a bit confused

[china]

i drink too much. i don't suffer from mental illness or depression, i just like the sauce too much. i have 3 jobs and never miss work. my friends say i show no signs of alcohol abuse but i drink way too much. am i addicted or simply stressed and bored?

[boozehag]

a bit confused

hi china
Only you know the answer to that but I suspect if you have found us then maybe you do think you might have a drinking problem or it might become a problem. Although it may not effect you badly now it will eventually if you keep it up. The good news is you have come to the right place if you want to get a handle on it before it does become a big problem. As a starter you might want to read RJ's book which can be downloaded from the site and then decide what you want to do. Look forward to seeing you posting.
BH

[gyco]

a bit confused

curious,how much is to much,as far as depression,when you have to think about it it may becom a problem,which obviously it hasyou also work 3 jobs is tht an obsession,as far as your freinds do they also drink to much,have to many jobs,and are you buying the drinks,why would they complain,i have a freind like you,he also has what you have,its called C.A.S.,new definition,chronic alchohol syndrome,look it up a new title for heavy drinkers or those who dont like to be called alchoholics,you my freind have found an incredible spot to come,people will listen and you cantsee them cry or hurt likewe all do,it aint heaven wht ever tht mite be,we and i think i can speek for may here welcome and we care gyco

[happydog]

a bit confused

hi china,
interesting i never thought this last year. when i come of the AL i have felt very low never give myself i chance to heal and then i had 60+days af, felt really good, ok get the odd days. once i gone back to drinking i found the depression gets worst each time i go back to drinking so for me it was like iam feeding it. Im not sure have you ever had a long Af stertch?

will look forward to your post and welcome this is a great place.

Take care

love
Teardrop.x

[Sunbeam]

a bit confused

Hi China,
Someone once said, "If you are here, you recognize at some level that you have a problem." In the MWO book, the author (RJ) describes the various levels of addiction - I expect you will find yourself there. I too never missed work, but I was missing a lot of the rest of life.

[A Work in Progress]

a bit confused

If you drink "too much" and "like it... too much," that probably means that you are not able to control your consumption? What has happened when you tried to drink an amount that you consider to be NOT "too much"? That's really the important question, here. Can you control your drinking?

Welcome, and I hope you will find some answers, and some support here!

wip

[AAthlete]

a bit confused

China, unfortunately we don't have to suffer from a mental illness or depression to have a drinking problem. Although I suffered from a bout of depression at one time (and had self-esteem issues a lot of the time) I drank mainly as a coping mechanism. My life was too hectic; my wife didn't understand; I just need to unwind; all excuses that I used to justify my drinking. In the end, that's all they were - excuses, and more and more I turned to alcohol to address them instead of confronting them and dealing with them.

Quicker and easier to drink them away - that's what my mind used to tell me.

Spend some time here reading and see if you can relate to stories and/or people. My guess is that you know the answer to your question - and I would encourage you to be honest and open with yourself about it.