Am I an alcoholic?

Question

I just feel like I need to have at least 1 drink--even if it's a wine cooler--before I go to bed at night or else I can't sleep. And even if I already drank that day. I hardly ever get drunk but I just have this strong urge to get drunk so drunk I don't care about anything anymore, but nobody I know is that interested in getting that drunk with me. I don't know why I feel this way. When I don't have a supply of alcohol, I feel dissatisfied. And I don't drink hard liquor or anything, but beer, wine, wine coolers. And not even a whole lots, but I just like to have at least 2-3 drinks. Is this alcoholism?

Answer 1

When I was 23, I asked myself that exact question one night. Then I realized that a normal drinker would never think of asking themselves such a question and that the question answers itself. But the thing is that back then, I didn't even drink "that much." I wasn't drunk all the time, my life wasn't a wreck and I didn't drink everyday. But obviously deep down I knew that there was something wrong with my thoughs of alcohol, just as your question sounds like you realize something's not right. Because I didn't really think I had "that big of a problem" back then, I continued drinking. And as any alcoholic will attest, it is a progressive disease. It got to a point where my life DID become a wreck. So please please please....I URGE you to seek help as soon as possible. It's your thinking and not necessarily the way you use alcohol that's problematic. There are all kinds of alcoholics...there is no one size fits all. So don't think that just b/c you don't drink hard liquor (I didn't either) or that you don't drink during the day (I didn't either), you're OK. You might just be on the brink right now, but it's still important for you to get help. B/c if you continue, you are going to ruin years of your life needlessly. You don't have to hit bottom, you don't have to get to a point where you're in despair, you don't have to have a million embarrassing moments in order to seek help. Consider yourself lucky (and intelligent enough) that you've had this insight early on in your alcoholism so that you can get help before it gets out of control (and believe me, it will). I'm not trying to scare you. I'm simply telling you that this is the exact question I asked myself over 15 years ago, when I should've sought help....but instead, lived through years of absolute horror at the hands of alcohol before I got help. I'm trying to just give you some advice so that you don't have to go through what I did. I'm not saying you're a hopeless drunk (no such thing by the way) and that you need to check into the Betty Ford Center tomorrow....but just call your local AA hotline, talk to the person on the line, go to an AA meeting and just feel it out. AA is free, the people are super friendly and believe it or not, the meetings are actually kind of fun. So just go check it out. At the very least, it might clarify some issues for you and help you gain insight into your drinking. You might come to realize that you're NOT an alcoholic after all....but it's worth your while to answer that question for yourself through more knowledge about what alcoholism really is (and isn't) rather than on relying for what people who don't know you are saying on Yahoo. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 2

The big question is, are you dependent on the alcohol? If the answer is yes, then you may very well be. When I was in college, I used to have a binge drinking problem. I wouldn't drink all the time, but when I did (usually once a week) I'd drink about 3/4 of a bottle within a few hours. I felt horrible, and I was able to stop on my own, but I imagine that I would have benefited from AA meetings at the time.

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/?Media=PlayFlash

Answer 3

Hello. In my opinion this could be a normal case of alcoholism. I don't think that it is serious though. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having a drink. Many people drink but that doesn't mean that they are heavy alcoholics. The urge to get drunk is normal for some depending on some. Because I think, I don't know, that it feels good to people. I am giving an answer but I am totally against drinking. But I want to say that some people really are against it when there friends are drunk around them. They just act bizarre depending on how drunk they are. Keep in mind that I am not insulting you.

Answer 4

Well, I define addiction as taking any mind-altering substance (yes alcohol is a drug) to ease the pain of your problems or issues. Basically when you can''t deal with the real problem at hand, you need something to numb the pain, or hide the pain. I have been an addict for 16 years, and now I am in recovery and clean for 82 days. I just always was running from my issues instead of learning how to really deal.

You could try hitting up a local AA meeting and they will have a handy info pamphlet that will read.."Are you an alcoholic?" or go to thee AA website and look for that pamphlet. Has your life become unmanageable due to your drinking? Are you powerless of your thoughts to use?

