Alcoholism… When are you an alcoholic?

Are you having a glass of wine or a shot of vodka?

As long as you are able to not have a glass of wine & not miss it or you're not choosing to drink instead of going out with friends - I don't think you have a problem .

Most evenings, I will have a beer and a shot or two of Crown. It doesn't make me miss work in the mornings or other social engagements. I don't have to drink every night and I don't spend all day thinking about alcohol. I usually go a night or two without, but I really do enjoy relaxing with a beer in the evenings.

tough question!! i do not think you are an alcoholic at all. my friend drinks a bottle of wine a night with her husband sometimes two, they share it over dinner.they are by no means alcoholics. i think when you are just drinking and not eating, when your alcohol consumption interferes with your family life, when its all you think about and nothing else matters, then you have a problem. i personally would love to have a glass of wine a night but i know i cant have just one so i only have a few on a sat night when the kids go to granny and my husband and i are alone, not during the week.but i can tell you this, i love my wine mainly MCC!!!

my two cents worth!


ps.. cant wait for tomorrow night!!

In this rural area, it is common for people to have a beer & popcorn while watching the news before bed - I think of it as a "farmer thing". And that happens every night, yet they are not alcoholics.

I rarely drink, grew up in a family that rarely drinks so to me having a drink or two every night is odd.

I think it's a problem when you can't stop at one, or know your limit. Or if you can't feel relaxed without having a drink.

try living in the house i do!!! it is not a home anymore my mother not that she is fit to call a mother anymore has to drink as soon as she wakes up, im scared to go downstairs on a morning because i dont know if im going to get shouted at or shes going to be nice she wished me dead this eveing

I to enjoy a drink i do however work in a bar so its getting rarer (was getting rarer) to drink then i had to move back to my mothers and i have to have a drink before i sleep

I do not believe two bottles a night is a problem as i see an awful lot of the same faces in the bar everynight.....women who's husbands work away so want friendly company so they come to the pub you get the staff in as its a friendly pub and by heavens the lot of us can put it away

I like a couple of others that have lived with an alcoholic can tell you how difficult the moodswings and personality changes are!!

ckblv - have you lived with an alcoholic?? are you t-total???? or do you have a drink or two everyso often or as i see so often you just trying to make a topic go your way


This sort of topic makes me so mad because people commenting rarely have an insght to this!

There are many degrees of alcoholism. SO many people think that to be an alcoholic you have to be falling down drunk every night - but that is wrong. Many of those people are falling down because they are NOT yet alcoholics - their bodies can't cope with the amount of drink they are taking. I have dealt with alcoholics, at home and at work, and I have known people who appear perfectly normal after drinking a whole bottle of spiriits. And I would say, allowing for many degrees of the condition, that you are an alcoholic if you cannot be or feel normal unless you have had a drink. That is dependence and that is alcoholism. And if those people say they need a drink or two every evening to relax, then they are doing long term damage to their internal systems and to their brain functions.

i never had this much of a problem untill i moved home and needed something to knock me to sleep after hearing my mam shout at my dad everynight and to be honest you dont even want to hear it id never call someone what she calls him let alon my husband to be

OK, I will get technical about this. Here is what the DSM IV TR states (the DSM is the manual used by mental health proffesionals)

"SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

One or more of the following:

FAILURE TO FULFILL MAJOR OBLIGATIONS
USE WHEN PHYSICALLY HAZARDOUS
RECURRENT LEGAL PROBLEMS
RECURRENT SOCIAL OR INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS

With SUBSTANCE ABUSE the user has a choice: he/she uses in spite of illegal, unsafe consequences, or inappropriateness of the drinking/drugging experience.

SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE (ADDICTION/ALCOHOLISM)

Three or more of the following:

TOLERANCE
WITHDRAWAL
LARGE AMOUNTS OVER A LONG PERIOD
UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO CUT DOWN
TIME SPENT IN OBTAINING THE SUBSTANCE REPLACES
SOCIAL, OCCUPATIONAL OR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
CONTINUED USE DESPITE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES

The terms “addiction” “dependence” and “alcoholism” are interchangeable. They are characterized by impaired control over drug use - in other words, the question to the user is: “Did you continue to behave in a manner that has previously caused problems for you?”"

This is what I agree with... This is when I think you are an alcoholic....
I lived with one, my ex husband, and my close friend is also one...
So many studies prove the benefits of a glass of wine a day... SO MANY! But that is of ONE glass, and alcoholics can not stop at that one glass. In fact, I never seen an alcoholic stop until they are unconscious.

I have a drink nearly every night, I drink lambrini, I can go without a drink for however long I want but I enjoy my nightly lambrini, hubby likes a drink too. We are always up, I have 3 children to look after and have t be up early and I always do it without feeling affected. x

Ashley that's awful Has she tried getting help to get off the booze?.

