when are you consider an alcoholic?

Question

if someone have a shot of vodka a day to help him relax after a long days worth does that make him an alcoholic?

Answer 1

no one shot a day is fine and probably good for your health although coniac or whiskey seems to be more beneficial

Answer 2

this is purely my opinion. and understanding that i have "dabbled" with alcohol as a means of relaxing. any time a person needs some sort of outside stimulant to relax, they are an abuser. the problem with alcohol is that eventually one will not do the trick anymore. one leads to 2 a nite, and so on. and before you know it, yes, you are an aloholic. cigarettes, food, alcohol and other drugs serve a purpose and that is to dull and or enhance your mood. they are mood altering stimulant, and they are addictive. what i would suggest is that if you like the feeling or sensation or whatever it is you are equating that drink with at the end of the day, perhaps you should try substituting a non alcoholic beverage in a nice glass every other nite or every second nite. i will strongly caution you that if you are having one drink a nite, it wont be long before that leads to 2 drinks and so on. hope this helps.

Answer 3

How often is the person having a shot of vodka after work? If its something that the person relys on or can't go without I would look into alcohol abuse.

Answer 4

A single shot everyday should not be a problem. When it gets out of control then you are considered an alcoholic. When you rely on the alcohol so much that it completely takes over your life.

Answer 5

When a person can't get along with the shot or any alcohol at all every day. If you depend on alcohol to relax, then you're an alcoholic.'

Answer 6

Depends. Does he/she rely on this "shot of vodka" every day to relax? Does he/she drink in solitude? If they find they have to rely on this shot to get them through, there may be some acohol dependency there. They should find a better, safer alternative to unwind such as exercising, reading a book, listening to music or even taking a bath. Long term drinking can lead to other serious problems such as cirrhosis of the liver. I have personally seen the effects of what that "one drink a day" can do- I come from a family of alcoholics, but fortunately for me, I broke that cycle.

Answer 7

Many doctors recommend that a person has one or two drinks a day; it's good for the heart.

Is he missing work, wrecking cars, stealing to support his "habit"?

Does he suffer from consequences from his addiction that he ignores? Does his world revolve around alcohol? Does he have DTs?

If not, then NO, he's not an alcoholic, and anyone who say he's one is a brainwashed AA member or someone brainwashed by one.

Answer 8

being an alcoholic is more about WHY you drink then how much or how often...

it is something that only the person can answer for themselves.. there is a checklist of afew dozen questions, that if answered honestly by the person, can help them decide if they have a problem with alchohol..

the questions include things like

-have you ever drank more than you had planned to
-have you ever drank when you had decided you wouldnt
-do you spend a significant amount of time thinking about or planning your drinking
-have you ever drank in the morning to "get you started"

etc...

for alcoholics, drinking is a way to deal with life, but usually they dont realize that... it is an actual disease... an obsession of the mind and an allergy of the body...

Answer 9

Yes, that is considered an alcoholic. There are two types of alcoholics - functional and non-functional. If you have a drink every day after work and it does not affect your job or your family life then you are a functional alcoholic. Hope this helps

Answer 10

according to the experts if you have three or more drinks ,including beer, a day every day you are alcoholic. the truth of the matter is when you live to drink you have a problem. been there and done that and I will never stop.

Answer 11

Every day? That's an alcoholic. God I need a drink.