Am I an Alcoholic or is this more Health Anxiety?

[MandySlade]

I work in a bar. Recently a woman I work with who is 32 (I'm 31 myself) was admitted to the hospital with severe pancreatitis. After two days in the hospital (and without alcohol) she began to suffer from -very- serious alcohol withdrawl. She is having the DTs, really bad hallucinations, seizures, etc. She is still in the hospital and is on medication to help her recover. Now, this is a woman who drank nearly all day every day. That being said, it has me worried and phobic about my own drinking. I have about 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine a night 3 or 4 days a week and then 3 or 4 days a week I will have about 6-8 drinks total (including hard alcohol). It used to be more like 2 drinks a night 5 nights a week and then 2 nights a week I'd get snackered... but the last few months it's been more often due to a combination of stress (planning my wedding), and more friends going out more often. Now, when I'm at work, ironically enough, I almost -never- drink. I -could- if I wanted to... I'm allowed... I just don't ever want to. Part of it is that I work during the day and part of it is that it's just never seemed fun to me to get drunk at work. However, since I've been drinking this way for over 10 years I'm getting worried about it's overall effect on me. I'm also scared that if I cut back I'll get some horrific type of withdrawl or suffer brain damage. And, most of all what bothers me, is I don't -want- to cut back. I enjoy drinking. It doesn't interfere with my work, my relationships, I'm rarely hungover (maybe twice a month), etc. So, I'm just wondering based on what you guys think based on what I've said here. My fiance says I'm crazy and that "we may like to drink, but we are definitely not that bad" or he will say "I guess technically you could call us functional alcoholics, but we'd have to do a lot more to do real damage". Given that he's fairly laid back about health concerns and I'm...well.... the extreme opposite... I don't know what to think. I feel like I don't have the ability to judge correctly for myself anymore when it comes to my health. Atferall, I've seen doctors for countless "silly" things and had a few tests I didn't need.

Opinions?

[nimbos]

Hi Mandy – I am an alcoholic and haven’t had a drink for almost 17yrs so I do have some idea about this. I suppose the first thing to say is that no one else can diagnose you an alcoholic – only you can do that. But there are a few signs that can help. I remember one of the first things that made sense to me was if booze is costing you more than money then you probably have a problem. Another thing is that alcoholism isn’t about quantity of quality of what you drink but the affect it has on you and your personality.
For what it’s worth, going by what you say in your post I don’t see any of the telltale signs of alcoholism. I’d say your anxiety is going into overdrive. If your are really worried I would suggest that you go along to an open AA meeting and listen to what’s being said. There is bound to be one nearby. Believe me that then you’ll know if you have a problem or not.
Take care

[cassy1989]

I don't want to worry you but you are drinking too much. On the drink aware web site it says women should not regularly drink more then 2-3 units a day (the equivalent to a 175mls glass of wine) which obviously you are having more of.
It doesn't matter whether or not you drink as soon as you wake up, if you feel your self relying on alcohol you do need help.
It doesn't sound like you're that bad and I doubt you have done any damage yet but you could do damage.
You have recognised some thing may be wrong though and thats really good. I would talk to your doctor if I was you.
I only know about alcoholism because my brother is a recovering alcoholic (he drunk a lot more then you, he was drinking about 3 bottles of cider a day and some times vodka!)

But please do see your doctor before it gets any worse. Good luck xx

[MandySlade]

:(

[Anxious_gal]

the thing with alcoholism is no one starts off as an alcoholic, they develop a problem with drink and then it spirals out of control,
Alcoholics often say the first time they got drunk they fell in love with alcohol or it was the best feeling in the world.

Most alcoholics recommend tapering off the alcohol much like you would do with medication, before fully stopping, as it can lead to seizures and heart attacks.

wow your drinking habits may be common but is pretty much the same path alcoholics have followed,
you are self medicating with drink, you drink when you are stressed, that a pretty big red flag !
Drinking to sleep is also another big red flag,
Looking forward to a drink after a hard day, as in can't wait to get home so you can drink is a red flag!

