Am I an alcoholic or just in the party stage?

Question

Im only 16. For the past year,, Ive been drinking every weekend... about 2 or 3 times a week. I could possibly go a weekend without it.. but then I always crave it. I mean cmon... Im drinking right now.. and Im by myself... am i just in the 'party' stage?

I guess I drink b.c thats the only time Im ever happy. I kno nothing good comes from it.. but I dont kno how to enjoy life. My life is so ****** up.. I just like the fact that drinking puts my mind off of things.. and makes me feel differnt. I know its not good.. but my lifes not good anyways,, you kno? The only thing I kno is to get drunk and party and have fun... I cant seem to enjoy life unless im doing those things.

Answer 1

Hey I'm 32 and i ask that question every day, and the answer is if you drink carefully and moderate beer or whatever with women, think of it as an enlightening experience because women + booze = motivation and if anyone says otherwise they can't control there alcohol, I'm a hopeless romantic and hopeless romantics don't get laid. Beer or whatever you drink is a motivational tool for your own betterment but don't let it rule you.

Answer 2

It depends on how the alcohol affects you. If you do things you would not normally do (while under the influence) then you could be in the beginning stages.
Being an alcoholic is not based on how much and how often you drink but rather how you act while drinking.
You young people be very careful as alcohol is a powerful drug. I drank for 35 years and it cost me 35 years of living hell. After 5 DWI`s and 37 arrests, 3 marriages , loss of numerous jobs, rejection from family members and the tens of thousands of dollars lost, I KNOW. Jan.15, 2007 will be 4 years since I`ve had a drink . I am finally enjoying life after all those years of heartache and pain . I was right at 16 when I took my first drink. I could`nt get enough. After a few months, my friends ALL told me I was a different person when I drank and they did`nt want to be around while I was drinking. That was a warning sign that I should have heeded. I have never seen anything good come from alcohol. If you you continue to drink and someone suggests you stop, they are certainly seeing something that you do`nt. When you start to crave alcohol, you are on the road to problems.

Answer 3

I think you are right to be concerned. Craving alcohol is a sign of alcoholism. Do you think you could, on your own, stop drinking completely? Get through the cravings? If not, then I would really get some help.

Drinking by yourself is not good either.

I know you are young and drinking seems fun right now. But do you really want to be dependent on it to the point where you do need to drink from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? That will certainly happen in time if you continue.

Seriously, if you don't think you can quit on your own, get some help. Contact AA. Talk to your parents if you are comfortable with it. School counselor. Teacher. And remember that alcoholism is a disease and not a personal fault. There is no shame in seeking treatment.

PS. I think if you are asking this question, you might already suspect that you are past the "party" stage and on to something far more dangerous and life damaging.

Answer 4

No, you aren't in the "party stage", you are drinking by yourself.
I'd say that was the first sign of needing help. The next being that you crave it when you don't have it. Drinking two or three times a week is not "normal", or a phase. You need to have your head and body clear of toxins to learn. If you don't' learn, you get stuck in life, in a place that never gets better until you stop the addiction. I think that you can kick this on your own, just make a verbal promise to yourself to do so. Then back yourself up on it. Don't go partying with those drunken friends. As "boring" as it may seem, you are distancing yourself from your nemesis (the drinking). It's a path that requires discipline. If you can't offer yourself enough discipline, then you do require outside help. I suggest that you don't wait to get it if you need it. The longer you wait, the more of your life you waste.
Good luck with everything.

Answer 5

Just because you don't drink everyday doesn't mean you're not an alcoholic....People always fail to realize that. And honestly man...If all you know is that...You should find other things to fill your time...That don't inlvolve booze.....Maybe even get a job...Get some money flowing...Buy yourself something you've always wanted....Stick to that kind of a routine for a while..Get your **** together...Then you can start drinking again..You'll see there will be a world of difference when you start drinking again...But overall I'd have to say..Yah..You're most likely you're in the party stage...Alot of people go through it...And ultimately it's good for 80% of people..Teaches them alot...But 80 isn't 100 so that means it doesn't work out for 20% So just be smart...Use common sense...Everything in moderation. Most importantly don't ever let things like alcohol come before other more important things...What those other important things would be is up to you but I'm sure you get the point...

Answer 6

If youre only 16 and drinking every weekend you do have some problems. the Party stage of life should be from the time you graduate highschool to the first or second year out of college.

Answer 7

Sounds like you've got issues apart from the alcohol. Why are you so unhappy? You've got to figure that one out first. If a person is prone to unhappiness the last thing they need is a substance abuse problem. Believe me, that will only make things worse. A lot worse. It's cool to party but you've got to be doing it for the right reasons. I think you should seek counseling.
Not so much for the booze. But that is a part of it. Nip this in the bud so you can have many, many happy years ahead of you.

Answer 8

I think that even the fact that you are asking the question indicates you have a problem. Also, one sign of a problem is drinking alone. Talk to your school counselor or your parents...they can help you get help.

What the person said above about having to drink from morning to night to be an alcoholic is not true. My parents are alcoholics but they only drink at night.

Check out this link. It's from the Alcoholics anonymous site for teenagers. http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_is_aa_for_you.cfm?PageID=15

Good luck!

Answer 9

Hey, it doesn’t sound like your problem is really the booze. I’m not going to preach about AA like some of the answers here. I’m assuming if your life seems screwed up you can’t talk to your parents. School counselors will call your parents or Social Services. There must be someone you at least sort of trust. You just need to hang with someone you trust more often. Isolation is a bad thing. I’m 44 … older than dirt to someone your age, but I remember my teen years and I have three teenage daughters. One of them got an underage consumption ticket when she was 13 at a dance. I didn’t drag her off to AA … she barely got grounded … we just talked about it. She is in high school now and on the honor roll; she didn’t become an alcoholic or need to see a shrink. Many parents these days can’t handle reality. When something happens with one of their teens they are off to doctors and shrinks and come home with a bag of pills. When one of my kids drinks at a party, etc., they tell me about it. Seek people out to talk to … and they don’t have to be shrinks or teachers. You said your life is messed up … you need to realize that most of us have some pretty heavy baggage … you have to just get on with your life. You will be 18 in a couple years and doing whatever it is you want to do … try not to dwell on the baggage of the past.

I saw your question last night, but I was too tired to answer ... took me twenty minute to dig through questions to find yours. You can rant at me in an email if you want to vent.

Answer 10

Technically yes, you are in the early stages of it. By drinking that much on a regular basis you are building up a tolerance to alcohol (amount that got you high the first time) and will require you to drink more and more as time goes on. If you don't believe me try attending a AA meeting and see what they talk about and how you relate to them.

Answer 11

I think that you are at the your life stage. No one can tell you that you are wrong for drinking at such a young age and that amount. You will have to wake up and say to yourself that I need to move on.

At 16 you should be with your friends, playing sports, enjoying outings......Go talk to one of your parents maybe that is what is missing from your life..

A party stage in life is not a stage of life its a void for what is missing in your life.....