I'm sure this question comes up a lot here. I don't drink everyday, maybe once or twice a week, but when I do drink, I lose complete control and binge. I keep drinking until I get sick or pass out. During the week I find myself wanting a drink, driving past liquor stores wanting to stop and pick something up. I keep telling myself I can't be an alcoholic because I don't drink everyday. I'm 25 and have ruined quite a bit of my life with the drugs and alcohol. Is it possible to be an alcoholic without drinking everyday?
yes, michelle, the very short answer to your question is you are virtually certain to be alcoholic.
that does not mean that there is not help available to you or that you should in any way live without hope.
many others have been in your condition with your disease. and they have found relief from what you are experiencing.
ordinarily, you will need help. post again if you are interested and i know you will get some suggestions here.
Michelle, Hi. The word "alcoholic" realy refers to a person who has a problem with alcohol, be it miss use, abuse or over use. Seems you fit that. DO NOT mean to sound condisending at all just that I have been there and wasted a few
years confused. Now have 24+ days sober, One Day At A Time.
At 25 I only drank every couple or other weekends, 'till I lost control, also never drank the next day and than one night my wife said stop or leave. I went into treatment and am now about 25 years happily sober. I've continue to survive ONE DAY AT A TIME have went to a dozen AA meeting in a row whenever stress overwelmes me and read THE BIG BOOK regularily. I do not let my brain disease take up every moment of my life, anymore. Your being here and asking your question is the "best thing you can do". Continue to read, ask and stay concerned. You will find the right answers. Any questions ask away. Best of Luck to you.
grampaAllen
years confused. Now have 24+ days sober, One Day At A Time.
At 25 I only drank every couple or other weekends, 'till I lost control, also never drank the next day and than one night my wife said stop or leave. I went into treatment and am now about 25 years happily sober. I've continue to survive ONE DAY AT A TIME have went to a dozen AA meeting in a row whenever stress overwelmes me and read THE BIG BOOK regularily. I do not let my brain disease take up every moment of my life, anymore. Your being here and asking your question is the "best thing you can do". Continue to read, ask and stay concerned. You will find the right answers. Any questions ask away. Best of Luck to you.
grampaAllen
I'm new today...and on beer 2. Pathetic but I'm trying over and over again. I did what you described. (and i'm now 53). Went for years and years not even "thinking" about an alcohol problem. When I look back I wonder. I "outgrew" when having kids etc. but it has now crept up again slowly. I have other problems with panic disorder etc. but never should have gotten caught up in drinking. My mistake was not realizing it. I don't know if you're an alcoholic (I like abuser better) but be very aware. When you start to question it...my answer would be you're walking the tightrope. If you fall off you've crossed the line. Find help if you need it...here is a good starting point. Wishing you luck...you're so young...don't waste your days drinking them away or "thinking" about booze. If you're "thinking" it then RETHINK and maybe stop. I wish you luck with all my heart. Barb P.S. Don't be hard on yourself. When you know you'll "binge" replace it (try too) with something else. Go watch everyone else binge and you might realize that's not how you want to be (or look). Just a thought.
Hi Michelle no one can tell you if your alcoholic or not only you will make that decision. I know that because caring people tried to tell me that for years.
But if alcohol is costing you more than money then you may be alcoholic. Hear is a Questionnaire to look at .After you read it let us know how you went .And if you want to stop drinking. I can make a few suggestions that may help.
This questionnaire is from Alcoholics Anonymous.
IS A.A. FOR YOU?
Only you can decide whether you want to give A.A.a try
whether you think it can help you.
We who are in A.A. came because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. (We thought so for years!) We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism.
We decided to try and face up to what alcohol had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. If we answered YES to four or more questions, we were in deep trouble with our drinking. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem.
Answer YES or NO to the following questions
1 - Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. A.A. said: "Just try not to drink today." (If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.)
Yes No
2 - Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking-- stop telling you what to do?
In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.
Yes No
3 - Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink cocktails. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.
Yes No
4 - Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?
Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking "socially."
Yes No
5 - Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.
Yes No
6 - Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse -- never better. Eventually, you will die, or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.
Yes No
7 - Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere or anytime.
