I am NOT Alcoholic.Am I ?
The death of a lady I never knew seems to have brought me here, and I hope I will be able to thank her some day.
I have, for some years now, had an alcohol problem. I have considered it just a habit - NOT full alcoholism - but I'm not so sure, now. I need to drink EVERY night before I can sleep. When I wake up, I'm OK - although I guess I could feel better - I don't exactly spring out of bed the next morning!!
But I do NOT need to have a drink first thing, or at any time during the day - in fact, I really do NOT want a drink during the day. I don't get the shakes if I don't get a drink. I just CANNOT go to bed sober. I am admitting that this is a problem. It's a habit, I guess - but is it alcoholism yet ?
Even if there's no clear answer to that, I guess I'm really saying this, aren't I ? "I have an alcohol problem, and I am NOT in denial of that. I want to get out of the habit of drinking 7 nights a week, before I become fully alcoholic. I want to be able to drink socially at weekends, without having to TOTALLY abstain. I want to be able to do this BEFORE it is too late.
I have scanned through the forum listings and not found a thread for this particular problem, yet I'm sure it must affect many of us. I AM AWARE that constant drinking without detoxing can cause liver and/or kidney damage, and I AM AWARE that we often do not feel this damage being done until it is too late.
I NEED to get a handle on this, before it gets its' teeth into me any deeper. NOW is the time - BEFORE I become alcoholic....or am I already ?
I DON'T need anybody to tell me "Just stop drinking - it's as simple as that." It ain't - and anybody who thinks it is has probably never truly walked in the shoes of those they think they are helping.
What I DO need is...
... what ?
AM I an alcoholic, yet ?