Do you think other people would think you have an alcohol problem?

There are people who used to be involved in my life who would think I have an alcohol problem.

Of course, these people think prayer is preferable to Robitussin, so there you go.

Any consumption of alcohol (except communion wine, of course!) would be a sin, so my beer-or-two once or twice a week, and the very occasional social tipsiness would clearly be a problem.

People think I need to loosen up and have a drink and wonder why I’m always Designated Driver.

: )
These people also need to be drunk or they couldn’t stand the places I take them when I’m sober.

Only in the sense that I drink way less than the majority of my mates.

Nope

Having had two glasses of wine in the past year, I would think it unlikely.

However, I do have a compulsion to edit almost everything I read. There is probably a name for that.

My alcohol problem comes from the fact that two beers put me under the table. I hang with guys that typically drink a half case (12) when they drink. I’m the light weight and frequently become the designated driver. That’s OK. I’ve had times in my youth where I drank to the point where I puked. I’d rather drive than puke, besides I don’t need alcohol to have a good time.

My sister decided at one time that she was an alcoholic. I didn’t see her as an alcoholic, but I did think she had a drinking problem. And when she drank she’d fly into rages. She was a total asshole. So, she went through AA. After that, in her opinion, everyone was an alcoholic. She lived in CA (I’m in Kansas) went so far as to call my kids, ages 12 and 14 (this was 1995,) behind my back, and sob to them that I was an alcoholic in denial. Mind you, I hadn’t seen my sister in over 10 years, and we talked on the phone maybe once a year. And even then our “conversations” consisted of her talking about how great she was, and I just listened. Furthermore, the last time she’d seen me, I wasn’t drinking at all! I had small kids. At the time she called I’d have a couple of beers after work. That’s all. She had no CLUE who I was or what my life was about. She just knew that I was an alcoholic because she had decided that she was. It was insane.
Absolutely insane.
Last time I spoke with her, about 8 years ago, she was still on the rant. She was screaming at me that I was going to DIE before I was 50!! Well, I’ve been 50 for 4 years now!

Oh, and she did 11 of the 12 steps. The one she missed was apologizing to the people you’ve hurt because of your drinking. I’m still waiting for about a thousand apologies that she owes me and the rest of the family.

It depends on other people’s drinking patterns.
I personally usually have a few pints during the week, and then usually binge on the weekend.
To me and my circle of freinds this is completely normal.
To other people who maybe only enjoy a glass of wine on a Saturday night, they might find my drinking to be excessive.

I went to a lot of those meetings and training courses when I was a drug and alcohol counselor in the Navy. They make most people and all southern Europeans alcoholics. My Dad drank beer everyday of his life and wasn’t an alcoholic. I think taking that kind of training and going to those meetings make a lot of people over zealous.

Over Zealous is an Under Statement.

They used to, but I quit drinking any alcohol in early November, 2012.

@Ron_C I would agree. I had to go to a class because of a dui, I was 18 and stupid, in order to complete the class you had to admit you were an alcholic.

The guy running the class was a recovered addict of 30 years. His life was rehabilitation his addiction those classes and vicarously living and blaming those that attended.

He asked me what the most legally addictive substance was in the US I said caffiene and got a 30 min lecture of how caffiene doesn’t destroy your life.

No. I hardly drink at all.

I don’t drink very often. I don’t like the muddled feeling drinking gives me and even two drinks means I don’t get a good night’s sleep.

Not any more. I was beginning to wonder myself. But when I had to quit for medical reasons, I did so immediately with no physical reaction. So that means I wasn’t an addict, right? Right?

No. I am not a big fan of booze.
I like a good beer or two now and then, a little wine, champagne and the occasional bloody mary.
Infact, I got ripped a few weeks ago by accident. haha
I bought a six pac of some interesting looking IPA dark beer to have a couple after I got home from work while making dinner.

I had a busy day and hadn’t eaten since morning.
I had 3 of them while slicing and dicing up the dinner scene and all of a sudden I was freaking blasted! haha
I felt sick, went and took a hot shower and passed out on my couch from 5:30 until 9 PM LOL
The next day my daughter was over and I told her I got flippin’ blasted on 3 beers the night before.
She looked at the alcohol content and it was 7%!!!!