I hate to say it but the fact you do not want to stop is a bi deal, thing with most alcoholics they do sorta want to stop but they wake up every day thinking oh I'll stop tomorrow but then they never do :(

I've seen posts like your before, and it often ends with the person saying oh well it's not a problem now, I'll stop if it becomes a problem.... but then the problem is that they can't stop, they are too deep into it by the time alcohol actually becomes a problem.

http://hamsnetwork.org/taper/
Many alcoholics use this method to taper off the drink.

""Alcoholism is a 2 part disease. The first part occurs when you drink alcohol - you get a craving for more when you drink, a craving for more alcohol, as if no amount of alcohol is enough. The second part occurs when you stop - a mental obsession to get a drink.
The only remedy for the first part is to never take another drink (you cannot get drunk if you never take another drink). The remedy for the second part is harder - the 12 Step program detailed in the 1939 book "Alcoholics Anonymous" is the only way I've found that effectively treats the mental obsession once you stop.
In answer to your question, only you will know if you are an alcoholic, but make no mistake it is a fatal and progressive disease i.e if left untreated it gets worse over time never better""

Problem is you don't have to be falling over drunk and messing up your life to be an alcohlic, theres millions of high functioning alcoholics.
I know so many poeple who do have problems with drink. but they cannot see it and no one else see's it because we live in a drinking culture.
You can listen to other people and let them reassure you and let them convince you that you don't have a problem but from my experience you already have a problem.
maybe it won't get worse , maybe you won't develop an addiction but the fact you don't want to stop worries me.

You need to wake up and realize that if you cannot stop drinking you have a problem!
Your definition of an alcoholic is absurd. It's based on movies, tv, people you have seen or heard of.
My family used to say my mother was not "that bad" No one tried to help her but me. but by the time anyone else noticed she had a problem she was in the hospital.
I had known at least six years before that she had a problem, I noticed all the little signs that everyone else so easily dismisses.

The main thing to watch out for is the CRAVING for alcohol, what do addicts do? they crave the substance.

[nomorepanic]

I think most of us drink too much and don't realise it to be honest.

14 units a week is not much! I like lager and that is 2.2 units per can so I can only drink 6 cans a WEEK and that is not much when you look at it.

My dad was an alcoholic and needed it to function. He would get up and drink and if he had to do anything he would need a drink to be able to do it.

It cost him his marriage to my mum and ultimately his life in the end which is very sad.

Anyway - the choice is yours and only you can decide if you need to cut down etc etc.

[Anxious_gal]

Aw Nic I'm so sorry about your dad : (

[MandySlade]

"Your definition of an alcoholic is absurd. It's based on movies, tv, people you have seen or heard of."

I appreciate the help, really I do, but did I ever define "an alcoholic"?

[Groundhog]

Hi Mandy
The subject of alcohol can be very touchy and is very complex.
I drink very little. On a normal week – i.e if I’m not on holiday or going to a function, I consume a maximum of around four units – quite often none at all.
I too had a father who was an alcoholic – he was also a smoker and he died of cancer of the oesophagus, at the time the doctors said it was either the drink or smoking or a combination of the two that caused it.
Bearing in mind the amount you say you are drinking I would cut back. Nicola makes a good point with her parody of the can of lager, most people would count that has one unit where-as as pointed out it is in fact over two
With drink there are broadly two categories - alcoholism and alcohol abuse so effectively you can abuse the use of alcohol without being dependant on it.
As I say the subject is complex and the stats quite alarming so it may be prudent to gen up on it and re-evaluate your intake.
All the best

[qrydem1987]

My opinion I would not say your an alcoholic, you have consumed more than what doctors and medical professionals would state more than the daily guidelines but in honesty everyone is guilty of excess afterall most do not eat 5 fruit n veg a day, vigorous exercise 20 mins a day, I do not believe you would get physical withdrawal symptoms. But I would suggest maybe cutting back. As you admit yourself your starting to drink more when your stressed and anxious, this is not a good sign not for now but for the future as this "COULD" lead to alcoholism and physical addiction.