Is my husband an alcoholic?

Question

My husband has a few beers everyday and occasionally on the weekends gets drunk. Not stupid drunk but drunk. He drinks everyday but doesn't get drunk everyday. If we go out for dinner or take our kids out they have to serve alcohol where ever we go. He says he doesn't have a problem because he doesn't get drunk and stupid everyday. He rarely gets fall over stupid. But his mother, uncle, and grandfather are all alcoholics. He says b4 he was with me he drank Jack almost everyday and I should be happy he only drinks beer. He claims he drinks beer because he likes the taste. Is he an alcoholic?

Answer 1

No, hes a grown man that's old enough to drink and make his own decisions, you people are judge-mental and have no idea what a real alcoholic is.

Answer 2

Having 2-3 beers every night and getting drunk 'occasionally' on the weekends is not a something to be concerned about. If that is the case don't listen to all these nervous nellies.

If he starts drinking 6+ beers a day and getting drunk 3 nights a week then you should start to worry.

Answer 3

Well, it isn't unusual for someone to have a glass of wine with dinner every night, but to drink 3 glasses every day after work implies that it is more a habit than a nice taste with food. That he drinks a lot more on weekends may mean he has lost, or is losing, control of his drinking. You need to insist that he stop drinking to get buzzed. My guess is that he'll resist and say he doesn't have a problem, which means YOU have a problem. If he refuses to stop or cut back, make a call to a local rehab clinic or Alcoholics Anonymous to ask for professional advice. If he is an alcoholic, I wish you well, but you are in for some difficult times ahead.

Answer 4

I think he is a functioning alcoholic.....When I saw your question I almost thought I typed it - your question/story is exactly my life/marriage. I'm almost 10 years into our marriage and all I can say is I hope your husband will slow down. My husband is now lying to me about his drinking and making excuses so he can drink and it seems the older he gets the worse his reactions are to the alcohol. He will have a big drunk and then promise not to drink and within 1 week he's back to the same routine. I don't know what I'm going to do but I can tell you it is frustrating as h***. Hopefully, if you talk to him when he has not been drinking he will listen to you. I have been told to never confront them when they have been drinking so I have learned to just tune my husband out and/or go do something away from the house. Maybe schedule a physical for him and see if his doctor will talk to him?? I wish you lived next door to me so we could compare notes but knowing my husband he would become drinking buddies with yours, lol..... Take care!

Answer 5

....Yes and no.

With your husband, I see a small problem, just not enough of a problem to be concerned. You say he has a few beers every day. Maybe that's his way of winding down from a long days work?

I have to agree with your husband a tid bit-all in all, it's just beer. Be happy he's not pounding back JD on a daily basis like he used to.

-Before my husband and I got married, he used to drink Jack Daniels every damn day and get totally blitz on the weekend. And, I'm not talking shots, I'm talking huge glass mugs with at least 7 shots of JD in each, mixed with Pepsi. Sometimes he'd drink so much he would go to PT and work wreaking of booze. He was past borderline alcoholic. Since we've been together, he's grown up a lot from his single dorm days and once in a blue moon whenever my husband has a seriously rough day at work, he'll crack the bottle and have a glass of Jack and Pepsi after dinner. It bothers me yes, but at least it's not like before.

Answer 6

Ok for the short, hard facts answer. Greenie has it right. That sounds just like me a few years ago. and the honest reply is look at me. Discharged from the military for alcohol abuse. married and divorced with kids, yes alcohol again. went back to school and was dropped for lack of attendence. working low paying jobs (yes that plural). All because I was doing the very same thing your husband is doing the whole time. It's been a year and things are still catching up with me. Even without drinking. Is he an alcoholic? YOU CAN BET YOUR LIFE HE IS!! and that isn't a good bet you might have to pay up.

Answer 7

If you are asking the question then you already know the answer....what do you think is really the question and what kind of example is he setting for your children? They may turn out to think they need alcohol in order to deal with everyday life...they may not be able to be in a social setting without having to drink....being grateful that he sticks to beer is his justification for what he is doing....it's called minimizing the truth and sounds a lot like denial.

Answer 8

It sounds like he does have a drinking problem. Maybe he's a functioning alcoholic. You should go to al a non, it's an awesome support group for families of alcoholics. Good luck.

Answer 9

My opinion is yes, but...

There are levels of drinkers:

1)Almost non-drinker
2)Occasional
3)Social
4)Frequent
5)Borderline alcoholic
6)Lifetime functional alcoholic
7)Disfunctional alcoholic
8)Ragging alcoholic
9)Drunk
10)Dead

I made these up. Anyway, I'd say he's a 5 or 6. Most of my friends are 4's, 5's or 6's.

My only advice would be to watch for his drinking to impact his job or you and your children negatively and call him out on it. When someone starts justifying their bad behavior to themselves so they don't feel bad about drinking too much, that's when they cross into level 7.

Answer 10

no way.... and you should be lucky he doesn't drink jack everyday. i'm in the same situation. i have a few beers everynight and that's it unless it's a weekend or special occasion. I used to get hammered everyday, but when i met my wife I changed. You should pat yourself on the back.