Anyone here an alcoholic?
 

Seriously, after getting my second dui I have learned that I am. I am the type of guy who "can't just have one beer". It sucks because I do love the taste of beer but I think if I ever have another sip all my plans for the future will go down the tubes...I have already screwed them up as it is but there is still definate hope and I am going to just keep on trucking:)

I'm not a true alcoholic... but I love to drink. I can definetly handle it and control though. Drinking is just so much freaking fun.

I know this probably won't compare (I've never tried the stuff).. but can you drink near-beer (Non-alcohol) stuff?

Although I enjoy drinking, I am not an alcoholic. I know when it's time to cut myself off. And when I've had too much that I wouldn't trust myself to drive.

I have thought about it....but just water when I go out for awhile until I am comfortable not drinking

It wasn't until recently when I made a conscious decision to not drink as much when I realized that I was starting to head in that direction of an alcoholic. I found it very hard to restrict my drinking which is why I am glad I changed my habits when I did. My father is a recovering alcoholic and I have heard the many bad stories that plagued him during his times of alcoholism. Good luck to you in changing your ways kwlll.

i drink a lot on the weekends, but not enough to consider myself an alcoholic. if everyday was a weekend then...heh

thanks I appreciate it. It is kinda weird because they say the majority of alcoholics are geneticaly predisposed, but no one in my family has a history, or there are just skeletons in the closet

<<<< SOBER Eight years and 10 months:cool:

I know how you feel bro, I was like that but with Jack Daniels. Once I had one shot...that was all she wrote....next thing you know "Last call"

If thats your second duece, might I suggest a TAXI. It's just a matter of time if you keep rolling the dice that you will get craps.

Been there......done that...........had it...lost it all..........but now I got it back and have no intention of losing it again ;)

Feel free to pm if you need someonr to talk to.

Be safe

KS

thanks alot:) ...I have been sober for 2 months now, I guess I just need to take it day by day

Two months...CONGRATS!!

Sometimes these are the toughest. So we take it a minute at a time.

Remember it's the little things in life you need to appreciate, like waking up in the morning alive.

Be safe and call on me ANYTIME I don't care what time it is if you need help.

Sending you my number

I don't drink any alcohol, so no.

I'm sort of an alcoholic, Meaning i get drunk everytime the situation will allow. Thing with me is this: if I have one drink, I have to drink more, I really can't control it, BUT I can control having one drink for some reason. If I don't start then I'm fine. I have been tested on this fact more times that I can count. I'm the DD every single time I go anywhere, I am the only one that drives anywhere in my circle of friend except for the rare occations. Many of my friends are raging alcoholics restrained only by lack of money, so manly all we ever do is go to people houses and drink, and I never do, becuase I have to drive. Sometimes though, I won't have to drive, but I just don't really like the situation, strange vibes, might have to drive at short notice, things like that, and I can not drink if I need, so basicly, I am an alchoholic, and also not.
P.S. Jack Daniels is also my bane, and favorite. If I have one sip its over. Also the drunk I get from it is very violent, bad bad bad many bad choices I have mad under the influence of this drunk.
P.S.S Drunk right now, I hit quote three times to edit in that first P.S

I'm an Alcoholic.


I've been working on my drinking for almost 5 years now. I'll quit someday. As for right now... It's one of the only things in my life I still enjoy.

I have the occasional drink..So no I am not an Alcoholic, I just don't like the buzz you get from Liqour...Now if this were a thread about Smoking Pot....But it's not so.....

The Answer is no.

just over 5 months clean & sober here.......i quit drinking a few years back, but kept on doin' drugs until march of this year.

the only way i was able to finally make a real go at being sober was being confronted with losing everything that means anything to me in life. i knew that if i picked up again, i wouldn't come back for a while, and it'd all be gone.

it sounds like you're running into that wall with some things you value - your plans, driving. if you think you REALLY ARE alcoholic, believe me, at some point, if you let it run its course, you WILL lose everything. it's just the way we drunks & junkies are - really have to get hit with a 2x4 to comprehend what is obvious to others.

i wish you the best, drop me a pm if you're feelin' tested.......

