Alcoholism- signs?

Question

For whatever reason lately when I get home from work i sit down and have a drink. Sometimes i have 2. I usually wont go much past that during the week because I have to work. now on Friday and Saturdays yeah I can honestly say I have a bit to many.

My BF doesnt like it- he said I am turning into an alcoholic, and even my friends have noticed. Do alcoholics drink like that or do they drink all day every day? I think to be an alcoholic you have to drink all the time- is that true?

Answer 1

No dear...not true. (speaking as a confirmed alcoholic) You don't have to have any pattern to your drinking habits (some alcoholics only drink on holidays, would you believe that???...they're called "binge" drinkers). What determines whether or not you're an alcoholic or close to crossing the line and becoming one is:

1) You drink alone; 2) You think about having a drink as soon as you ........; 3) You wake up, feeling sick as a dog from the night before, and you swear to yourself you're not gonna drink tonight, only to find you can't stay away from the bottle (the bottle controls YOU - you don't control the BOTTLE); 4) You start having blackouts (periods of time where you can't recall what you did or what happened the night before).

Try making a promise to yourself that you're not going to drink for, say, three days. See if you can follow through on your promise; and if you can, are you literally holding your breath, waiting for that time to pass so you can have another drink, or does that thought never enter your mind. You won't need anyone else to tell you you have a problem...you'll know it yourself.

One definition of "alcoholic" is someone who's "allergic" to alcohol. If you find you DO need help, talk to your doctor and/or start attending AA meetings. I can honestly say they help.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hi!

I come from a "history" of alcoholic relatives. There are SO many different types that qualify for being an alcoholic. There are some people that have to have a drink everyday or they will start to go through withdraw due to their bodies becoming use to it in their system. Remember it is a drug! There are other people who may not drink during the week but loose control on the weekend and drink continuously all weekend long or can not say no or get out of control when they do drink. Alcohol is VERY ADDICTING. Many people say they can stop at anytime but honestly they can't until they try it first hand.

I would listen to your boyfriend, it sounds like he cares about you and looking out for the best for you even if it may not be what you honestly want to here. Sometimes the true is hard to take here believe me I know first hand on that.

I wish you luck on finding what you are looking for in your question. Have a great day.

Answer 3

Like Trent, I've also read these articles that promote drinking two glasses of red wine a day. Although this is for the health benefits. I doubt beer would have the same effect :P.
I don't think you are an alcoholic either. As long as it doesn't interfere with your social life, work, family, etc, like was said above.
If people consider those who drink a "bit" too much on the weekends alcoholics, that would make what...75% of college students alcoholics? A lot of people in that age range drink on the weekends, it's a social activity (even though it isn't the healthiest or safest).
Maybe try to go through the week without drinking, only drink on the weekends. Or have just the one drink after work occasionally. Just be careful about binge drinking. I've had my own experience with that and it scares the people that care about me. There's that chance of alcohol poisoning.

Answer 4

Well you are drinking everyday. That is excessive. There are fuctional alcoholics who can function at their jobs but can't wait to get home so that they can have a drink.
If it's starting to affect your relationships, it's getting to be a problem.
Most people don't drink EVERDAY after work and you readily admit to drinking too much on the weekends.
What are your bf and friends seeing in you that you are not?
Don't just think that an alcoholic is someone sitting in a gutter drinking from a bottle all day. If you feel the need to drink everyday (and you are) then you may have the start of a big problem.
Alcholics don't start out drinking 1/5 each day. They worked up to that amount because what they started out drinking no longer gave them the same feeling. So they increase their consumption. So what happens when you don't drink for 1day or several days? Do pass out or have "blackouts" when you drink?
I'm a nurse/counselor at a detox/rehab facility so I do know what I am talking about.
Be careful...

Answer 5

You may not yet BE an alcoholic but you're BECOMING one. The test is if you can go a few days without a drink. If you can't even bear the thought of not having a drink every day then you're becoming dependent on alcohol - an alcoholic.

Try only drinking ONE drink, say twice during the week and only TWO drinks on either Friday or Saturday. And NEVER EVER drink alone!

