Am I starting to become an alcoholic?

Based just on that, no I don’t think so. But that is not an endorsement, If it is not the path to being an alcoholic, it at least is a path that leads to that general kind of area.

@OliviaR it is the path to self-medicating yourself with alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and it is only enhancing your boredom, sadness, feelings of unhappiness, irritation and blues.

It could be the start of an alcohol problem. If this has started recently, then you should be able to stop it now before it becomes a serious problem or turns into alcoholism. If you are having some problems with depression and anxiety, talk with your doctor and see if he/she can refer you to a good therapist. In the meantime, whenever you get the urge to drink to satisfy the unpleasant feelings, do another activity, one that is nuetral or positive.

Today, write down a list of 50 to 100 things that you could do instead of drinking and then just start doing those things. Might be a little hard at first, but once you get started, it will be like an everyday occurrence.

Examples of things to do instead of drinking:

Take a walk

Call up an old friend or favorite relative

Look up a recipe online for something that you’ve been wanting to try for a long time

Cook up an old tried and true recipe (maybe some cookies or quickbread that you can deliver to a neighbor)

Find the lyrics to a favorite song, put that song on your player, and start singing

Clean out a closet

Vacuum

Clean your windows, inside and out

Mow your lawn

Make a list of places that you would like to travel to

Go ice skating at the nearest ice rink

Check out Netflix and add some movies to your queue (sp?)

Take some stuff over to the thrift store, you know you’ve been meaning to do that for a long time!

If you have a camera, go out and take some pictures of stuff

Organize your online photos

Look up some fun, free activities in your town

Here is a link to some information about alcohol problems with some tests down below that can give you a better idea if you have a problem. Good luck and I hope you feel better : )

Do you think it is pretty common though to drink the sadness/depression/etc away? I am happier and more comfident when I am buzzed (I barely get drunk, fyi) so to feel good about everything/myslef, I drink, I think. This didn’t start recently but has got worse over the past year, for sure.
@Kardamon, Thank you for the list. I know this can get serious so before this gets any worse, maybe I should follow your advice and find something else to do besides drinking.

@OliviaR That’s why alcohol can be such a problem, because it does make you feel good. And then you are tempted to drink more and that’s how the alcoholic thing starts.

So what are you going to bake?

I don’t know, tbh, I can break this habit. I kinda wish I were a minor so I can’t get alcohol whenever I want to. That would have helped.

@OliviaR or you can move to Utah. Ha ha. You can still get it, but it’s more of a challenge and people will wag their finger at you.

@OliviaR – Your last post concerns me. If you’re not sure you can break the habit, you might want to look for help. You could try going to an AA meeting. Better to nip the problem in the bud.

@OliviaR I read on a previous post that you are in Japan. How did you end up there if you don’t mind me asking?

Drinking regardless of the time is a symptom of a problem with alcohol. Drinking to change your mood is another one.

I’m a recovered alcoholic with 11.5 years of sobriety. In that time, I’ve learned many things, and one of them is that only alcoholics ever wonder if they’re alcoholics.

I also lived in Japan for a long time and know how very easy it is to get alcohol. (For those of you who’ve never been there, you can get beer, whiskey, wine, etc. from vending machines on the street.)

If you really feel like you have a problem, feel free to PM me.

try answering these 20 questions, as honestly as you can. http://www.step12.com/alcoholic-20-questions.html

That will help you decide if you are an alcoholic. Only you can answer the question. After you answer the questions, if you want help, please call your local AA office. They have lots of people who will help you at no cost.

How often do you feel bored, unhappy or sad? Drinking wont fix any of these problems. I drink a lot but not for any particular reason other than that i enjoy good cold beer after work or at the end of a hard week, and hell… I enjoy being pissed. Interference with work particularly, is a good indicator of a problem developing though..

@bkcunningham I am originally from Japan and was back there for a while to see my parents and work. It sucked. Not gonna lie. But I am back in the States now.
@hawaii_jake “I’ve learned many things, and one of them is that only alcoholics ever wonder if they’re alcoholics.” Very interesting…so basically I am becoming an alcholic. But I thought true alcoholics deny that they are one? Because I hear that the first step of overcoming an alchoholism is to accep that they are?
@Arbornaut Very often. If I kept myself busy, I probably wouldnt think of drinking as much as still have this feeling that if I were buzzed, I would have been this and that (all positive). Is that bad? I certainly don’t enjoy being pissed. I wish I would be happy all the time. and bam! that’s when alchohol comes in…

Yeah look, its a tough one. Im fairly stable in that sense (I think), Im not often down and out nor am i often overly happy. I just try to enjoy life for what it is, and i guess Im lucky. Give yourself a break from the booze whenever you feel you need it. Also see how you feel while doing that.

@OliviaR – if you want to stop, you should stop and if you can’t then that’s really the problem. With what you’re describing and the fact that it doesn’t seem to be affecting other portions of your life I’d say it’s really up to you. The thing that makes it a problem is that you don’t seem to feel in control and that can lead to bigger issues.

Remember that most people have some sort of coping mechanism they turn to, if that’s what alcohol feels like to you then maybe replace it with something you’re proud to continue. Exercise, a hobby, writing, creating something new, or anything from the excellent list @Kardamom made may be better alternatives. Choose something that fits for you and makes you feel good.

@zenvelo – the test seems a little harsh… someone who drinks to make social situations easier and has ever regretted drinking would be considered “definitely” an alcoholic,,, it seems most people who have ever drank to excess in their lifetime would score at least a 5. I’m not sure if it’s meant to make you take a hard look at yourself or actually diagnose a problem but it seems to lean towards the conclusion that everyone has a problem with alcohol.

I don’t let alchohol get in my way of doing anything. I don’t act stupid or make mistakes because of it. I am just a happier and more confident person when I am buzzed and just like the feeling of being buzzed and being happier/ more confident. This could certainly turn into a bigger isuue, as I am aware. So the conclusion is… I AM, in fact, becoming an alcoholic… and will be one if I don’t stop now.

Wondering if you’re an alcoholic and accepting that you’re an alcoholic are two very different things, and it’s one of the paradoxes of the disease.

Man, I score a six on that test. What a load of rubbish.

I don’t think I am an alcoholic.

@Arbornaut I scored 8 on that. Hmm…

I got a nine.

Not based on that measure alone. But if you can’t get through the day without a drink, or the need for drink hinders your ability to function at work/home, then you may be heading in that direction.

Great… =\