What constitutes alcoholism?

noun

Pathology . a person suffering from alcoholism.

a person addicted to intoxicating drinks.

al·co·hol·ic  

adjective

of, pertaining to, or of the nature of alcohol.

containing or using alcohol.

caused by alcohol.

suffering from alcoholism.

preserved in alcohol. 

Bella after reading a number of these posts I wish you the best of luck.  Alcohol put me in the hospital last year and there are times after heavy consumption of drinks that I get heart palpitations.  I am by no means someone who looks like an Alcoholic becuase I eat right and workout 5 times a week.  But denial is evident in both of our situations.... I am 29 years old but feel like i need some type of intervention before my health goes to sh*t.... Seriously by reading your responses you do have a problem and it needs to be addressed like mine.... I hope we can do this together as often times I feel like people would call me a dud if i didn't party.... but we need to find a fine line between having fun, but not spiralling out of control i just looked up AA classes today before reading your post... i am seriously thinking about attending one here in the near future and will let you know how it goes... but for now stay strong and find ways to fill the void of drinking with other things... i will try to do the same and report back.  

My father was an alcoholic, and he said all of the things you say. "I don't need to drink, I like it", "I can give up any time". He took his first drink at the age of twenty one and he came from a T-total family, although his maternal grandparents had both been heavy drinkers.  At first he only drank at weekends, never during the week when he was at work.  Then as time went by he began on first of all drinking on a Thursday night, getting some beer in because it was payday.  Soon it was a can of beer every evening, and then two.  After that he bought a whiskey blend called "Clan Dew", saying "I'm switching drinks because I don't want to get a beer belly".  In his late thirties he got a new job and earned more money, so it became a scotch or two every night after work.  He began to eat less and less "never after 7pm" he would say "I'm looking after my figure".  With hindsight I guess it was part of the process of fooling himself and everyone else that he was in control - he looked good so he must be, and in any case eating less meant he felt the effects of alcohol more strongly.  Then my brother was killed and Dad took to drinking big time to blot out the pain.  I remember him crying, vomiting from being so drunk and saying "I can't help it, I've lost my son".  My reply was "well I've lost my brother and I'm not drunk".  So he began hiding his drink, going to a different off licence every time he bought booze so that no-one twigged at the volume of alcohol he was buying.  He still maintained it was not a problem, even though as a family we could all clearly see it was spinning out of control.  But he was functioning, he held a white collar job down until he retired at 60.  He was immaculately presented, he drove a car... I guess after his retirement he took to drinking even more, he had the time and the money, and no reason to control it any longer.  When he was 63 years old he was visiting a garden centre and he collapsed with "the rigours" - these are shakes you get when your body needs a shot of alcohol.  The garden centre people called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where he was formally diagnosed as being alcohol dependent.  Still he denied it -  after a day he discharged himself saying he could manage on his own "it isn't a problem, I can give up anytime".  Six months later he was found dead in his house.  There were over sixty empty whiskey bottles in there with him... he had told family members he was keeping them to "remind him of the problem he was dealing with".  I think it was a lie, I think he was drinking right up until the day something (a winter chill perhaps, it was February) stopped him from leaving the house to buy more drink.  When that happens to a physically alcohol dependent person they WILL have a seizure and they can die... which is what the coroner believed occurred.  So ironically it was lack of alcohol and not alcohol that killed him.  Either way, alcoholism creeps up on you, it fools your mind and persuades you that you can control it.  But never be fooled, keep on drinking and as sure as night follows day there will come a point when the booze controls you.

The more u drink the higher UR AL. tolerance level. The higher UR  tolerance level the more u drink to satisfy UR cravings. Wine has a lot of sugar and the sugar metabolizes quickly causing high energy lever or a al. High. EVEN PUTS u at risk to becom per diabetic.

Also can cause tummy issues with bad bacteria with to much sugar creates candida or hi level of yeast. This can create a imbalance of gut bacteria leading to intestional and colon disease. This causes carb and sugar cravings more with lots of sugar adding a lot of calories .

Also causes a zinc and many other mineral defencies can cause the liver to become fatty with all that sugar ....see dr Wilson theory alcohol & sugar. 

