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Addiction issues are not the substance that the person is putting in their body. Its a mental/psycological problem. I would think that alcoholics should not try and drink. It too easy to go back into old patterns.
That being said I disagree with some of the 12 step dogma... I think many people get stuck in the addict mind-set no matter how long they are sober. They just replace the addiction. Look at the nicotine cloud over AA meetings or the fervent religiosity. ( Not saying anything bad about religion here)
I do think some could possibly get beyond the addiction, but not without intensive psychological treatment
An alcoholic is a person whose whole reason to exist is to drink. Booze is a rabbit hole of no returning.
So no.
The counselors that worked with me in rehab said that even if a person only drinks on the weekends, they too can be considered alcoholics.
Why? If this person is "white knuckleing" it all week, but thinking about booze and counting the hours til they can let go, they could have a problem. It's not just a physical addiction, it's also mental (as jwolfer mentioned).
This certainly wasn't me. I drank each and every day, but I found this theory rather enlightening.
What you've said is very interesting. So let me pose this question:
Do you think there are mere 'abusers' who choose to abuse alcohol even if it causes trouble in their life?
Is it possible that a selfish person or person who feels they have nothing to lose might choose the pleasure of abusing alcohol and just pay the price of whatever trouble might result, even if they're not truly an alcoholic?
^I missed this post.
Yeah, I think many non-alcoholics abuse alcohol during difficult times. It works pretty well when one feels the need to escape, and sometimes we just don't give a damn about the consequences. That's human nature. The big question is how long do these difficult times last? If days turn into weeks, turn into years, well...
Unfortunately, we aren't aware that we're alcoholics until we try to stop drinking. That's where the hell really starts. I got the shakes when I didn't drink. I hallucinated. I couldn't function without it.
The counselors that worked with me in rehab said that even if a person only drinks on the weekends, they too can be considered alcoholics.
Why? If this person is "white knuckleing" it all week, but thinking about booze and counting the hours til they can let go, they could have a problem. It's not just a physical addiction, it's also mental (as jwolfer mentioned).
This certainly wasn't me. I drank each and every day, but I found this theory rather enlightening.
I'd bet the "white knuckleing" you describe is how so many alleged alcoholics are able to maintain employment. Financial security/necessity seems to allow some alcoholics at least some control, assuming those types truly are alcoholics. I guess the 'countdown' would be the main indicator that a functional person is an alcoholic. Their mental process must go something like "get through the day at work to be rewarded with an evening of drinking", with that reward always being on the back burner in their mind.
Yeah, I think many non-alcoholics abuse alcohol during difficult times. It works pretty well when one feels the need to escape, and sometimes we just don't give a damn about the consequences. That's human nature. The big question is how long do these difficult times last? If days turn into weeks, turn into years, well...
Unfortunately, we aren't aware that we're alcoholics until we try to stop drinking. That's where the hell really starts. I got the shakes when I didn't drink. I hallucinated. I couldn't function without it.
Wouldn't anybody who kept a constant level of alcohol in their system for an extended period of time suffer some form of physical withdrawl symptoms when they stop 'replenishing', even if they only did so once? If that's the case, then would that mean that a physical symptom alone, like mild shaking, isn't necessarily indicative of an alcoholic? I don't know why a non-alcoholic would do such a thing, but perhaps after 3 days in Vegas on an adult, no-rules vacation, or spring break.
What do you mean you couldn't function without alcohol?
Yeah, like I said before...you can make yourself an alcoholic if you drink enough for long periods of time. Look at all the pain killer addicts who strated using their drugs legitimately. Over time, they slowly became addicted.
I couldn't function without it because my body became accustomed to it. Without it, I suffered the symptoms I mentioned. I clearly remember when I realized this and I tried to ration my drinks. I actually told myself that I was going to use it like medicine. Well, that didn't work for very long....I really, really needed rehab.
First I was admitted to a hospital. My blood alcohol level was .45! I should have been dead, but I barely felt drunk. My tolerance was soooo high at that point.
Is a 'binge drinker' - one who doesn't feel the need to drink everyday or all the time, but when they do binges - an alcoholic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistermobile
An alcoholic is a person whose whole reason to exist is to drink. Booze is a rabbit hole of no returning.
So no.
I disagree with Mistermobile. I am an alcoholic in recovery and the adult child of an alcoholic parent. Alcoholics can most certainly be binge drinkers and visa versa. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and many alcoholics do not go out of control until they are well into their drinking careers.
Many alcoholics can avoid booze if they have a reason to - especially at the start of their drinking. But then the day finally comes when they discover that they have lost that choice no matter how strong the reason not to drink.
Normal people can go a few weeks or months without a drink and then have a single glass of wine at a friend's house or whatever. A normal person won't be tipped over into days of binge drinking by that single glass of wine. They may stop at one or they may stop at three, but they do stop when they've drunk too much and normal people don't think twice about it.
An alcoholic may go along for a while and not touch a drink, but you can bet they know where every liquor store and bar within a 50 mile radius is located and they think about a drink each time they pass by a bar. Sooner or later an alcoholic will pick up that "one" glass of wine and end up doing another lost weekend or lost month or lost year or lost life.
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Not an act of will