I was an alcoholic... I got kicked out of school and realized, that I was screwing my life very seriously up. It ended with three months wihtout alcohol and now I only drink in weekends and not very often. It was a tough time getting through, those three months.

Sober for over 15 years now...

i love to drink.. but have not been drinking for several months now due to medical reasons.

day to day... take it slow.

My father is an alcoholic. He's sober now, but I never wanted to be like him so I never touched the stuff until last year.

From what I hear, when people are first getting clean, they avoid ALL alcohol. No cooking with the stuff (despite it burning out) etc etc.

This is not advice, its just what I've seen.

Good luck amigo.

yeah this what I am faced with, everything in my life has been put on hold which sucks because I am already behinf as it is( 25 and still havn't graduated from college). I didn't learn my lesson the first time, friends and family had confronted me about it but I didn't want to listen. Unfortunitly it took this as a swift kick in the ass to get me to realize my situation, I am very thankfull I never hurt anybody but myself, things could have been much worse.....


also, to the person who said they can't stop once he/she starts..that is my same problem, I didn't HAVE to always have a drink, I didn't wake up in the morning and drank to get started, for me it was the times when I DID drink I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, but I also drank to drown away any problems I was having...this is what makes me an alcoholic

Not an alcoholic -- but was married to one. Believe me, it can ruin a relationship! On top of that we watched his mother die of alcoholism. Believe me that is not a pretty picture!

CONGRATULATIONS for taking the steps to take care of yourself. You are worth it!

The STUFF you lose you can always get back......it's the life you take or your own that you can't.


I was one step from the gutter nine years ago, I lost a business, friends, family, house, car and most of all ME.

Now I have a nice place to live, pain in the ass job that pays me really well, friends that appreciate me and trust me, I help others less fortunate then myself, people that come to me for help and advice and tomorrow night I have a thousand dollar call girl coming to pay me a visit:D

Sobriety is something to be proud of and appreciated if you are one that can't handle the drink.

I've seen too many alcoholics to want to get caught in that trap.

I hope not too many TFP'ers will end up in the gutter with a bottle or drugs, but I know some will.

A word of warning. If you drink to get drunk, you are a step away from becoming an alcoholic, and your foot is on the way down. You can catch yourself at this point and pull back to having a drink or two, or you can fall off the fence and become a full-blown alcoholic. If you can't have one drink without another, and another, and another, following the first, you're not on any line, you're an alcoholic. You've become psychologically if not chemically dependant on alcohol, and you need to pull yourself back before you're too far gone to recover.


A really basic, oversimplified way to classify drinking habits:

Social drinker - has a drink or two at parties, family events, etc. Doesn't have a problem stopping after one or two drinks if they have to drive. Enjoys drinking, but rarely gets drunk, and that probably isn't intentional.

Danger zone - Drinks regularly, even if only on weekends, and drinks to get drunk almost every time. Cannot stay here long, will eventually fall to one side of the fence or the other.

Alcoholic - Chemically dependant on alcohol, must drink frequently to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

My dad is an alcoholic. He quit cold turkey for years and has recently started back. His drink of choice is beer. It's really scary seeing your dad drunk to the point of puking and not being able to stand or talk. And although no matter what we said to him, he had to want to stop before he could make any changes.

You have to want this--you can't do it for anyone else but yourself. It's one day at a time. And I'm heartbroken that he has started again. Also, keep in mind, alcoholics cannot just have "one" drink.

Good luck and stay strong. Have a mentor or someone you can talk to at anytime--seek therapy, don't let it ruin your life.

I commend you for posing this question and being honest with yourself about the answers.

Please do not substitute *near beer,* though.
It contains alcohol (and tastes like piss).

I don't drink--just have counseled some who do, was a barmaid, and most importantly, was married to an abusive drunk.
Believe it or not, I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who struggles with any kind of substance abuse.

