Question by Alicia: Am I an alcoholic? or just being young and stupid?
Ok so I have a fear of being an alcoholic to the point where its almost a OCD because my estranged biological father is an alcoholic so I do watch my drinking but the problem is that I dont know if I’m just obessing about it or if I actually do have reason to worry. I’m 22 and cant drive (I’m somewhat disabled) and I have 2 or 3 or drinks a month, very very rarely I’ll binge drink (more then 4 drinks in one ‘session’) but I’ve only done this a few times such as 4th of July, or partying in Vegas etc so maybe 3 times a yr and I dont drink as much as I used to when I first turned 21. I’ve never drank to the point where I’ve blacked out or had a hangover and I’ve gone a month without drinking before just to see if I can but I’ve also drank a little while on antidepressants in the past (not heavily, just one or two drinks) my doctor is aware and snice neither my family or doctor who I’ve both talk to about it dont seem concerned about it I think I might just making a big deal out of nothing
Best answer:
Answer by Heather2787
you’re not an alcoholic if you don’t get the shakes when you don’t drink.
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Two or three drinks a month does not make you an alcoholic; two or three drinks a DAY does.
If you are that worried, stop drinking all together. You’re not missing out on anything, and it will end your fears about this situation.
Go look up the definition of an alcoholic, or look up AA on line. Your right your making a big deal out of nothing and you know you are.
I am in the exact same boat, everything you have said, and have been for years. So that means, I’m not an alcoholic:) You are correct to worry about developing an addiction, no matter what age, because it is in your family. Genes can make us predisposed to having addictions. Alcohol might be what you’re worried about, but it might be something else that bites you when you’re not looking. I don’t think you need to worry about being alcoholic so much, because, clearly, you are in control. Give yourself some more credit and have a glass of wine with dinner if you feel like it. Be careful but don’t fret so much.
You’re not an alcoholic.
If you were, you wouldn’t be able to go a day without a drink.
You are far from being an alcoholic.
In fact, you aren’t even a problem drinker. A problem drinker is one who binges when he/she drinks and has a few blackouts.
I will say that drinking with anti-depressants isn’t a good idea. Alcohol is itself a depressant. So you were not only offseting your medicine, mixing alcohol with any medicine can lead to random negative outcomes (like red Kryptonite for Superman).
Finally, I’ll say that the only benefit of drinking is the social aspect…and if your buds need booze to have a good time, then you need to find new friends. Eventually the booze will cause serious problems with your current buds.
You are not an alcoholic…actually far from it. it’s good you are aware you possibly could become one but at this point you don’t drink nearly enough to be placed in that category. Alcoholics think, eat, drink, sleep, booze. They wake up in the morning and need a drink. They need it to function. They’re sick without it.
I’d say it’s normal for someone in their early 20′s to go out and have a good time. Therefore you are not doing anything wrong. Just keep control and quit taking pills when you drink. You can cause irreversible damage to your body or even death. As far as OCDing over this issue, I hope my answer and some of the other answers have help calm you down.
you are far from an alcoholic, its in your head
Hon, I seriously do not believe you are an alcoholic. It sound more like an obsessive compulsive behavior, anxiety, and stress. 2 to 3 drinks a month, is not that much. My biological father is also an alcoholic, and I hate alcohol. But, studies heve shown, drug and alcohol abuse is heriditary. Doesn’t mean that you are the same as your Dad, i’m not. When I was your age I did drink far more than you do, hanging with my gfs, social drinker. After I had my kids it just didn’t seem to do anything for me, but, make me feel worse. Your Doctor, nor your family are concerned, so that should tell you something. Always keep in mind that your father does have this problem, and just steer clear of it. A few drinks once in a while is fine, doesn’t mean your an alcoholic! You probably shouldn’t drink while on medication, as it can be dangerous. Combining the two drugs may not go too well together. And yes, alcohol is a drug. I think you will be just fine. Try not to worry about it…..Good Luck, best wishes…Isabella
What makes a person an alcoholic is how the alcohol affects their lives. If you are missing work, or important social events, or something along those lines, that’s a big indicator. If you do things while intoxicated you regret frequently, that’s a big indicator. Increased tolerance (needing to drink more to get the same effect) and withdraw (shakes, or DT’s, irritability, depression) are also indicators of alcohol dependency.