 

Hi Friends, It takes time both to get addicted and to leave the habit. It is 7 years now. To start with it (Vodka:300ml perday) was one among many enjoyments for me and later now it is the only enjoyment at the cost of many of my sufferings. When health impact starts only two thoughts used to run in my mind 1) How much destruction my yesterday's drink would have done 2) How to deal today: Reduce or Stop or Retain. No thoughts on what work and how well I have to do that or anythoughts on numerous other important things I have to do. I used to measure my pulse rate often, press my right stomach and try to feel how much the liver has bloated etc.. First half of everyday used to be horrible and the next half becoming better and best in the evening when it is time to drink. The routine continued. In this 7 years I developed hyper acidity which induced panic attacks making me restless. Also I developed hyper tension and became overweight also. One day during a meeting at office my acidic tension I was not able to bear and returned home but continued drink but less. For three days I used to wake up at 2.30am in the morning with restless feeling in the upper part of my stomach near heart area which caused panic. Went took ECG and it was normal. General physician prescribed pantocid and carmicide. For next 5 days I didnt touch alcohol and now it is three months since I drank. It is not easy life either. One day perfectly normal and next day some or other anxiety. But I have lost weight of 12kgs, BP has become normal and stamina to walk has improved. Sweating has reduced a lot and I do work at office in much better way but the detached feeling in the brain is yet to go. Sometimes it is blank waiting for a new recording. I think it is due stopage of alcohol I have cut off thinking on the bad effects and other tensions which was my daily thoughts as I mentioned before but the thought that I would damaged a lot causes panic.

So my advise take each day one by one and continue to abstain.

Hi there. I see you have a few replies to your post. I only stumbled across this because in a moment of banality I googled "I spend most of my life drinking water" and your comment came up first! 

I don't believe you're in denial, neither am I. Your comments are refreshing and articulated in a way most addicts, such as myself, can't bring themselves to do. It's about reality. Those who subscribe to the mainstream addiction model can console themselves with concepts such as denial - you can't ever win with that. A closed loop.

I'm also doing things that aren't good for my health - in the long run - but what about coping, getting by, and, dare I mention it, fun? We're not idiots. We know the trade off. We will give up detrimental substances if and when we're forced to. Or not. Some of us have been through so much that alcohol, and/or other drugs, are the only option at the time. (I read something the other day that gave me pause for thought - it said the alcoholic fuddle is the departure of the soul. I'm not particularly spiritual nor religious, but I got it... still, I appreciate that through my alcoholic fuddle!)

Thanks for your post. 

Hi so read your post and I am drinking as we speak The meds I am on are zanex and ambien and a mussle relaxer haven't taken any meds tonight because I have built up a tolarance for them and can't get perscripton filled for about 7 more days so hence the drinking is the only way i CAN SLEEP! I CAN SLEEP taking 10 and 1/2 ambien two mussle relaxer's and 1 zanax 1mg but of course I run out before I can get the perscripton refilled! So that is when I drink. I drink about a pint of vodka a night to sleep! Never in the day and would NEVER drink and drive I have a great ability to not drink at all when at a party or bar knowing I have to drive but as soon as i get home then will drink to sleep unless I have my meds! SO DO you think I am a aclolic? sorta thinking maybe but what do i do I am fine during the day don't even think about drinking only use to sleep! Help

 

Hey,  I think the whole of medicine is getting way of hand with "tarring everyone with the same brush" syndrome - no one is allowed to be an individual anymore.

You are drinking far too much, but you know that. I ve just stopped drinking for two months just to see if I could do it. I did, it was fine, socialising I felt very boring but I didnt need to drink. I never once needed it for anything, I had in my flat the whole time and was around people that were drinking. I think if you can do that for a couple months you will know in your own heart. 

I would tell you, to not discuss this with your counsilor much longer - she will likely obsess over it, because the medical community are obsessing about one thing only "all problems can be solved with six weeks CBT and some anti depressants" well sorry, but no. 

If you like a drink, bloody well have one - but do be aware they will put everything you say on record and will treat you like a problem case - because no one is an individual these days. 

Booze is over rated - I honestly have never felt better since I stopped, however what you are drinking would have probably killed me! I can only handle 2 bottles on a special occasion at the most 

Best of luck 

Hi Bella, 

I was doing a search on alcoholism, and well... it's that time of year again for many of us.  But when I found your post, I found myself.  Absolutely, I'm the same way.  And I'm on Sertraline, plus high blood pressure meds now.  I've been in shape most of my life, and being helthy seemed to keep things in balance.  But now, well - I drink alone.  Not with friends, as I do not get out much.  But I do have a high tolerance, which means I stay awake too long, and keep drinking for an extended amount of time.

