[Nixi]

I get really confused when it comes to knowing if I'm an 'alcoholic' or not. I have been alcohol dependent in the past and I have had afew detoxes when I've ended up in psychiatric hospital.

BUT I don't drink much! On average a bottle of wine and a couple of lagers and maybe a littke bit of vodka, but not every night, a night! At the moment I don't get cravings in morning- tho I have just come off a light detox. I was 10 days sober- and really struggled at this- then this weekend it's been my partner's b'day and my son's b'day!

Tho actually it was a difficult DBT session that resulted in my drinking 3 double vodkas in an hour. I didn't think this was bad.

I know this might sound silly but I don't actually know if I do have a problem!! You see- I am not drinking a bottle of vodka a day! Tonight it was a friend's bday- I've had ...not sure exactly but approx 7 or 8 glasses of wine plus 2 pints of lager. I don't feel drunk.

It has taken me a lot of guts (or alcohol) to write on this site.

My LFT is 267 I think. My doc is on about sending me to liver specialist. I'm just really confused coz I don't think I drink a lot. Everybody seems to drink!!! So why should I stop??? I don't drink alot! I don't think I'm an alcoholic!! I'm confused! Why should I stop? I've been under my alcohol worker for over a year. then just restarted with her.

I detoxed from hospital for 10 days but started again! #i feel so ashamed!! But then part of me wants to carry on but small part wants to stop!! Aaaah help! Sorry!! sorry to rabit on!!! Any advice completely appreciated!! help!!! x

[sunsetsunrise]

Hi Nixi
I have had addictions. And my mom is an alcoholic. I have been to some joint AA meetings when I was in Al-anon. Supposedly people do not have to drink every day to be alcoholics. Or I have heard that people can be alcoholics even if they just drink 2 drinks a night. Beer, wine and regular alcohol. I have heard that alcoholism is a self diagnosed condition. So maybe no one could tell you if you are an alcoholic or not. I cant say for sure.

I did find a website where you might be able to get a sense of weather or not you are an alcoholic. http://www.alcoholscreening.org/Home...FQXe4Aod-EbkSA This is what the website says about themselves:
"AlcoholScreening.org is a free service of Join Together, a project of The Partnership at DrugFree.org and Boston University School of Public Health." So it sounds very legit to me.

Finally, some amazing and wonderful people are alcoholics. I understand you feel ashamed. But often shame is one of the things thats at the root of why so many people, self medicate with alcohol, drugs, food or behaviors. I am a food addict. And I used to be addicted to cigarettes. I wish you lots of luck

[AAAAA]

Does alcohol interfer with your life? Can you put it down or when you start drinking do you just keep drinking until you... Do you use alcohol as a crutch?

Don't feel ashamed. We all stumble. It is not the mistake that counts, it is how you deal with it that does.

[Leed]

It's not how MUCH you drink or how often -- it's what it does to you when you DO drink. Do you say & do things you wouldn't normally do? Is your life chaotic when you drink? Does it cause problems in your life? If so, you may just have a drinking problem. And if you THINK you might have a problem, you probably do.

Please go to a few AA meetings and listen. I'm sure you will hear your story told by someone else.

I wish you the very best -- God bless. And take care of YOU. Hugs, Lee

[madisgram]

I detoxed from hospital for 10 days but started again! #i feel so ashamed!! But then part of me wants to carry on but small part wants to stop!! Aaaah help! Sorry!! sorry to rabit on!!! Any advice completely appreciated!! help!!! x

i cannot define if you are an alcoholic, only you can. but here's a saying that can help one who questions if they are an alcoholic in most cases where there are concerns-if you drink to get rid of a feeling, like your dbt session, or drink to gain a feeling one has a problem. example-depression, anger, etc. when a person drinks to numb their feelings they're using alcohol to escape.
another helpful tool-give up alcohol for 30 days. see if you can do this without drinking or having urges. this is not foolproof but does help you see what's going on.
there's another term re alcoholism,,,binge drinking. not like college students but having periods where one doesn't drink at all then when one drinks they consume large quantities. but how much one drinks is not a definitive comparison. it's why one drinks and what happens when one drinks that defines it. binge drinkers do more damage to their livers than everyday drinkers but in all the liver profile is an indicator of the liver being on overload no matter how we abuse alcohol. it can be a serious medical condition. usually abstaining from alcohol fixes the problem but only if one completely stops.

One of the main things drinking does is it messes with our livers. Not just messes with, but causes serious damage

http://www.alcoholism-and-drug-addic...l-symptom.html
going to AA can also help you. you can just listen to others who've been where u are now. they have found the answer and are doing something to change.
i hope this helps answer some of your concerns. i'm 21 yrs. sober and my life in quality is wonderful. no longer do i put alcohol use as my priority or abuse alcohol. no longer do i put any value in drinking. once i stopped drinking i realized how much i relied on it.