Hey~
you will never EVER get the same buzz from alchohol that you did when you first drank.

Its a chase.

and you (hopefully) will get tired.

I don't drink often
but i drink a lot.
and the chase is so ingrained that it unfortunately has become part of who I am. I had a DUI in 89.
I have been fortunate
a fortunate fool.
I stay at home when I decide to drink heavily.
and with a few years under my belt I've learned to realize when I should be leaving- if I go out.

you only get so many close calls.


NOW***********
with that said and done
quote by MrSelfDestruct


if this is so....my fucking crotch is HURTIN'
I thing that a genetic predisposition may come into play here at this point.

I joke that "I've been meaning to take up drinking for a long time" but I'm lucky that I'm not Al Coholic. My dad was raging and my brother is too. I'm the lucky 50% of sons of male alchoholics that are NOT alky's. It is a very hard thing to deal with and I wish anyone with a drinking problem all the strength to say no. Admit you have a problem and stick with A.A. and you can turn almost anything around and be successful. I've seen it first hand - so don't give up hope - one day at a time...

I'm a binge drinker. Always have been, probably always will be. I haven't done it in years (yes, I still drink) but I'm sure it's screwed up my liver pretty well. I can't have more than one or two drinks. If I do, the next morning, I feel like shit. Headaches, nausea, being tired are all part of it. I really don't miss it as much as I thought I would. Still, I wish I could get blasted from time to time, but, with impressionable kids around, NO WAY.

Sometimes (usually when I'm out having dinner or cocktails) I can have just couple of drinks and have a good buzz going. But when I'm home I don't seem to be able to get that pleasant buzz. I feel pretty much nothing even after I drink half liter of vodka. It's weird.

I am a recovering alcoholic. Sober for 13+ years by the Grace of God and the fellowship of A.A.

um... i'm drinking a beer right now... should that worry me?

Nah. My parents never raised their children to be quitters....

Just kidding. In truth, I am not a big drinker - although I've been known to go all-out from time to time at special occasions. However, I have a few hard-and-fast rules that I have never broken:

I don't drive if I'm averaging anything over 1 beer every 90 minutes.

If I know I'm going to be drinking over that limit, I arrange to either stay there overnight or else have a sober means of transportation back to my apartment.

Or I just don't drink when I'm out. Many times I'm the one being the designated driver for my friends.

I have had two alcoholics in my family - my Paternal Grandfather and an Uncle on my Mother's side - and I've seen the mess that alcohol has made of their lives. On the plus-side, I've seen how drinking in moderation - coupled with a healthy respect for the possibility of becoming an alcoholic - has worked well for my parents and their siblings.

So no. I'm not an alcoholic. Although I could easily become one if I fail to be vigilant in my life.

Wow Man, Good questions and storyies.

The long and short of it is that you should (Kwill I mean You) get hooked up with an Addiction agency. (now you're thinking Nahhh...) But please listen . There is a lot to know about how addiction affects you...chemically and socially and intellectualy and in your relationships.

We all study to learn a trade or get a doctorate but fear learning about addiction because we might be labelled... well it's worth learning about.

I learned about it and it helped a lot... My father took the courses on a wednesday night (right on campus) and it helped him. THE TRUTH...IS THAT ONCE YOU SEE THE PATTERNS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN YOUR OWN LIFE YOU WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE. It's a good change in so many ways. You know what to watch for on the inside, you can be free to live again wih new boundaries.

I used to think that I could only have fun with alcohol involved.. now I have fun all the time without it. And It's actually more fun than I ever imagined. Relationships are better too. And I can drive!

All the best to you.. I hope you succeed like my family has!!!

I fucking hate alcohol.

Kinda sucks, i think im headed down that path, i've been in the bottle a lot lately, on the surface, its to party, but deep down, i do it to escape from my deeper inner emotional problems. *sigh* Somtimes i really hate life.

Then quit fucking drinking and face your demons.

