How can you tell if you're just a drinker or an alcoholic?!
How can you tell if you're just a drinker or an alcoholic?
I drink virtually every day, mainly beer and some whiskey at night (maybe two or three at home, the equivalent of doubles or trebles), but I don't normally get really drunk. Maybe occasionally I binge a bit. How does somebody know they're alcoholic?
Additional Details5 days ago
I never drink as soon as I get up in the morning, and I don't particularly worry about or crave my next drink.
Often I don't drink until the evening.
Answers:
5 days ago
I never drink as soon as I get up in the morning, and I don't particularly worry about or crave my next drink.
Often I don't drink until the evening.
Typically, if you ask, the answer is "yes" (medical statistics)
There is a simple self-evaluator for alcoholism called the CAGE test; C is for Cut Down, A is for Anger, G is for Guilt, and E is for Eye-Opener. Each letter is associated with a question, and a yes to any of them indicates a drinking problem:
--Have you tried to Cut Down on your drinking?
--Do questions about your drinking make you Angry?
--Do you feel Guilty about your actions when you drink?
--Have you ever taken a drink, or a drug like aspirin or Advil as an Eye-Opener, that is, to calm you down or get you going in the morning?
alcohol is affecting your body, and most likely we'd find that it's also affecting your work and your social life.
In general, doctors do a terrible job at diagnosing alcoholism. Researchers have sent alcoholics to see doctors and most of them do not get diagnosed.
Source(s):
here's a little quiz:
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tests/l/b...
I'd say you were an alcoholic if you couldn't stop drinking every night. If you thought about it all the time, and had to have some.
Hmm think I must be one....
If you have to ask, you are most likely an alcoholic!! Two or three doubles or triples...and you don't get THAT drunk? It's because you have a tolerance.. I think you know the answer to your question.
I DRINK ALCOHOL IMMEDIATELY AS I ARISE.
Do you find yourself wanting drink at all times of day? Such as first thing in morning? Is the highlight of your day having a drink?
I'd say you are alcoholic when you are drinking every night to excess and craving it and living for it.
You can drink 10 gallons a day if you want as long as it doesn't interfere with your everyday life, but once it starts to impact your life and the life of those around you negatively then you can consider yourself an alcoholic.
If you cannot stop, by that I mean go a while .... days ... weeks etc without a drink or you think about your next drink a lot then I would say you were an alcoholic.
It's not how much or what you drink ... it's all about your dependency to alcohol.
AN ALCOHOLIC IS SOMEONE WHO WAKES UP AT 7 IN THE MORNING TO HAVE A BEER, GETS PISSED OFF WHEN THERE IS NO BEER ( OR WHATEVER YOU CHOSE TO DRINK) SOMEONE WHO IS A COMPLETE ASSHOLE WHO KNOWS THEY HAVE MORE POTENTIAL THEN THAT~!~
wether its just a drink to refresh yourself or wether you crave it
well i drink wine a lot and a have friends come round ! wiskey to ! you dont really know !you have to see them when they ther homes !!!
The C.A.G.E. test sounds like a good one, and so do the questions on whether you could abstain from alcohol for a few days and not worry about it. Another thing to ask is if you always drink when you are upset or happy, HAVE to drink for any of these emotions, feel you have to drink in order to have fun or talk to ppl.
I average a case of beer a day honestly, I consider myself a drunk, Alcoholics go to meetings.
Interesting set of answers you have here, the main theme coming across to me is 'if you need to ask you must be'!!
Maybe that is correct? I don't know, sounds reasonable to me!
I'm the same as yourself, but I expect I have been 'at it' a lot longer!! I'm getting on for 70.
I've never lost a days work down to booze , I reckon I've drunk as much booze as any man( not trying to boast, just a fact) The only difference between us is that I don't give a sh*t if I'm a drinker or classed as 'alcoholic' !!
I don't venture out a lot now, but I'm still knocking quite a few vodkas back every evening, and shouting abuse at the TV programmes, but it never crosses my mind that I could be 'alcoholic'!!
My wife also shouts abuse at the TV and she has never touched a drop all I can say is that I think you could well convince your self that you are alcoholic if that's what you want?? If so go for it, there are a lot of groups around, you just turn up, then stand up introduce your self, say "I am alcoholic" every one applauds you for being honest, job done!!
I was going to join one but I heard they didn't have a bar on the premises!!
I'm sitting here with my (large) vodka plonking this letter out on my keyboard feeling very happy with the world, if I cut out the drink I could maybe last till I'm 78?
Who needs it?
One thing is for sure, I will be cremated, they wont need many fire lighters to get me going!!
First off, I don't agree with the trendy concept that alcoholism is a disease. Diseases can generally be treated with medicine or cured by doctors, and they are not something their "victims" voluntarily engage in (when was the last time anyone decided to go have a couple slices of Parkinsons).
If you drink to excess on a regular basis, to the point it defines who you are, where you go, the people you hang out with (your drinking buddies), & what you do, you might be an alcoholic. Especially if it interferes or interrupts your "normal" life, such as disrupting your work schedule or leads to arrest (public intox or DUI).
The great thing is each of us has the ability to think for ourselves & make choices. I speak from a certain level of experience on this subject and had the opportunity to make a choice several years ago. I have not had a drink in 2 years now, and overall my quality of life has improved. I'm not preaching or telling anyone what to do, but I know it was the right choice for me because I was a "bad" drunk.
Good luck to you.
I was No i am an alcoholic and i asked the very question you have... You my friend are the only one who can answer that and when you do there is help out here for you. Good luck...
If you crave liquor at all times of the day then you're an alcoholic.
First of all I think you to be conscious about having an at leat medium-sized problem with alcohol. And that is the very first step to find a way out/a solution.
There is a very narrow description of alcoholism :
a person who drinks daily a certain quantum of alcohol is a problem drinker / alcoholic.
This description is worth to be discussed due to its strictness BUT it is up to you to make the following test :
Conclude an agreement with yourselve with the follwing conditions (but don't tell anybody about this test, because the point is that you have to control yourselve and not your partner etc):
1. no alcohol for one week (no beer, no whiskey)
2. take down notes about your feelings during these days of abstenence
I suggest you to be clever and fair enough not to cheat yourselve in order to recognize your personal relation to alcohol and to draw neccessary conclusions.
Best wishes & good luck
if you have to ask the question, then the answer is the latter
silly people...alcoholics go to meetings...drinkers/drunks don't...thats the only difference...lets get real here
Try quitting and see if you turn into a total jerk. Most alcoholics are iteratable and discontented. Sometimes people call AA atitude adjustment.
Also try some controlled drinking and see if you can moderate your drinking to just 2 drinks a night. If you can't you most likely have a problem.
Go visit an AA meeting and talk to the people there who can help you further.