I think i may be an alcoholic

I think it all depends on how it affects you and people around you @Learninggrowing sometimes putting a name to behaviours/habits can be helpful, sometimes not.

hello @Learninggrowing

it sounds like self-medicating which is what I did for a period. I dont believe labelling yourself an alcoholic to be helpful. i dont believe in labelling people full stop. that is me though and others are entitled to their own opinions too.

Go to your doctor and ask for a 12 month mental health plan with a psychologist - they should all know about self-medicating. or the doctor will know the best way to proceed. Be honest with the doctor about your thoughts, the amount and times of drinking and why you drink. All confidential. If it makes you feel safer ask the doctor to confirm this for you.

you probably wont get in until after january next year to see a specialist , perhaps your doctor would be happy to see you a few times in between. I dont know if you are on medication or not, if you are and you have depression the alcohol is actually a depressant and further exacerbates your depression. These are all things to discuss with your doctor. I am not medically qualified. Book a double appointment when you make it as well you dont need to explain to the receptionist why just that you need more time.

you have spoken about the alcohol concerns on here which is a huge step. Very hard to do. You are brave, you probably wont believe that, because self medicating further decreases our self esteem.

Be very proud of yourself in making this step it is the start of a new journey for you. You have done this, you have spoken out and said help me please. you want to help yourself because you are worthwhile and you love those you hide your drinking from.

Small steps and remember to acknowledge that you are doing this each step of the way.

Think of all who have done this before you and imagine that they are walking either side of you, with you on this new journey of recovery.

I am very proud of you.

sending you a big hug.

stay safe

Hello @Learninggrowing,

I also think that perhaps seeing a counsellor or psychologist will be able to help you cope better and in a more helpful and supportive way than drinking.

It sounds like the constant hiding would be exhausting for you to manage so your family and friends don't know?

One way of coping in the mean time could be writing down your thoughts which lead you to drinking and seeing if you can address those thoughts by doing something else rather than drinking, such as exercise, relaxation (resting), seeing family or friends, watching a movie etc. This journal will also help you to have insight into your thought processes and you can bring that to your sessions if you do choose therapy. Writing is also generally a really helpful way of venting and releasing unwanted thoughts and worries that race over in your mind.

Are there things you like to do that make you feel better during the times when you aren't excessively drinking?

Lunar

Dont take our @Former-Member personally

She is doing this to all the threads .. OMG ... Sit still Girl

@Former-Member - You are such a hoot - love ya! 😅😅😅

@Learninggrowing

Some very wise advice above. I can only speak from experience as many, many years ago I was an alcoholic for quite a few years (10). I started heavily drinking at age 13 due to childhood abuse etc. If I were you I would speak to someone as when we start hiding our drinking that is usually indicating a problem. If you are missing days off work or events because you are drunk - or on the contrary, going to work/events, driving etc drunk is a sign that it's out of control. Chronic alcoholics cannot stop without intervention usually.

Dependency on alcohol to the point you cannot cope with adversity, problems or social events any other way is also a sign. When we can't face a day without it or drink to excessive in one day to the point of near annilation regularly (this site won't allow me to put in the word that best describes this?? (b drinking)

. When we cannot go long without craving it there is physical addiction present. When we cannot cope with life events/social events/low moods at all without seeking alcohol or any other type of drug to numb is psychological addiction. There can be functioning alcoholics to those who are drunk 24/7 from the moment they open their eyes (early morning drinking - a huge red flag). Another red flag is memory loss of what one did when drunk and total personality change. I don't think you are at that stage.

Best to seek intervention before it gets to the latter stage or the alcoholic stage if not already. All start with excessive drinking to cope. Either seeking psychological counselling or going along to an AA meeting to listen and hear others stories will also give you an idea where you are at. Doing both is what most in that situation do. It can't hurt but info and advice/coping strategies may prove helpful.

But you know there is a problem. You are "not in denial" which is a good sign that you can prevent excessive drinking leading to a life time of addiction. Insight is the first step forward towards recovery and you have done that here. Well done. Second step is learning healthier more productive ways to cope with life stressors. Remembering if there is a will with patience there will always be a better way with no harm done in the mean time. That's the goal. Wishing you well 😊

You can enroll in the Online Alcohol Support Group on this site -- https://www.theluckiestclub.com/join-community, which is dedicated to drugs, alcohol, and other bad things that people want to get rid of. Try to apply there. Maybe they will help you and me in due time. I drank a bottle of wine or whiskey almost every day for about a year. It all depended on my mood. If the day was good, I drank wine; if everything was bad, I drank whiskey. And so, every day, and at one point, I realized that I could lose everything literally in a year. My profession, respect from my family, and I decided to enroll in a sobriety club and started attending it, and eventually, I stopped drinking.

Hi @Learninggrowing interested to see your post.

I’m a recovering alcoholic. Many years sober. Alcoholism is incredibly complex. There is a great deal of literature and reference materially to give you a general indication of whether you might have a drinking problem. The are also, happily, a great deal of supports you can draw on.

A few things that are opinions of my own…

- if you are thinking you may have a drinking problem, then run with that until you hear otherwise (and be shy of getting opinions of others who may not necessarily across this space)

- irrespective, only you can make a decision to stop drinking if you decide that’s what you want to do (getting to a point where you’re “ready to stop” can be harder to find than you think)

-if you do reach a conclusion that you do have a drinking problem the problem is all yours (need to have accountability either way)

Hope that helps.