drinking problems?

Question

im not an alcoholic, but i do like to have a beer every now and then, but if i was to go to an AA meeting i would be con sidered an alcoholic if i dont get help and i will always be an acoholic for life. is that just like joining a cult were they tell you how to go about your lifestyl they are trying to convincince you that if you drink a beer at a party your and alcoholic

Answer 1

no

if you have a true addiction, you are addicted for life; if an alcoholic quits and then has a beer at a party, he will likely "backslide" in that he will feel the cravings even more may relapse into drinking behavior

going to an AA meeting does not make you an alcoholic... needing to consume alcohol to function in your daily life is what makes you an alcoholic

according to your description of having "a beer every now and then" you are not addicted; therefore, you are not an alcoholic for life

my ex-husband (who died 8 years ago at 39 years of age from liver failure) was an alcoholic who drank primarily beer -- but he was a "chain-drinker", as soon as he put an empty can in the recycling bin, he stopped at the fridge to grab the next one

support groups are meant to offer support, and one philosophy does not fit all people -- you go into it with an open mind, listen to what others say (you do not have to speak) and use what is relevant to you and discard the rest.

Answer 2

Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. My first husband was an alcoholic even though he probably drank once a month. Why was he an alcoholic? Because of the way it affected him. He would get into bar fights, hit me, tear the house up, threaten people, get into car accidents, spend nights in jail and not go to work for 2-3 days because he had to straighten out all the trouble he'd gotten into. Knowing that alcohol affected him this way, he couldn't/wouldn't stop drinking. My current husband usually has a beer or two in the evening after work, but I don't consider him an alcoholic because he doesn't hurt anybody, drive, miss work, pass out or black out. I went through a ton of substance abuse counseling with my first husband and what I learned is that it's not so much the quantity of beer you drink or the frequency of it that makes you an alcoholic. It's the effect it has on your life and the lives of those around you. If you go to the AA website, you'll see a lot of info to help you (or anybody) decide if they do have a drinking problem. AA is not for everyone who drinks just like Overeaters Anonymous is not for everyone who eats.

Answer 3

AA does not work that way at all.

I use to attend meetings with a friend to offer her support.

Alcoholism is not about having the occassional drink.

It is about your relationship to alcohol, why you drink and how much and how oftern when you do.

There are binge drinkers who over drink on occassion, which of course is a concern.
There are also people who simply cannot get through a day without a drink whether they consider it a problem or not it is not by medical standards okay to do so.

So if you do not have a so called problem with drinking then you may or may not be an alcoholic.

You have to be true to yourself because you are the only one who knows why it is you drink , how much , how often and what for.

Answer 4

If you never been to an AA meeting and you're considering attending a session, then you need to go; Especially if others are recommending you attend. I don't everyday or even every weekend, but when I do drink , I drink hard. That and that alone is why I attend AA meetings. I don't have too, but it helps me stay out of trouble.

Answer 5

No, Having as many beers as you want whenever your socializeing with people is fine. An Alcoholic is someone that knows they have problems with drinking like. "They can't stop drinking after they start", "Drinking Alone", Drinking frequently to get drunk "3 times a week or more" or drinking to hide problems in everyday life. Nothing is wrong with drinking perorid unless you have to have it for one of those reasons. Just my thoughts.

Answer 6

If you honestly think you have a drinking problem go to AA but you should ask someone you know will be really frank with you and ask them if they think you have a drinking problem, you may be overanalyzing yourself too much and worrying yourself. If you do have to go to AA there is nothing to be ashamed about.

Answer 7

I'm not an alcoholic either - they go to meetings!

Answer 8

.....don't go to AA....it is a whining bible thumping organization that will make you need to drink after a meeting

Answer 9

They figure that if they can't drink, they don't want ANYbody else to drink either. Well.....f##k em! I love my beer and whiskey drinks. And I'm gonna have whenever I want. Ya Ya Ya YaYa.

Answer 10

i don't believe you have nothing to loose by going to AA