I quit drinking almost a year ago. I used to drink to be drunk. I missed so much of 4 years of top quality education in NYC because I was sitting alone in my apartment getting wasted. I gained 80 pounds and changed my whole life. When I graduated college, I drank over 12 gallons of tequilla in the first year. My marriage was going nowhere.

In the year since I stopped drinking I lost 80 pounds. I started new avenues of art and action. I bought a home. It's been the best year of my marriage. My career is moving along quickly.

I loved to drink. I really did. I just don't know if it ever helped me. I never used a 12 step program to quit, I just plain stopped. I still have the desire to drink, but I hope to one day quash it.

I recently read 'Following the Equator' by Twain and he has some to say on temperance in that text. Basically, he suggests you don't just stop drinking, you learn to stop desiring the drink. I have no idea how to do that...

My wife's been sober for a long time now, as for me, I just drink moderately here and there. Alcohol doesn't do much for me, and can really cause havoc with the kind of meds I take for being schiz.

I much rather prefer candy :hmm:

Though I got drunk every night during my senior year of college except for nights before tests (and many, many days too) got arrested for DWI once -fought it-lost a job because of my drinking, made my guardian angel work overtime, etc.. I don't think I was a true alcoholic. I know denial is the first sign, but I watched a tv show about how they handle people who drink too much in Great Britain, they treat it (alcoholism) as a behavior problem, not a disease. I think I definitely fit into that category. When college was over, I couldn't do that anymore, and so I didn't. I still drink on occasion, but don't get drunk except very occasionally, and only when I know I don't have to drive. I don't think I'm on the verge of slipping, either because I've been the same way for years now. maybe I'm just weird.

I guess I've been in the danger zone for a little over 12 years now. I drink on weekends 99% of the time. I will drink after the odd ball game during the week. I alway drink when I'm with friends. But I don't need a drink to keep the shivers away. So I guess I'm in the danger zone but not a alky.

Yes, i love my booze, I can sit here and be content not having it. Perfectly happy But i want it. I like it, i have good and bad times.

I think the saying is, "Im not and alcoholic, Im a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings!"

I felt that I was starting to drink too much, too often, so I decided that it would be best if I just simply stopped.

I was averaging a half gallon every 4 days.

Yes, there is a desire to drink, but the mind is a powerful thing.

If you are truly alcoholic, drinking anything again is a mistake. My mother drank for years and finally got a DUI (after 14 years of being a drunk-although more of a situational drunk). She has been sober for 17 years now and appears to be much happier as a result.

I just cut loose every weekend and I go nowhere near a car or with a buddy that has been drinking that is just asking for trouble and you gotta think of the others on the road!! You could really mess up your own or someone else's life!!

I drink quite a bit. especially for not even being 21 yet. But I can just drink 1-2 beers on a given night and stop if need be (especially if I'm Driving). However I have blacked out quite a few times and done alot of stupid things. Most of that happens when I drink hard alcohol though. It seems like I can keep a better handle on things when I stick to beer. I really enjoy drinking and do it more often than 95% of my friends but I dont see it as a problem really.

I do think that it wouldnt be hard to take that step over the line into alcoholism though...

Just celebrated 9 years SOBER!!:)

Shit.....I remember when I only had 3 weeks sober and was climbing the fucking walls thinking "How the hell am I gonna do this"....well I did................YIPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

I'm definiely an alcoholic. But i love it i'm young and love to party. who really cares anyway? unles your a mean drunk or a really idiot drunk whio can't hold liquor, in that case maybe you should consider help.

I used to be, and combined with my very bad temper it made me a horrible person. Pair this with the fact that my family had a history of alcoholism and drug addiction, and it wasnt looking out to be a bright future for me. Luckily my ex girlfriend helped me break my habit. Even though I have a very high tolerance for alcohol, I only drink in moderation, and only once ever so often, sadly to say I use it as a way to build confidence when socializing with others.

nice work, man!!! you give me something to strive for....i just passed by 7 months.

I love to drink, but I'm not an alcoholic. Last time I had any would be a month ago or so.