I usually buy lighter beer, Corona lite or Tsing Tao or Stella Artois.
OMG! No WONDER I was on my face after 3 of those puppies! haha

I usually drink glass or two of wine each night. Sometimes three. I think the rules say no more than two a night, but I know that in Europe, two or three a night is not seen as out of the ordinary. It’s just in the US where we’re all so hung up about pleasure and addiction.

It’s not a problem for me, but I do have a friend who worries. When he comes over, I see him watching me. I feel like he’s trying to figure out if it’s a problem and if he should say something. It’s really annoying and I don’t like having him around much because I feel like I shouldn’t drink and that kind of spoils the evening for me.

It’s not a problem to go without, but why should I? It relaxes me. I work hard. I deserve to relax.

Interesting question. I’m getting annoyed by it. I think I’ll have another glass, lol.

perhaps . . .

Nope.

But, I think a lot of people around me have alcohol problems. Not the majority, but enough.

It’s too early for me to say I quit drinking completely, it’s always there, just begging. Lol. But when I did drink heavily, I kept it pretty secret from people. My roommate, being that I live with her, obviously knew about it. However, she has a drug problem, but will not admit it. It’s weed, the tamest drug I guess, but you should see her and how she acts when she doesn’t have any. She turns into Conan the Barbarian. I hide under the floorboards, and hope she doesn’t just up and destroy the whole damn floor.
Given her lack to realize she has a problem, and her just saying she does it for fun; she interpreted my drinking as exactly the same. In fact, once she got almost pissed at me when I was trying to tell her that I do have a problem with the hooch. See as a drinker, I bother no one and am still responsible. I can go to work each day, I don’t curve stomp people, I don’t puke or act all messed up. Just some slurring, and emotions sort of dripping here and there. As a boozehound, I was probably not much different than before I ever drank. Her definition of an alcoholic is someone who is much more wild, violent and all when they drink. So to her, I didn’t have a problem, and she was pretty much the only person who witnessed it. But she had a terrible childhood, living with alcoholics, as did I, so I can understand her point of view.
Eventually I started telling people, and although now I’m way better, when I DO drink I still don’t let people see me, unless it’s a party or something. When that occurs, most people drink, so they think very little of how I myself drink.
Being an alcoholic at a party is pretty cool though, because nobody will ever really notice how many you pack down, at least if you’re able to keep your composure and be a little pirate style, as I am. You pass innaperçu, so nobody can say anything.
Of course now since some people know, that’s not how it works anymore, but I don’t have any people real close to me that they’re gonna make a real fuss over it, and I rarely attend parties, anyway. All the better, in a way. I guess probably people say all sorts of things about me in my back, but fuck, you don’t need a drinking problem for that to happen lol.
Guess that doesn’t quite answer the question, but as someone WITH a drinking problem, it should be slightly valid. behold my pirate avatar!

Of course, if people saw me every now and then, they would say I am not cured, and hell they may be right, but personally there is a big difference in my life ever since I cut down. Mentally, not really, but physically, yeah.

@rosehips I think I’ve met that guy. I am glad that the 12 step programs exist but find a number of the members act like religious zealots and missionaries.

I am not an addict nor am I religious and wish that those people would keep “the good news!” to themselves. I have enough problems and don’t want to deal with zealots.

@Ron_C emphatically agree.

So… Anyone want to join me in a bottle of cab sav?

I’d love to, @Seek_Kolinahr, but Florida is a long way to go for a glass of wine.

No, because they see me quit after one or two glasses. You can smell alcoholics and smokers in an elevator. My wife would have told me if I smelled. I don’t.

^^^ You never met my sister! If she saw you take one sip of anything alcoholic I’d have to listen to her rant and rave for an hour about what a drunk you are and how you’re going to DIE from it!

@Dutchess_III Of course ignoring completely the scientifically proven fact that a glass or two of red wine a day can extend your life by a matter of years.