I can take it or leave it. Some people like to have a couple of drinks to wind down after a busy day, my late husband did as he had a stressful job but i wouldn't have said he was an alcoholic?

yeah i love a drink after i finished work which is now once a week! and i have 1 or possibly 2 and some is left the next day because i have managed to get to sleep

the crazy thing the id say about 90% of people dont understand is i know whay my mam is like that why she started drinking her and why she cant stop...only its got to a point where she has half a glass of wine and she is drunk because her liver is shot

I have several addictions. Whether they are good or bad I guess depends on the degree to which they affect my life. Personally, I think a person can be an alcoholic without being a bad person and without causing damage to the lives of those around them. Their own health? I don't know. Is talking on a cell phone, breathing cat litter dust, eating a pound of bacon, etc., good for you?

Every year on my physical I mark that I have 2-3 drinks a day. And every year my doctor tells me that 1 drink a day would be better. I understand, thank you. Yes, I am likely an alcoholic. Hasn't cost me anything yet, except the cost the of the beer or rum, but I understand. If I cut back, I'd probably still consider myself an alcoholic. I enjoy my drinks. I've had family members who drank more in a day than I drink in a two weeks, were violent, spent time in jail, etc. Perhaps alcoholism should have a rating on a scale of 1-5. Anyone who has ever known a person who has literally destroyed their life, family, livelihood, etc., due to alcohol might laugh in your face if you call someone who has a beer and shot of crown every night an alcoholic.

My second vice is gambling. I love to play the slots. I practice restraint, only lose what money I can afford to, but it is an addition. I could quit, but why? If you play golf, go to the movies weekly, etc., how much does that cost you?

My most expensive addiction is by far cats. By the numbers I could probably be considered a hoarder. I think more people are concerned with this aspect of my behavior than my drinking or gambling.

I think every person has a behavior that is not good for them, could be considered an addiction. To what degree does it control your life or affect the lives of those around you? My number one rule...never lie about it. If it's so bad that they have to lie about how much you drink, spend, or how many cats you have, then you probably need help.

Well, I'm an eastern european and in that area of the world people love their vodka a little too much. I don't drink except on holidays, but everyone of the older people in my family- my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles (although it's mostly the men in the family) drink at least 3 times a week (usually fri, sat &sun) to a point where they drink until they start talking a lot, say stupid silly things and laugh at them and then fall asleep. I don't know how many shots they have cuz I wouldn't have measured it obviously. But, all of them return to work on Monday sober and don't drink until the next Friday, unless really stressed or celebrating something.

My grandfather has been drinking every night, he is 71 now. He has cut back though, he only drinks a glass or two of wine every night because of his high blood pressure and high cholesterol. On holidays he still drinks to a point of getting drunk. The doctors recommend that he stop drinking all together, but he insists that a little bit of alcohol is beneficial to his health..

I guess the ability to stop drinking and continue your activities without letting it interfere is one thing in my opinion that makes the difference between an alcoholic and someone who just likes to drink too much. I wouldn't call anyone in my family an alcoholic, but they may be considered binge drinkers.

I am VERY VERY JADED on this topic... WHY? Cause I lived with 6 true alcoholics by age 18 ... Till just a few years ago anyone having just one drink made me cringe... One a night for MOST is FINE but one a night can make you an alcoholic ... I do NOT drink at all , I am allergic to the stuff so my decision was made for me...

If I'm of a mood (Angelo as well) we'll split a six-pack a night.
We are not always of a mood to do so, but we are certainly capable.
We both drink as a choice and neither of us are given to drinking alone.
We might overdo it once a month, but usually we just watch a movie, or talk and throw back a couple.
We overdo usually when having a very deep conversation.
We drink to enjoy our beer.

I quit drinking to get drunk back in my twenties.
I quit drinking entirely for a number of years after my sister died of alcohol poisoning.

I think to call anyone that responsibly drinks daily an alcoholic is a bit much, especially if you've never dealt with true alcoholism firsthand.

An alcoholic is someone who cannot function without alcohol in their system. An alcoholic is someone who will do anything to get that next drink. An alcoholic is not someone who has a drink or 2 a night, even if it is every night.

The first 6 years of my life were spent with an alcoholic father and even though he's been sober for 25 years, I still remember how alcohol almost tore my family apart. It is odd to me that people have a drink everyday, but that is because after my father went sober, there was never alcohol in the house, but I know a lot of people who do have a drink everyday, so I think I may be in the minority

An alcoholic in my opinion is someone whose alcohol consumption interferes with his life. It has little to do with the quantity or frequency. Hiding liquor, denying drinking show a lack of control of the situation.

My uncle drank a lot of beer all of the time but it never interfered with his job, family, health or social relationships. He knew when not to drive. He stopped when he had to go through chemo and the drinking would have caused problems.

My father on the other hand could go months without drinking but then spend days drinking 3 liters of vodka a day. It affected his family, his law practice, and friendships. He developed serious heart problems because of his drinking. I am thankful he never hurt anyone driving.

My step-sister's husband sold their dryer so he could have beer money. BUT he's a bit of a loser, his drinking only makes things worse. Sadly they also have three young children.


