~Define An Alcoholic~

[waltky]

Someone who can't go for more than 24 hours...

... (many often even less)...

... without their 'liquid fix'.

 

[AllieBaba]

Naw, I know too many people who don't drink every 24 hours, but who when they do drink completely lose all control.

 

[Dabs]

Someone who asks themselves whether or not they might be an alcoholic. It wouldn't even occur to anyone else.

I believe we can witness someone destroying themselves, and know their drinking is doing them harm, and also tell when they have become an "alcoholic"......especially if a person is living with said someone for over 10 years and sees the drinking on a daily basis.
I honestly think others can tell when someone is an alcoholic.
I knew my ex was/is one.....he admits it NOW, but years ago when I would say to him "I think you need help"...he would nudge me off. Now he tells me he wishes he had maybe listened.

 

[freedombecki]

Don't take them too seriously, but here are some indications that you just might have a drinking problem...

20. You have awakened with an overwhelming feeling that you should go back and apologize... but you don't remember where.
19. The Tipsy Taxi service has banned you from all its vehicles.
18. You refer to your favorite song only by its jukebox selection numbers, G-12.
17. People consider your spouse a Saint for reasons that totally escape you.
16. Your least favorite song: "Goodnight, Sweetheart."
15. The last time you had a legal driver's license, so did Ted Kennedy.
14. You bought your current pick-up truck because it has a cool place to hide a six pack.
13. Your last public sing-along experience included the entire Changes in Latitudes album.
12. "But Officer, it's been a long time since I tried to say my ABC's!"
11. You have considered starting a local chapter of D. A. M. M., Drunks Against Mad Mothers.
10. All of your old friends are now members of 12-step groups.
9. The 911 dispatcher no longer has to ask your wife for the address.
8. You think the nutritional information on the back of a beer can is proof that you should be able to buy it with food stamps.
7. The only hymn to which you remember all the words was written by Hank Williams, Sr.
6. You consider a real alcoholic as one who drinks more than you do.
5. You know for certain that putting your foot on the floor does not stop the room from spinning.
4.Your insurance agent drops by and mentions your policy does cover treatment centers.
3. You know the punch line to "Why does an Al-Anoner close her eyes to make love?"
2. The producers of the television program COPS still send you Christmas cards.
And the Number One way you can tell if you have a drinking problem...
1. Two words: Commode Huggin'.

 

[del]

This test will only be scored correctly if you answer each one of the questions. Please also check our disclaimer on psychological testing and our psychological testing privacy guarantee.

1. Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

* Yes
* No

2. Have people annoyed you by criticising your drinking?

* Yes
* No

3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

* Yes
* No

4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye-opener)?

* Yes
* No

two or more yes answers and you probably are an alcoholic

http://counsellingresource.com/lib/quizzes/drug-testing/alcohol-cage/

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

Wrong. People CAN become alcoholics by excessive binge drinking.

The body has a certain enzyme that assists in the breakdown of alcohol. If a person drinks too much and reduces that enzyme to a certain point, they cease being able to process alcohol normally and then become alcoholic.

One of the reasons that many say "one's too many, and a thousand ain't enough". The lack of that enzyme is what sets up the craving.

 

[Foxfyre]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

Wrong. People CAN become alcoholics by excessive binge drinking.

The body has a certain enzyme that assists in the breakdown of alcohol. If a person drinks too much and reduces that enzyme to a certain point, they cease being able to process alcohol normally and then become alcoholic.

One of the reasons that many say "one's too many, and a thousand ain't enough". The lack of that enzyme is what sets up the craving.

It doesn't even require binge drinking. Again many people drink normally and responsibly for years before crossing that invisible line into alcoholism. At that point the next drink begins to assume importance instead of being an incidental thing. And the intake will begin to increase.

Admittedly those with the gene or propensity for alcoholism can speed up the process and get across that line more quickly with higher than average intake.

 

[Ali777]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

It's a matter of dispute among the medical community whether it's actually a disease.
ANYBODY..that drinks in excess will become an alcoholic. Alcohol is addictive.

 

[Foxfyre]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

It's a matter of dispute among the medical community whether it's actually a disease.
ANYBODY..that drinks in excess will become an alcoholic. Alcohol is addictive.

