Want to know exactly what an alcoholic is? (your definition)?

Question

could you give alcoholic spouse an ultimatum? even if the only one they are hurting is themself

Answer 1

An alcoholic is someone who needs alcohol they can be functional . go to work everyday and seem like they live a normal life. But drink until they get drunk and usually pass out.They have mood swings and say and do hurtful thing and say they don't remember. Will find any occasion to drink, even if they have to drink alone. When you comment on they're drinking they get defensive. And don't be fooled an alcoholic doesn't always drink everyday. If you think they have a problem confront then and give them that ultimatum,they're drinking not only hurts therm but your family also

Answer 2

There are many different types of alcoholics.

!. The most commonly defined is the street drunk, homeless and with a botitle in a paperbag in his hand. Yes, there are quite a few of them

2. The alcoholic that will show you that they are not alcoholics.

This type can and will stop drinking completely for weeks at a time, trying to prove to you that they are not dependant on the alcohol. The telling factor is when they do drink again, they cannot stop at one or two. They prefer to stop drinking for periods, because once they drink, they cannot stop.

I believe this is the most common alcoholic, right down to the person that will go all work week without a drink, and get blasted every weekend.

3. This type must always have alcohol available. Going without it or running out of it puts fear in their hearts. Not that they are always drunk, some are, but they have to have alcohol to function.

As for ultimatums, cannot be done. I lived with a drunk for 22 years and he has been alcohol free for three years now.
Nothing I said or did not say stopped him.
What happened was that he started reading his bible, he was raised Catholic, and they do not read their bibles, they only listen to what the priests say, and little phamplets that they are handed. But when he actually started reading his bible, about two years later he finally was convinced by his reading and the HOLY SPIRIT to give up his addiction. Not saying it was easy, I certainly did not have to go through what he did.
I was not the reason he gave up drinking, I was also not the reason he drank. He and he alone had to make that choice.

Now just in case you want to point out that alcohol is allowed in the bible, of course it is. Drunkeness is not allowed at all. But when one has an addiction to it, they cannot simply cut down. They know that they must stay away from the addictive substance.

Answer 3

To me an alcoholic is someone who can NOT make it through the day without a drink. Someone who is just a moody jerk until they get their "fix". Their day revolves around their drinking habit.

As far as giving your spouse an ultimatum, that's gonna be tough. Your spouse has got to really want to give up drinking. If he's an alcoholic, he's got to quit all together. So if you're going to give him an ultimatum be prepared to keep your end of it.

Answer 4

An alcoholic is someone who has to drink. They want to drink, they need to drink, and you can get support to handle an alcoholic spouse by joining a group called alanon. That is a group for families who are living with an alcoholic. It is good to get advice from people "in the same boat" you are in. Drinking is a choice to many of us. Alcoholics no longer have control of that "choice". Alcoholism destroys lives. If you can encourage your spouse to get help, AA is a great program. Giving your spouse an ultimatum will probably just give him a reason to have another drink. Good luck.

Answer 5

I know exactly what an alcoholic is because I used to be one-I can't believe how many years of my life I wasted in a alcoholic stupor.I was a fu#king idiot.Been sober for four years now and love every minute of it! And I would not give a spouse an ultimatum, I would kick her *** out until she decided to sober up for good!

Answer 6

my definition of an alcoholic is someone that needs alcohol to start off and finish there day. If they NEED it and think they can't function without it, they are and have a serious problem. Esp. if it's affecting their work, partner, whole life.

Yes, you should give your spouse an ultimatum.

Answer 7

an alcoholic is a person, who cant stop drinking, after they
start drinking, reason being is , their pancreas & liver do
not process alcohol the same as a non - alcoholic. an
alcoholic has a mental obession, that some how, some
way, one day they will be able to drink like a normal person.
an alcoholic, has what is considered a mental blank spot,
where they cant remember all the bad things that happen
when they drink. there are a lot of people that like to drink,
but that doesen't make them alcoholic, most people can
stop when they want, or need to, but not the alcoholic.

Answer 8

Any addiction is defined by the NEED for the substance.
IE. one guy gets waisted with his friends watching football every Sunday. An other needs two Scotches after work every day. The second is the alcoholic. This can be tested by high anxiety when not indulging on time. Planning to acquire the substance hours in advance. An over whelming need for the substance.

Answer 9

Yes and I have. An alcoholic is someone who needs to have a drink. It could be a maintenance drinker a binge drinker or other varietys. It is a disease and needs to be treated as one. I recently left my wife since she will not stop drinking even after treatment. It is not only hurting themself but also you and anyone else that is around them. It is only a matter of time before physical harm will occur.

Answer 10

I believe an alchoholic is a person who continues drinking even though it is harming their lives in some way. An ultimatum will not work because they have to first realize that they are more important than the alchohol. Self respect is the first skill they will have to learn on the way to recovery.