other way around

of course once you get on the slide down its very hard to turn around

i drank WAY too much in my late teens and 20s. drinking problem but not a medical alcoholic. now i might have 2 beers a month. one cocktail a year.


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quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
One day about a year later I realized I had not had any alcohol for that whole time. Moreover, I realized I did not have any urge to drink either. I hadn't quit, I had just sort have stopped. And didn't even think of it for the longest time.

I surely still love a good cold beer and still keep some in the fridge, at least in the mini fridge in my home office. But I really have to think about it every now and then to keep it from getting too old.

Pretty much this.

We have large family parties several times a year and we buy some beer (12pk) / wine (1-2 bottles), other people bring whatever they like as well and leave it. After a few parties we tell everyone to not bring anything, as the stuff they left is still here since it only gets consumed if people come over and want it.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I quit on my own, without intervention either social or professional. According to some people's thinking, that means I wasn't (am not) an alcoholic.

I think "loss of control over taking the first drink" is a pretty good criterion, but my problem has been stated above: I could decide whether or not to have a drink, but once started, it ended when I was too blitzed to open another one.

In my case, there were two deciding factors: 1) It was seriously affecting my marriage, and 2) It was obvious even to me that it was getting steadily worse and wasn't going to end well.

In my own opinion (and that's the one that really counts) I am an alcoholic and can NEVER safely have another drink. It's been ~25 years and I'd still love to crack open a cold one on a hot day. Ain't gonna do it, wouldn't be prudent.

Stay the course !

I like to have a beer with dinner each evening. For me it adds enjoyment to the meal. But I don't have to have it. E.g.: To me, beer and breakfast foods aren't a match. So when we have breakfast for dinner I have an orange juice, instead, and don't miss the beer a bit.

I like to occasionally enjoy an aperitif (Scotch, Bourbon or Rye) before dinner, too, but not often. A fifth of anything lasts me months.

When I really want to crank down on fat loss I eliminate alcohol altogether. No problem.

I have been known to over-serve myself on occasion. Particularly at things like summer pool-side parties. Not so much, any more, because the pay-back is a bitch

My father was an alcoholic. I determined long ago I wasn't going to go there. I've twice in the past found myself drinking too much, too often, and cut myself off.

My wife's side of the family has had several experiences with alcoholism, too, so she keeps a very close eye on my drinking, and I'm good with that.

What I learned in high school in the 80s: It's biological, you're born with it, and there is no cure. Those are the basics. I know I'm missing the correct specific words but one drop of alcohol triggers the addictive reaction in the brain of alcoholics. The only way to control alcoholism is to not ingest any ever. My teacher used this exact example: a Catholic priest would have to use grape juice instead of wine in celebrating the Eucharist.

I've heard it's a disease. I think any definition might start with that.

What do you all think about "drinking alone" as a symptom of alcoholism?
I've pondered that and am interested in opinions.

quote:

Originally posted by JonW123:
What do you all think about "drinking alone" as a symptom of alcoholism?
I've pondered that and am interested in opinions.

No, I don't believe that drinking alone qualifies.

(I hope not anyway)

If you continue to drink despite negative consequences, you're likely an alcoholic.

quote:

Originally posted by weiser09:
If you continue to drink despite negative consequences, you're likely an alcoholic.

This.

It took a lot of thinking for me to understand that people who don't drink are still alcoholics. I suppose it is a state of mind as well as consumption.

Theories about addiction evolve, and it is possible the most modern views could be different than what most of us have learned. Just saying be careful as we may have misconceptions inconsistent with current approaches.

It is interesting to see the posts indicating layman views of the indicators. (not suggesting my view isn't a layman view) Many are blatant hard to ignore indicators, but many afflicted addicts don't have any of those.

Not trying to be a smart ass - but in my case is was the realization that if you actually wonder if you have an alcohol problem..... you do!!

That was the day I stopped drinking

I would say chemically dependent, but I suppose I should also include socially and mentally dependent. But I think some form of dependence is required for one to be an addict.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
It took a lot of thinking for me to understand that people who don't drink are still alcoholics. I suppose it is a state of mind as well as consumption.

Theories about addiction evolve, and it is possible the most modern views could be different than what most of us have learned. Just saying be careful as we may have misconceptions inconsistent with current approaches.

It is interesting to see the posts indicating layman views of the indicators. (not suggesting my view isn't a layman view) Many are blatant hard to ignore indicators, but many afflicted addicts don't have any of those.

Alcoholics who successfully quit drinking are still alcoholics. They just figured things out. That is a very hard thing to do. It is a brain chemistry and also a familial genetic historic condition. First and foremost it is a dangerous physical addiction issue. A daily drinking alcoholic should not quit "cold turkey". That can kill a man. It is more dangerous to suddenly quit daily alcohol intake vs opioids. Anyone reading this who is a daily heavy drinker should consult with a medical professional before quitting. You must taper off, and ideally with medical help, perhaps with a Benzo script. Do not do a cold turkey quit. That is very dangerous. I am sure we have a few MD's on SF that can chime in.

This thread sounds way too serious for the old joke “What’s the difference between a drunk and an alcoholic?”, but I’ll go there anyway... “Us drunks don’t have to go to all those meetings.”

In all seriousness, what I’d consider the definition (control, addiction) has been well discussed.

Sadly, while I would otherwise still enjoy the occasional drink, something has changed in my metabolism and it just isn’t worth it anymore. C’est la vie.