I don't think that will hold up. Many people drink to excess and never become alcoholic. And that is why I think it is a disease--a genetic or physiological deficiency in which even people who do not drink to excess can become alcoholic. It's just like most people can gamble responsibly with no problem and shrug and walk away when the money they have allocated for the activity is gone. Some people are predisposed to gambling addiction, however, and they can't do that. Gambling becomes a compulsive obsessive behavior over which they have little or no control.

 

[High_Gravity]

When i start looking for a new roomie again, I plan to word it very bluntly. "No drugs, no drug use and then coming in my home, no sneaking booze, no games.Been there, done that, know every trick in the book so don't think you can get away with it".

You don't want your room mates to drink? guess that counts me out.

 

[High_Gravity]

When I was in AA counseling in the Military I was told the person who drinks and gets into trouble whether it be a domestic incident, DUI, public intoxication etc under the influence is a alcoholic, doesn't matter if they drink everyday or just once a week. They told me someone who drinks everyday but doesn't get into trouble is not an alcoholic, I think thats bullshit.

 

[Ali777]

Just remember...someone doesn't "become" an alcoholic. They already are. Even if they never take a drink in their life.

When you think you see someone "becoming" an alcoholic, it just means the disease is progressing.

Sometimes when people are young, like college students, everybody is partying and an alcoholic doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

But as time goes on and the disease progresses, it eventually becomes obvious that the person is an alcoholic. To those around them, anyway. They may be totally immersed in denial, which is part of the disease.

It's a matter of dispute among the medical community whether it's actually a disease.
ANYBODY..that drinks in excess will become an alcoholic. Alcohol is addictive.

I don't think that will hold up. Many people drink to excess and never become alcoholic. And that is why I think it is a disease--a genetic or physiological deficiency in which even people who do not drink to excess can become alcoholic. It's just like most people can gamble responsibly with no problem and shrug and walk away when the money they have allocated for the activity is gone. Some people are predisposed to gambling addiction, however, and they can't do that. Gambling becomes a compulsive obsessive behavior over which they have little or no control.

That's ridiculous. Alcohol is an addictive drug. It's actually a toxin. Drinking in excess causes your body to adapt to it. The more a person drinks the more dependent their bodies become on the drug, as it adapts. Compulsive behavior and addiction are two completely different things. That's why I believe they have what's called a dual-diagnosis, of addictive disorder and other mental health illnesses. But, I'm admittedly not a doctor. So I could be wrong. Don't think so though.

 

[Ali777]

An alcoholic is a person who doesn't know the meaning of self control. They say it's the first drink that gets you in trouble not the second, third or fourth but i don't think that's true. Self control is a big part of life that us human beings need to learn.

It's not about self control. It's EASY for a nonalcoholic to stop at one or two drinks. It doesn't take a lot of self control. Because they're not ADDICTED to alcohol.

That's another sign of an alcoholic...if you have to struggle to keep from drinking too much, you're probably an alcoholic. Nonalcoholics can take it or leave it. No big self-control needed.

It is a fact that many who start AA drop out. In fact most. Statistically the success rate of in house or outpatients treatment programs is pretty grim. As you illustrated, the alcoholic manages drinking through a clever web of deception, lies, manipulation, and pretense--whatever it takes to give him/her access and ability to alcohol. And yes, the alcoholic will have one drink or a half drink just to PROVE to others (or sometimes himself) that he is okay; he doesn't have problem; he can stop anytime he wants to. But he is already planning how he will get his next drink. He thinks about that next drink a lot even when he is not drinking. He arranges his life to make that next drink more accessible

Alcoholics are just like other people. Most are above normal in intelligence, sociable, personable, funny. Many never get a DUI or lose a job or a relationship because of their drinking. Or apparently because of their drinking. But they will drive drunk. Their work will suffer. Their relationships become as sick as their addiction because their loved ones will try to manage the alcoholic's addiction just as the alcoholic does.

The one thing that sets alcoholics apart from non alcoholics is that alcoholics are addicted. And like all addicts, the addiction becomes the number one most important thing in their life. Getting clean and sober does not cure the addiction. But it does remove it from priority.

Millions who do not get clean and sober from rehab/treatment or their first AA meetings, etc. do go on to get clean and sober later. The main advantage of rehab or AA or similar programs is that once the addict has been through them, they are much less able to lie to themselves about their addictions. Their addiciton will never again be as much 'fun'. And then you hear many success stories of people who eventually just quit on their own. But in truth, there is almost always a lot of history in that quitting.