My father is an alcoholic. He's "cut back" and now usually only drinks 6-8 beers a night. Though he usually has at least one night a week where it's closer to 18 beers (instigated by the step-SIL). He used to drink hard liquors when I was younger and get very mean.
Can he do things without alcohol? Sure. He typically doesn't start drinking till evening. Can he go a night without it? Not likely. Mentally.. my father's memory isn't as good as it used to be and he processes things slower - he's too young to be showing this already.

My FIL also drinks nightly. I don't know how many a night. He has a lot more control and responsibility than my father could ever have. He can go without drinking and does often because he sometimes has be to on-call.
DH will occasionally buy a 12 or 18 pack and drink it over the course of 1-2 weeks (with his brother taking a few of them).


Due to dealing with my father and my health issues I've never drank and don't intend to. I do consider it as gross of a habit as smoking..

In the area I live in it's actually fairly common for a lot of people to have had a DUI (or 3..). It seems like half the people I went to school with have ended up with one.

I choose not to drink at all, because they haven't come out with a DNA test for susceptibility to addiction yet and there are a lot of drunks and addicts scattered about in my gene pool. But that's just my choice for me.

I don't have a problem with other people drinking--my dad will occasionally have a drink or two with a meal, and my uncle (whose family we lived with for a couple years) had a beer with dinner most nights. They didn't do it when they were planning to drive or operate machinery, and they didn't take it to a level where it caused them to do dumb crap.

I also have a cousin who has a rule for his special occasion drinking--he drinks until standing is fun, and then stops. Again, he doesn't drive like that.

I have another cousin who went through an alcoholic-like phase where he was routinely drinking to excess and doing so with really bad timing (one time in particular, he drank a couple beers and a 6-pack of Smirnoff or something like that, the night before a manager meeting at his work). He doesn't do that any more, but if someone wouldn't or couldn't stop doing that, I'd classify that as alcoholism.

The way I see it, if any substance is the only way someone can cope with life, they should get in touch with a counselor and learn some more ways, and if a substance helps someone do dumb crap to themselves and others, they should cut back or stop...if they're causing clear and present harm and they won't or can't look outside the bottle for their fun and relaxation, I'd call that alcoholism, and other than that, it's not my business to classify other people.

There is a HUGE HUGE difference between a "drinker" and an alcoholic. I saw one person say that having 2 glasses of wine a night is alcoholism.. I don't think so at all. I grew up in a family of alcoholics. My mother's side and my father's side, my father being one of the biggest alcoholics I know. A drinker is someone who drinks occasionally, someone who has one or two glasses of wine a night is put into that category. Someone who cannot live or function without alcohol, someone who cracks a beer or has a drink as soon as they open their eyes and drinks until they go to sleep or pass out from drunkeness - THAT is an alcoholic.

Personally, I don't like to drink - at all. I have in the past, but I didn't like it, which is why I don't do it. I don't see the fun in it. I take a couple of shots, and I get buzzed, after getting buzzed all I want to do is lay down with a bucket next to me, because even after a few shots I get sick from it. And you know what? I am SO glad I don't like to drink, because I don't want to wind up like everyone else in my family. I love them all, they are great people. They are normal, nice, have nice homes and jobs.. They just like to drink a lot. And I don't want to wind up like that.

My ex-boyfriend never missed a day of work because of his beer drinking, but he would rarely leave the house at night because it would "cut into his drinking time." He would drink almost a case a beer each and every night. I may be wrong, but when a habit impedes socialization with other people/activities, it's a serious problem.

For most people, drinking more than a couple of drinks a day habitually can lead to liver disease and possible premature death.

I watch "Intervention" sometimes, and the degree of substance abuse is astounding. I can't imagine being that dependent on booze or drugs.

If the drinking is enough that it concerns significant others and friends I would say you have a problem. I mean, there are folks like my in-laws, who think any drinking at all makes for an alcoholic, so the concern should be rational : )

If it effects your life, work, relationships, and other responsabilities negatively you should strongly consider looking at your drinking. I do believe that there are alcoholics and their are problem drinkers. I would think that a problem drinker has a behavior issue more than an addiction issue and could stop or cut back if needed. I believe alcoholism is a disease.

If people you trust make half-jokes about it, and if your significant other sees it as a problem, you should really do some soul-searching. Most people don't randomly accuse others of being problem drinkers or alcoholics (my in-laws aside!).

Ok Cindy, so where do you stand? Because this is what you posted earlier:

"I think all that have posted here with the situations described have, at the very least, a drinking problem, I think the people Troant described are, definitely, alcoholics, although they are in denial.

When you are drinking two bottles of wine a night, you are an alcoholic. Sorry, but you are.


Having a "beer and a shot or two of Crown", good grief, that is alcholism.
Many alcoholics get up and go to work every day, they are still alcoholics."

(Sorry, still I'm working with the multi-quote thing).

I personally enjoy coming home after a long day of dealing with stupid people and drinking a beer, or two...or three. It helps me unwind and calm down. Does that make me an alcoholic? I don't think so.