I'm crabby and I have a question.

[noma'am]

I want to know right now if I am going to be nothing more than an alcoholic for the rest of my life? There are people at AA who have decades sober and still introduce themselves as alcoholics. An alcoholic is a person who drinks to much, lies, hides, is irresponsible and undependable. I acknowlege that I am all of those things (or was as of 10 days ago). So, 30 days from now, or 1 year or 5 years or 100 years from now will I still be all of those awful things even if I don't drink? I never get to move forward? I don't get to evolve into something better just because I was once addicted to alcohol? I used to wear diapers but I don't have to still acknoweledge every day that I crapped my pants. Potty training was hard and took a long time but once it was over it was over. I was addicted to crapping my pants. I fucking LOVED to do it and I didn't want to stop. But I did and I moved on. Why should alcohol (or any addiction) be different?
Fuck diapers and fuck alcohol.

[gyco]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

your wrong AA is a place where u find comfort,my way out the same, i think scaring people ,life is not what it seems,haah we have an addiction,ooooooooooooops,i to am starting a new platform, for all who come here,and feel sorry for themselves,were many,like wolfman jak did with music,we will do with boose or drugs,were here to help u understand were different, WELCOM

[akgirl]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

LOL I'm sorry but your analogy was hilarious. And in my opinion no, you should not have to always consider yourself an alcoholic. Maybe we should come up with another term.

[southernbelle47]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

No.......you will not ......you will be so much more.
You are soooooo much more.........
Nancy

[AAthlete]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

People introduce themselves as recovered alcoholics at meetings to help give strength and hope to the newcomers. It is completely up to you how you classify yourself, but a lot of people do it simply to help remember where they came from as well.

The bottom line - I was ALWAYS be an alcoholic, but I am recovered. I spent the weekend in a bed and breakfast community, and the place we stayed had a fridge full of beer and a cabinet full of liqour and I never once thought about having a drink. I don't care what people call me, because I know what I am....

As long as you are happy with you then you should feel free to refer to yourself however you like.

[tlrgs]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

yeah never forget what you were at one point in time and just realise who you are now and becoming..
thats my opion ..stay strong and think positive

[vera-b]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

Hi Noma'am,

AAthlete gave a very thoughtful response, and I'd have to agree. Some are ok (like AAthlete) with updating an old label, i.e. "recovered" alcoholic, but I prefer no label at all. I do not like to be "judged" and labels do that for me. So I admit here and to my family and close friends that I had a problem with alcohol and work everyday to make sure I don't go back there.

I must admit I wasn't much of a poop-a-holic. Was more into bagfulls of candy. One day I'll admit that I'm still recovering from my candy-laced nightmare but not until after Halloween!

Vera-b

[southernbelle47]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

Hersey Kisses!!!!!!
Yum!

[Starlight Impress Forever]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

Hi noma`am,
I consider that I will always remain an alcoholic, despite the alcoholic in me lying dormant.........that`s just what I believe about my own personal relationship with alcohol.........to believe anything else would undoubtedly result in yet another attempt at moderating on my part, which would guarantee I fall flat on my face.........I sooooooo cannot moderate.

However, the label alcoholic doesn`t bother me in the slightest, because I am so very much more than an alcoholic, just as we all are. I can`t recall who posted this, but I read here a long time ago, that being an alcoholic is "what we do", it has no reflection on "who we truly are".

I`m an alcoholic through and through.........I`ve accepted that, and just as long as I don`t drink.........it`s really no big deal.

Darling x

[Cinders]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

Star,

So very well articulated!! Thank you. :l

Love,
Cindi

[lucky 2.0]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

I have a huge problem with placing a negative label on myself and I am no fan of 12 step programs for many reasons- the negative self talk is just one of those reasons I am revolted.

Good luck to you noma'am. Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders.

[greeneyes]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

I didn't like that part too because of the idea of the "self-fulfilling Prophecy".

Then on the other hand, Star made an excellent point.

[Helpwanted08]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

I don't believe we need a label at all. If you are offered a drink you just ask for something that does not contain alcohol. There are so many options who would ever question you. If there are people you choose to tell then that is your choice. We all have "dirty laundry" that we don't share.
HW

[A Work in Progress]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

It's one of those "balance" things, NM. You don't want to forget that you have a vulnerability to alcohol that not everyone shares, and you also don't want to see yourself as a victim, or as someone who is some kind of creep. Your post indicates that you view the term "alcoholic" in very negative ways:

An alcoholic is a person who drinks to much, lies, hides, is irresponsible and undependable.

Not everyone sees it that way, of course. I don't do any of the things on that list. But I know it is very, very dangerous for me to drink alcohol, and that's not true, for most people.

Don't let the label bug you too much. And also, if you go to AA meetings, practice the very common recommendation, to take what is helpful, and forget the rest. There's a lot of stuff in some AA meetings about sickness and disease and character defects. I think that, for many (maybe most) people, that is part of the AA program that is NOT helpful. There are other aspects that, I think, are (or at least can be) VERY helpful!

wip

[Boss.man]

I'm crabby and I have a question.

I hate that term, Alcoholic, and refuse to use it. I'm a technology guy. I refuse to use a term that has no specific meaning, no specific condition; there's no blood test for it, or any measurable test at all. It's defined simply as yours, or someone elses, opinion of your behavior.

I certainly will state that I became alcohol dependent. My body chemistry and hormone system achieved a balance that was/is dependent on Alcohol in my system. Whenever I seek to break that system, whole chemical subsystems in my body rebel, and display physical symptoms caused, not by the alcohol, but by lack of alcohol in my body.

Some systems in my body will probably retain the alcohol dependent pattern for a long period of time, maybe forever. But other systems seem to have adjusted pretty rapidly, and so I feel great hope of leaving my dependency behind.

Us technical people dislike terms that are not well defined. There are a number of ways you can test and define alcohol dependency. But I've never heard of a way to define an alcoholic, except for the famous 4 out of 10 question tests. I prefer to avoid any term which lacks a medical or scientific definition; just for the reason you state, how can you say you are no longer an alcoholic when there is no test to say you ever were?