Am I an alcoholic?

[stillcrawling]

Am I an alcoholic?

There's somethng about compulsive nature...

All -- Nancy's below post is excellent. Drinking is a compulsion. (At least for some...) The one thing about drinking is that many folks drink for different reasons -- But Ret (I think we've given you a nick name -- started by Popeye?) I would evaluate what other habits or tendencies you have. I think Nancy said it best Have a super Sunday -- Ret I am curiouis about your what "Retteacher" means -- but if it is personal, please disregard my imposition. I have a sister Nancy. For now, LaLiz -- aka Still...

[Yucon]

Am I an alcoholic?

Reteacher

You are correct, normal drinkers do not do what you described. I did every single one of those and for years thought I was functioning just fine. After 5 days AF, I discover beautiful things about life that I would not have before.

Just as Athlete said. Once I was able to admit that i was an Alcoholic, going AF became a much easier thing to deal with. The greatest help was going to my family and friends and getting thing out in the open. I never would have of imagined all the support i would get from loved ones and friends. From there I spent countless hours on researching my problem and how to fix it. I chose two programs. My Hospital's plan which is a very good thorough plan and MWO. I feel between the two of them I feel great success so far on day5 AF.

[retteacher]

Am I an alcoholic?

Retteacher means retired teacher. I retired in June 2005 & since then my drinking has escalated. I enjoyed my profession & put many great years in & am happy I'm retired. The drinking is my biggest challenge right now. I began in earnest about 4 - 5 years ago when my job got more stressful (I headed up my department at the high school I taught at). It became a habit to destress w/alcohol. Now, I have less stress, but the drinking has taken hold.

[julie001]

Am I an alcoholic?

The word "alcoholic" carries such harsh judgement from people who do not have a problem. I'm probably afraid to use that word because I feel that I will be forever judged because of that label. I guess I prefer to think of myself as someone who has a problem with alcohol that cannot be fixed without an intense effort. I know that there is no real difference--it's just different words for the same thing, but I already feel horrible about myself. And by attaching that label, I feel that I'm somewhat condemning myself to judgement from the world in general forever. I'm rambling, but I've thought about this quite a bit. I grew up in a family of "alcoholics" (with the exception of my mom). My dad quit drinking about five years ago. He finally decided that enough was enough and just did it. We've never talked about how that struggle went for him, but I know that his drinking affected everyone's life in my family almost daily. And he's quit that (and cigerettes too).
Should he still be considered an "alcoholic" or is he someone who finally got a handle on the compulsion, the triggers, etc? I'd like to believe that someday (soon) I'll figure it out, learn to appreciate what life has to offer when I'm not masking everything with alcohol. And when I do that, I don't really want to have to think of myself as a recovering alcoholic. I prefer to think of myself as someone who overcame an obstacle, learned a new way to cope with stress, someone who fought hard and won. I can certainly admit that I have a problem, and I am so thankful that I found this place. The compassion, empathy, and advice here are tremendous. Thanks for letting me ramble. That's all a part of the process, I guess. I know I've certainly spent countless hours analyzing the best way to get a handle on my problem with alcohol. MYO has been a blessing. Have a great rest of the day everyone and good luck on being AF.

Julie

[Mags]

Am I an alcoholic?

hey Retteacher,
How terribly honest with yourself you are. Wish we could all be so honest!! I answered yes to every question. All that means to me is that I am an alcoholic (no problem using the "a word"). No problem using that word. Everyone hates that word except those of us who are one. Hey, we didn't choose this, we didn't end up like this on purpose. Sh** happens, I guess. The wonderful thing about this disease is that we can all share it and form great friendships because of it. And yes, we can also struggle and grieve together. And most importantly we can beat it - one tiny step at a time. I guess that's what friends are for.
Congratulations on being AF. We all know how hard that can be and how noble it is of you. All I can say is please keep it up and keep posting!!!

[stillcrawling]

Am I an alcoholic?

we used up all our tickets

remember when we went to amusement parks or fairs and bought tickets to ride or to play games... well we have used all of ours up... when I was offered a drink at Easter I simply said that I didn't have any more tickets -- we all laughed as I come from a large Irish family & we all have drank excessively at times.

Me? I have found that I am a binge drinker & usually right before my period & I only drink white wine but too much of it ... I am 25 days AF right now ... I feel great!!!! and I used up all my tickets... so I'll find something else to do...
La Liz

[retteacher]

Am I an alcoholic?

I'm on my 3rd AF day & feel great. I'm not scheming about when, where, & how I'm going to drink. I don't have empty bottles rolling around in my car while I look for an out-of-the way trash barrel. I didn't have to watch what I said all weekend, because I was drunk & didn't want anyone to know.

[oldser]

Am I an alcoholic?

Been in MWO a few weeks now, but still drinking. I have trouble with the CD's. The guy's over/ mis-pronunciations distract and annoy me. RL once told me what he says on the subliminal ones. I don't recall exactly, but it was something like 'you enjoy listening to these tapes'. I was expecting more like instructions or guidance.

Anyway, Due to another embarrassing evening yesterday, trying hard to get AF tonight.
Hoping the support here will help. Wish me success!

[bluesky]

Am I an alcoholic?

Yes Ret

I failed them all, started trying to give up yesterday, so this is day 2 and how wonderful it was to wake up and not have an instant panic attack because of "gosh what did I do last night". No need to be terrified to face my husband and kids because I was actually in control for once in a very long time. Courage and good luck to us all.