Cause for concern?

Some people think i have an issue with alcohol, i never have...i dont believe its denial. My mothers mom natural and adopted were both alcoholic's....my father is an alcoholic. I've seen that, me....i have social anxiety so i'm not out and about and dont have constant access to it, but i can never refuse a drink, and when i buy a bottle or two i have to drink it until all the booze is gone. I cant help it, i cant just have a few drinks. I can also drink alot a 26 oz bottle of canadian club whisky to myself would be about right. I dont get hung over or sick....nor have i ever passed out. I know though that if i was able to be out and about i'd drink daily....i've had cravings. And i'll usually go through a bottle (26 oz is a bottle to me) a week which will last a day or two. if its there i have a drink first thing in the morning and continue till its gone.

Is this an issue?...is there infact cause for concern or are people just overracting. I can go a week without having a drink just fine....but only if there is none around.

Infact i'm drinking right now. I should also note i seem to be more able when i drink....i can be social and do things i otherwise couldnt, and i enjoy that. I'll drink anything with alcohol in it but i prefur the hard stuff....i'm not a stupid drunk, not violent, abusive or depressed, i'm quite typically canadian actully...social and always telling a joke, would prefur a good time to drama. But i do drink for the drunk effect.

It does sound like it could be a problem.
If you feel that you need it whenever you feel down, or need it at any part of the day, everyday then yes it is a problem.

And it's something to be aware of or watch closely because bother your biological parent's were alcoholics.

Yes i can see that...i assumed thats where my addictive personality came from.

I drink when its there....happy, sad, indifferent at any time. I dont think i have a need. I feel its rather under control....but people keep bringing it up. And i have wondered.

Thank's for your reply.

Jamie…
First off, I don’t know what you are. A diagnosis by someone else is almost always of no value. You need to make that determination yourself.

By the way, I am an alcoholic, a daily drunk for many years, but I haven’t had even a little drink when nobody was looking, since the fall of 1998.

Lets look at what you have told us.

You started out with some of your friends think something is going on, but you don’t. You need to understand that denial is the cardinal symptom of alcoholism. I am not calling you anything, I’m just letting you know the facts.

It seems to run in families, alcoholism. My father might have been one, he dies of cirrhosis of the liver many years ago. My grand father might have been one too. My brother drinks himself to oblivion all the time, and my sister is a mean drunk on occasion.

Then you told us, “but i can never refuse a drink, and when i buy a bottle or two i have to drink it until all the booze is gone” I understand that statement very well. That is what I did.

“I can go a week without having a drink just fine....but only if there is none around.”

Jamie, it isn’t how often we drink, or what we drink, it is what happens to us when we start drinking. We can’t stop until we run out of something. Money, booze of consciousness, we don’t stop drinking until we run out of one if these.

“But i do drink for the drunk effect.”

Ain’t that the truth! We just can’t stand naked reality, we need to drink to function in this world. And we are scared to stop. What will we do to feel normal again without our old friend? We couldn’t imagine life without alcohol. And towards the end, we couldn’t imagine continuing our lives as we were living them.

Jamie, there is only one think I can say to you with confidence, if what you told us about your drinking is true, things will get worse, a lot worse. One day you will need to drink just to preserve your sanity.

It (untreated alcoholism) never gets better on it’s own.

Richard

I agree 100% with Richard. I would like to comment on some of what you wrote.

Some people think i have an issue with alcohol, i never have...i dont believe its denial. My mothers mom natural and adopted were both alcoholic's....my father is an alcoholic.


Alcoholism tends to run in families. My dad and probably at least one grandparent was an alcoholic. Alcohol almost killed me, but I've been sober for many years now.

I've seen that, me....i have social anxiety so i'm not out and about and dont have constant access to it, but i can never refuse a drink, and when i buy a bottle or two i have to drink it until all the booze is gone. I cant help it, i cant just have a few drinks. I can also drink alot a 26 oz bottle of canadian club whisky to myself would be about right.

You sound exaclty as I did. Often I functioned quite well socially when I was drinking.

I dont get hung over or sick....nor have i ever passed out. I know though that if i was able to be out and about i'd drink daily....i've had cravings. And i'll usually go through a bottle (26 oz is a bottle to me) a week which will last a day or two. if its there i have a drink first thing in the morning and continue till its gone.

Having a drink first thing in the morning is a major sign of alcoholism according to all the experts.

Is this an issue?...is there infact cause for concern or are people just overracting. I can go a week without having a drink just fine....but only if there is none around.

I often went for periods of time without drinking--a few days or weeks or months.

Infact i'm drinking right now. I should also note i seem to be more able when i drink....i can be social and do things i otherwise couldnt, and i enjoy that. I'll drink anything with alcohol in it but i prefur the hard stuff....i'm not a stupid drunk, not violent, abusive or depressed, i'm quite typically canadian actully...social and always telling a joke, would prefur a good time to drama. But i do drink for the drunk effect.

As an active alcoholic I graduated from a 4 year college with honors. You may be able to stop now before alcohol takes everything away from you that is near and dear to you. If you wait, you may not be able to stop. I was not able to stop without help.

Good Luck,
Jim S
_________________