Answer 6

If there is a concern - then there is reason to examine what you are doing. I also like to come home and have a couple of glasses of wine in the evenings, but I don't get fallling down drunk, and I don't miss work the next day, etc... What you typically would consider an alcoholic to do. But I was told that if you have a fear of being an alcholic - try taking it out of your life for a month - see how you mentally and physically respond. If others are showing genuine concern, there may be a problem you are not aware of, especially on the weekends when you drink too much.

Answer 7

You don't have to drink all day every day to be an alcoholic. It is the dependency that determines alcoholism. It starts like this:
You have 1 or two at night to relax, then you start noticing that during the day you cant wait to get home and have your 1 or two drinks to "unwind". Then you find yourself during the day when things get tough thinking more and more about how you will "escape the day" by having a few more drinks. It can escalate from there.
Basically when things bother you during the day and all you can think about is how you will escape by drinking you have become dependent and are an alcoholic.

Answer 8

You don't have to drink all the time to be an alcoholic!
Some symptoms of alcohol abuse are :

Temporary blackouts or memory loss.
*Recurrent arguments or fights with family members or friends.
*Continuing use of alcohol to relax, to cheer up, to sleep, to deal with problems, or to feel "normal."
Headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, or other unpleasant symptoms when you stop drinking.
Flushed skin and broken capillaries on the face; a husky voice; trembling hands; chronic diarrhea; and drinking alone, in the mornings, or in secret. These symptoms are specifically associated with chronic alcoholism.


Even if you drink only a 'few' nights a week, it could be a problem. I would advise trying to talk to someone about what's bothering you, because alcohol won't really solve your problems - and it usually makes ANY problems worse. You should check out some websites on alcohol abuse , aa's website, ect.

Answer 9

Alcoholism Warning Signs

Alcoholism warning signs may be as obvious as a theatre marquee or alcoholism warning signs may be as subtle as yield sign at the far side of a road. It is important to recognize that alcoholism warning signs need to be addressed as soon as possible whatever form they take. We at Spencer Recovery Centers Florida treat alcoholism, the disease, and address the alcoholism warning signs with which you are suffering.

It may be that alcoholism runs in your family, maybe skipped a generation or two, or seemed to have come out of nowhere but no matter the reason- alcoholism warning signs are causing a crisis in your life and you want to regain control. Call us today and we'll help treat your alcoholism warning signs at our beachside treatment centers in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Feelings of shame, guilt, denial and failure are most common and expected. With honesty and a little work you can reduce the dominance of these feelings in your life and move beyond into the life of your choosing. Let's face it, to go on another day with these alcoholism warning signs just doesn't make sense when we're here waiting to help you.

Give us a call today if you recognize any of these alcoholism warning signs:

unable to control the amount of alcohol consumed
make excuses to drink- happy occasions…sad occasions…hey it's Tuesday
get mad when others criticize your drinking
stash alcohol in secret places around the house or office
need a "hair of the dog that bit you" in the morning to avoid a hangover
still drink and drive, perhaps even after a DUI arrest
missed work
deterioration of physical appearance
depression
irritability
tolerance to alcohol, need larger quantities to get drunk or just can't get drunk anymore
reduced social and family activities
physical fights with spouse or friends
medical condition such as abdominal pain, ulcers or frequent nausea

Yes, there are a lot of alcoholism warning signs and they touch all aspects of life. Recognizing even one of these behaviors can be a strong indicator that you may need medical assistance to quit drinking. Alcoholism, a disease like cancer, is not easily cured on your own. Call Spencer Recovery Centers Florida and we'll walk you through our process of rehabilitation followed by a treatment plan of choice and length of stay.

Our counselors have worked in the recovery field for many years and are trained to listen and address your needs to equip you with the fundamentals of a clean life. The alcoholism warning signs are by no means a complete list. We have one on one sessions or group sessions that will help in specific problem areas like the continuing relationship with spouse, children and/or parents.

We hope that if you have found and read this web page that your acknowledgement of a problem has exceeded the obsession for a drink. This may only be temporary, call us today and we'll help you put a life between you and your last drink.

Answer 10

No, you don't have to drink alcohol all the time to become an alcoholic. The more often you drink, the more dependent you become on the effects of alcohol. The more dependent you become, the more difficult it becomes to not have ANY alcohol. That's when alcoholism has become an issue.