I drink almost every weekend. However, as I get older, I find myself drinking more and more tjust to enjoy the beer/wine/liquour in itself, and kick back and relax with my friends, than just to get to straight out drunk. Asides from being cheaper, it cuts down on incidents of hang overs, and I find it's a good way to make my dollar stretch while going with the guys (has anyone seen the price of a movie these days? holy cow, the bars are a far better value)

I had a problem years back... ...just brining this up is difficult.

I was getting over a bad relationship in highschool and I sought the advice of my best friend.. ..he offered me vodka. From that point on many of my memories are fuzzy at best. I averaged one or two 1.75L plastic bottles of vodka a week. I started my Sr. year every morning by stopping at the gas station for a 20oz bottle of cranberry juice in wich 3/4 got dumped so I could fill it with Vodka. I drank during school, I drank on my lunchbreak off campus, and I drank when I left school. One night I had the bright idea that I was going to drink an entire bottle all by myself. In which I succeeded. ...if you want to put it that way. I drove around, telling all my friends what I had been working on, and the good friends were really worried, the bad friends egged me on. Next, I remember puking out the window of my truck into an open covertable. Then I remember being driven home by my worst-enemy, a 9:45. I was then left on my front door, with my parents home, covered in vomit. My mother knew, but I still tried to lie. She cleaned me up, and put me to bed, (the lecture was to come the next day) She woke me up at 5:30 the next morning telling me that I had to go to work. She made DAMN sure that I was up and awake. I got ready, bitching the entire time. Drove my vomit filled car to work and sat there with 4 x 150 Horsepower electric motors running at full cap w/i 10 feet of me. I was ill. I was spinning, I was puking, I had told myself I was never going to drink again. The hangover lasted almost a week. I was told my all of my friends how much of an ass I was. And I even lost a few friends over the matter. The amount of respect that I lost, and the fact that I put myself in danger as well as my friends, and even the people who were on the road at the same time as I. This was a turing point in my life. I was at an all-time low. I was thankful that I was alive, I was thankful that I didn't get caught by the law, and I was sure thankful that I was grounded by my parents. it was the best thing that ever happened.

So then I went to college, after staying away from alcohol for 6 months I felt like I was ready to test myself. I started drinking again, and on top of that I smoked WAY too much dope. That lasted for 5 years, daily, I even resorted to setting up a hydroponic setup to keep myself in supply. (Engineering Students! heh)

So, to keep this short.. ..I realized that I was doing it all for a reason, I decided that I had to really watch myself.

So I have a glass of wine every once and a while. I'll have a beer with old friends, hell, I'll even burn one down with my buddies for old times sake, but there is always a voice inside my head that tells me when I have to watch out, a voice that I never had before.

The moral of the story:

Get a voice inside your head, if you already have one, listen to it!

If you can't find a voice, and you can't listen to the one you have, then it's your responsibility to quit... ...and quit for good. You'll be glad that you did.

;)

-SF

I was well on my way to becoming an alcoholic (or was probably there already) a few years ago. I worked in bars, so the beer was usually free for me, which made saying 'no' awfully hard. I had gotten to the point where I was having 8-10 drinks a night, 6 nights of the week, on the other night, I'd 'only' have 3-4. Somehow, I kept this up for almost 2 years until I finally faced the fact that the only time I didn't feel like shit was when I was at the bar. I was lucky that I figured it out before I hurt myself or someone else.
Nowadays, the idea of getting completely trashed just doesn't appeal to me. I guess the novelty of being drunk wore off, and I learned to cut myself off (or at least slow way down) once I got the mild buzz but before I would get incoherent.
Controlling yourself around alcohol isn't easy, and quitting altogether is even harder, I've got all the respect in the world for anyone that keeps themselves sober.

I'm not currently an alcoholic. That is to say, I don't abuse it on a regular basis. I do have a family history of it. I also have huge issues with being out of control of my faculties. I'm a HUGE control freak, mostly because I've seen the results if I'm not in control of myself.

Veritas en Lux!
Jimmy The Hutt