I like it - as you say you do also.  I entertain myself, pretty much - watch sentimental movies at times, and just otherwise enjoy my evening.  But, it's very unhealthy - and I know this.  I don't eat healthy.  I'm actually in a bad relationship as well, and honestly - I'm being taken advantage of all the time.  So drinking is a form of escape from that as well.

Anyway, I had to write back to you.  You struck a chord with me absolutely.  I could have written pretty much the same comments, almost.  I'm not sure what to do about it all right now.  I just want a change, but I'm not doing a good job at making it happen so far.

Take care, it's Christmas Day.  I hope you have had a good day, and Christmas eve.

Bye!

Kevin 

Hi Bella

A simple way to see if you're alcoholic is to drink. Try to stop abruptly. If you drink more than intended, you probably are alcoholic.

"He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose all control of his liquor consumption, once hestarts to drink."

I lost the power of choice in drinking alcohol. Once the first drink was ine me, I lost all control and drank more until I passed out. If I decided not to drink, I would obsess about drinking. No matter how long I decided to stay away from the booze on willpower alone I would always return to it and then I would drink more than intended. I couldn't stop on my own.

Being a morning drinker or drinking because depressed or happy, does not consitute alcoholism. I used to think I drank to "escape" I was drinking to overcome a craving and an obsession I couldn't control. The morning drinking, the "hair of the dog" the "I'm depressed, restless, happy, angry" were just external excuses.

I agree with the following summation. This was me. "The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."

"Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."

"We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed."

"We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals - usually brief - were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization."

"We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better."

Drinking alcohol was the solution. I had no control over the amount I drank and would always return to drinking alcohol.

I went to A.A. and I am not drinking today which is a miracle as I used to drink every hour of every day. My drinking started "socially" though I was never a social drinker. Never that one pint, or one glass.

I had to be honest. It took a long time. Years of fantasy living and drinking.

If you think that you are alcoholic and can honestly (I had to get painfully honest. My "adventures" in drinking were evidence enough, yet I still couldn't be honest. I finally drank again and the experience and results of my last drink which turned into a non-stop 10-day bender with only three momeries is something I never want to repeat. I was beaten. Alcohol was more powerful than me and I had finally lost and surrendered) then have a read of this:

http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/alcoholics-anonymous

I wish you well.

Kind regards

Richard

 

Just read your post here. My advice after reading some of the toxic comments would be, do not take advice off a non alcoholic.

hope4cure is trying to shame you in all of those messages, it is a person that has been harmed by an alcoholic in the past and is taking out their anger on you.

Not only is that frame of mind harmful but they also have no clue about what they are talking about.

How can a fisherman feel like a fish? They cant.

I am now one month sober as of today, I fell off the wagon for 3 months after almost 2 years off.

If you are not ready to stop yet, don't. I found I am only ready when I am heading towards rock bottom. For me it is the physical dependance that is the problem, I start drinking early in the morning when I wake up, but worse is that once I start, I do not stop until I am back asleep again.

My advice when you are ready, is to try librium. Go see your doctor and get him to prescribe you a weeks worth.

The night before you go to the Doctor. Go out and paint the town red, get it out of your system, then fire into it full on.

Librium is amazing, it removes all of the side effects of withdrawl, I filled my fridge with tomato juce, drank 2 litres a day. Within 2 days, you will start to feel human again. Also Thiamine.

Good luck.

I was drinking far too much because of the stress of work and a strained relationship with my ex, who, when she married a new bloke basically would only allow me two hours ever other week to see my daughter. This led me to drink even more with the upshot that I lost my job and my flat, leding to even more drinking. I am now back living with my widowed mum, and whilst it is a bit of a strain, I have not had a drink for 5 months and feel miles better. It took me to lose almost everything before I realised that drink was a problem for me. I am not an alcoholic, but drink did cause problems in my life, and once it starts doing that and affecting your life YOU MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! I am getting my life back together but, when I look back at all the bad events in my life, most of it was through drink!!!!