It sounds like you are okay. Just keep doing what you are doing, i.e. don’t binge more than once a month, and you should be okay.
if you ever think it has become a true problem, give it up—if you can’t stay stopped-you truly do have a problem.
the fact that alcoholism runs in your family should be a warning flag!
there is such a thing as a periodic alcoholic—they go long stretches without a drink but drink compulsively or wrecklessly when they do drink. don’t be fooled-not all alcoholics are daily drinkers. if you go to aa.org you can find online literature that may help you determine for yourself whether you have a problem, a potential problem, or are just way too worried.
They’re right .. you are making a big deal over nothing ..
Since your father was an alcoholic you’ve become obsessed with the idea .
If it really bothers you that much .. just quit drinking and then the whole problem is gone.
You don’t have to necessarily have to have hangovers or blackouts to be an alcoholic. When a person is having those, or shakes because they need a drink, that is the point of extreme worst case.
That was me 15 years ago. I’ve been a sober happy member of AA ever since.
In your case you don’t sound like your even getting close. However like Parker said, it runs in your family, that should be a red flag. It runs in mine as well as it usually does in most other alcoholics families.
One thing to think about. Many people are of the misconception that two or three drinks a day will or will not make a person an alcoholic. This is a myth. It isn’t always how much you drink, but what it does to you when you do drink.
I’ve known many people that were just heavy drinkers but otherwise were fine people. Then you have the ones that after a few, they are either very depressed or augmentative and abusive towards others or always make fools of themselves.
The disease itself is two fold. It’s a mental obsession with a physical compulsion.
Two other things and I’ll hush.
It’s a well known fact that women usually fall faster than men if they do have alcoholic tendencies, so be on the look out for that. Also, if it causes you any type of guilt or remorse for any reason, that could be a big warning sign.
Alicia….At the time I hit the answer button…I was the 14th person that wanted to say something to you…I dont know where it will come up when it lands. I saw 13 people that were reaching out to you with various degrees of concern. Allow me to be the 14th that says to ya,….so far….so good. When it happens, if it happens….it will bite you in the butt, roll ya over, and you’ll wonder how it happened. It might be something as easy as you get a DWI, coming back from a friend’s house at midnight or 6:00pm, because you have an overzealous cop who was lookin for something to do, and you were driving a car that reminded him of his x-wife. He pulls you over, smells a little sumpin, pulls out his breather, you pop something that is over the limit, and bingbongboom….you have a court date, bail, higher insurance rates, flak from your family, your boyfriend, other friends…let alone the money, time, and embarassment that follows you for a long time. I use to drink beer..sometimes…a six pack a nite…sometimes a 12…sometimes hardly none for a couple of weeks…then it got a little heavier..and i started to drink alone every once in awhile…then one day…I said wow, Im reminding me of somebody I knew…. and I quit. Ill bet in 7 years, I haven’t drank but maybe 4 times. Did I ever get stopped?…no… should I have?….uh huh…. I look back and think…I was lucky. Since you don’t drive….this may not happen to you…but if you are with a friend, that is matching you drink for drink…and then you two head home..well it could happen to them. You sound like a social drinker. Maybe it’s in your blood…maybe it’s not. Will you get worse?…who knows. Do you have big plans for yourself?…. if you do, then think twice about how much it could affect your future. If you don’t, then do what makes ya happy. Life’s to short. Just be careful, and try to stay smart. Here’s 3 hugs to help ya thru. (((Alicia))) Good luck Honey.