Yes No
8 - Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Most of us used to have a "few" before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. And if drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.
Yes No
9 - Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came into A.A., we found out that once we started to drink, we couldn't stop.
Yes No
10 - Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
Many of us admit now that we "called in sick" lots of times when the truth was that we were hung-over or on a drunk.
Yes No
11 - Do you have "blackouts"?
A "blackout" is when we have been drinking hours or days which we cannot remember. When we came to A.A., we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.
Yes No
12 - Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into A.A., we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Yes No
Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves the hard way.
But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking ourselves. Just call.
A.A. does not promise to solve your life's problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking "one day at a time." We stay away from that "first drink." If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. And when we got rid of alcohol, we found that life became much more manageable.
Every Sober Day Is A Miracle...God Bless
But if alcohol is costing you more than money then you may be alcoholic. Hear is a Questionnaire to look at .After you read it let us know how you went .And if you want to stop drinking. I can make a few suggestions that may help.
This questionnaire is from Alcoholics Anonymous.
IS A.A. FOR YOU?
Only you can decide whether you want to give A.A.a try
whether you think it can help you.
We who are in A.A. came because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. (We thought so for years!) We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism.
We decided to try and face up to what alcohol had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. If we answered YES to four or more questions, we were in deep trouble with our drinking. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem.
Answer YES or NO to the following questions
1 - Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. A.A. said: "Just try not to drink today." (If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.)
Yes No
2 - Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking-- stop telling you what to do?
In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.
Yes No
3 - Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink cocktails. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.
Yes No
4 - Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?
Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking "socially."
Yes No
5 - Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.
Yes No
6 - Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse -- never better. Eventually, you will die, or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.
Yes No
7 - Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere or anytime.
Yes No
8 - Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Most of us used to have a "few" before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. And if drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.
Yes No
9 - Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came into A.A., we found out that once we started to drink, we couldn't stop.
Yes No
10 - Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
Many of us admit now that we "called in sick" lots of times when the truth was that we were hung-over or on a drunk.
Yes No
11 - Do you have "blackouts"?
A "blackout" is when we have been drinking hours or days which we cannot remember. When we came to A.A., we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.
Yes No
12 - Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into A.A., we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Yes No
Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves the hard way.
But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking ourselves. Just call.
A.A. does not promise to solve your life's problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking "one day at a time." We stay away from that "first drink." If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. And when we got rid of alcohol, we found that life became much more manageable.
Every Sober Day Is A Miracle...God Bless
Wow didn't realize how long that iwas.lol
I'm sorry but I just have to say something here. I really wanted help on the site. I don't think I'm a stupid person just a person that needs some help. I understand that a person should question themselves. But Sober you don't just question you fill in the answers. If a person can't answer these questions on their own they might need a "higher power"...a hospital bed. I know you mean well but one of the reasons I have backed away from AA is that the "higher power" is extremely human. And one that feels they are a bit "higher" on the totem pole than me or others so to speak. You ask good questions...but really isn't it fair to let a person formulate their own answers. I think even the most dedicated of AA members would agree. I'm not at all disrepecting AA. It's not for me (at least not now for many reasons) but if it helps others that's great. I need some help but I'd love to have some sense of true response as to how I answer honest questions. This wasn't even close to filling in the blanks. It made me feel hollow. It's authorative to someone who's asking for help. I really mean no offence...but I do question your intentions. P.S. Every Sober Day is a Miracle. I understand that. But for everyone on earth to me (the sober, the drunk, the poor, the war-stricken innocents, the cancer patients etc. every day is a blessing). We have to deal with what we're dealing with....I'm thrilled you're sober...but I can't just TOTALLY live my life without thinking about others with other real problems just like mine and yours. Just like I like to answer questions for myself?
sober2day -- thanks for your post. it was very, very helpful. god bless you.
THATS JUST LIKE ME MICHELLE I WAS THE SAME WAY DAY HERE THEN 5 DAY THEN IT GOT BAD IT WAS EVERYNIGHT... NOW ITS WHEN I GET UP.. MAN PLEASE GO TO AA I AM NOW AND IM DOING OK 2 DAYS STAY THERE LET UP HELP U AND U HELP US OK