Take Care, and I hope you are young and can nip this in the bud and decide to live a life where you get in touch with yourself other than having to use a substance to run away.

~PEACE~

Answer 5

I feel like I understand addictions but I don't believe most people do. I think its funny how someone can criticize a drunk while smoking their third cigarette. The force of habit is a strong one and then to throw in withdraw pains and other such things, it seems almost impossible. And I am not an alcoholic and have never been one, I've never even been affected by alcoholism. Am I close?

Answer 6

As soon as you feel the NEED (as opposed to a desire) for a drink, it means that you have become dependent on alcohol. Which means you are technically an alcoholic, with a view to becoming a fully fledged rolling drunk.
My cousin was like this about 5yrs ago and gradually increased his alcohol intake to almost a whole bottle of burbon/rum etc a night. It tore my family apart. Hes a wreck now and is very unhealthy, his liver is almost totally destroyed and hes only 26.
THE FACT THAT THERE IS THE TINIEST DOUBT IN YOUR MIND AS TO YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR DRINK MEANS THAT YOU ARE READY TO SEEK HELP.
Do so before you cause irrepairable damage to your relationships and health.
Good luck, stop drinking and please seek help

Answer 7

Star... I don't think your an alcoholic at all. I am the same way at times, to me its a form of relaxation. When you want to get drunk to the point where you don't care, are ya feeling stressed or down in the dumps and may not even know why? Sometimes when I get in those moods I have no idea why I feel like drinken but sometimes you feel it's the only way to take everything away. Plus, I have read that a glass of wine a day is supposed to be good for you. I would definitly try to relax and make sure you have a good support system, people to talk to when you get in those moods. Remember too your not the only one out there that feels like they dont care sometimes or just need to get bombed and forget it all... just know your not alone!

Answer 8

Only you can answer this question. If I thought I had this kind of problem, I would call Alcoholics Anonymous and find a speaker or open meeting. Talk to people there and then decide if that is where I needed to be.

Answer 9

well if you have to have the alcohol every night before you sleep and get the strong urge to drink than yes it is. many people drink for many diffrent reasons but the fact of it is alcohol is addictive just as anything that makes your body feel good can be addictive. right now you only need small quanitys so you may be hooked but your not in the real tough stage of alcoholism yet. right now you can get out of it without proffesional help. my advice to you is to try drinking warm milk before bed to make yourself sleepy. do not use sleeping medication or alcohol. you may experience some withdrawl for about a week but the withdraws will go away. just remember in this prosses you are stronger than the alcohol. like i said stop now before you end up spending all your money on it and needing proffesional help. here are some things to over come this

keep yourself occupied draw color read watch a movie go swimming etc.

coping skills are great too...writing in a journal how you feel and then finding ways to make yourself feel better....like say go to a mall write a short story about something funny.

do things to make yourself tired before bed stretching and excersize is a great way to make yourself tired try walking a few blocks or even doing crunches and situps in your living room. then go to bed. even when your brain says i need the beer now DO NOT GET OUT OF BED until morning or if you have to use the bathroom....dont go to your refriferator keep a glass of water or something next to your bed so you have no excuse to.

dont hang out with negative people. example people that talk about how there life sucks or how they look so horrible today etc. hang out with possitive supportive people.

stay opptimistic about this keep telling yourself that you can fix this problem and that alcoholism isnt going to take over your life and at the end of the week if you havent had anything to dring reward yourself go out and do something you really enjoy for a treat.

all these things will help. and remember you cant find happiness in alcohol. if you keep drinking you will be a definet alcoholic. stop now while you still can. YOU CAN DO IT


dont allow alcohol in your home under any cirrcumstance

Good luck sweety and follow my advice it helps alot and trust me dont drink anymore

Answer 10

Alcohol wont solve your problems. Seek council, they can dig down and figure out what you're trying to hide, or cover up. Maybe you're trying to create a problem so you'll be noticed?

There are probably lots of bums hanging out downtown that would love to sit around and get drunk with you.