AA is a ******* cult.

 

[MaggieMae]

In your eyes only, your opinion, what do you consider an alcoholic??
Someone who drinks every day??
Someone who drinks more than twice a week?? Someone who when they first wake up, they grab a beer??
Or is an alcoholic someone who maybe only drinks a couple of times per week, but they get so wasted, they pass out, forget where they are, miss work and end up sick for 2 days??
Just what is an alcoholic??

Anyone who has to ask.

 

[MaggieMae]

I'm a strange character in that respect. I drink when I'm on a mission......building or designing something........after the project is complete ? I lose all interest.

For now...

 

[MaggieMae]

A quick way to diagnose someone as alcoholic is when they are physically and/or mentally dependent on alcohol as a way to make them feel normal.

Some who are physically addicted can end up going into convulsions if they quit.

Binge drinkers don't "feel right" unless they are celebrating (or mourning) something and they have a drink in their hand.

Basically, alcoholics drink because of something in their past that they feel pain over, and alcohol is the only anesthetic that they've found that works.

Which is why the 12 steps work so well, it gives you a framework to discover the truth about yourself and take appropriate actions to fix the problem (other than drinking).

I was a Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor for the U.S. Navy for over 8 years.

Oh please. The 12-Steps don't work any where near what it's hyped out to. Only about 5% of those who use it stay sober past the first year. About the same amount that do so without any treatment program what so ever. It doesn't teach you how to discover any sort of truth. All it does is get you addicted to a religion cult. If you were a Alcohol Program Advisor in the Navy, you probably lied to sailors about it not being religious "but spritual" and forced them to attend religious activities, which didn't do them any damned good.

They drink because of something in their past that they feel pain over?
You don't know what the hell you're talking about. We all feel pain over past events.
Feel normal? From drinking? Are you out of your mind? Binge drinkers don't feel right unless they're celebrating? WTF are you talking about?

I have to agree. Having been married to a BAD alcoholic (no, it didn't start out that way), AA to him was a joke (as it was to two of his still surviving friends who quit on their own when they'd had enough). The reason is that in order to be motivated to stop drinking, a person has to stop hanging around with people who drink or USED TO DRINK, because that's all they want to talk about it and it keeps the "subject" front/center. When someone isn't exposed to talking about drinking or not drinking all the time, establishes new normal friendships and realizes that alcohol isn't the be-all and end-all of every day, the memory eventually begins to fade and s/he starts to truly recover.

 

[MaggieMae]

I'm with the majority I think...an alcoholic is someone who's drinking causes problems and who knows it but doesn't/can't quit.

I'm not a person who thinks drinking alone is the hallmark of an alcoholic. I rarely drink any more and when I do, it's a couple of toddies late at night in my own house.

Same here, but my ritual is that cocktail before dinner. It's more a ritual than a requirement.

 

[MaggieMae]

Anyone in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Otherwise..they are drunks.

But if they are in AA, doesn't that mean they are trying to get help??
And it could quite possibly mean, they can quit drinking, if they haven't already.
I knew of a man who went to AA for 10 years after he quit drinking, just to keep himself on the right road as he called it
A drunk is someone who just doesn't give a shit, who they hurt, themselves or others...no regards for anything else. Their drinking is the number one thing in their life.
I think if someone is going to AA, they might be considered an alcoholic at one time, but if they can totally quit, I think it can then be said they were ONCE an alcoholic, but not one anymore.

You need to do much more research on alcoholism, because all of your questions can be answered. It's a progressive disease, and even if one has quit for 20 years, one drink can drag that person back to the emotional and physical dependency he/she was at the time he put down that last drink 20 years ago.

You're right in that when alcoholism reaches the point where it is in complete control, an alcholic doesn't give a shit...about you, his children, his job, his finances. The only thing that matters is having enough left in the bottle to get him past the shakes in the morning and then deal with how he'll find enough to get through the rest of the day. And the cycle continues 24/7.

You're foolish to remain with this man. He knows he's got a good thing going because YOU solve all those problems for him.

Sign me, voice of experience.

 

[MaggieMae]

An alcoholic is a person who doesn't know the meaning of self control. They say it's the first drink that gets you in trouble not the second, third or fourth but i don't think that's true. Self control is a big part of life that us human beings need to learn.

Eventually, it has nothing to do with self control. Eventually it gets out of control, period.