Does having or wanting to have one or two, maybe three cold ones after a long day (which is usually, I'd say 3-4 days a week) make me an alcoholic? Is it something I should worry about?

You should worry about it if it worries you. That sounds tautological, but it is actually a guiding truth. If you think you might have a problem, you probably do.

It’s only a problem if it causes problems in your life or your loved ones as a result of your drinking.

In my experience, alcoholism sets in when it becomes the major point of your day.

The first step is acceptance. :)

Really though, I would say try to find other outlets that help you unwind. Knowing you need to unwind 3–4 days a week & still choosing alcohol..maybe change some things. If your body/brain gets in the habit of needing alcohol in order to unwind, you will find yourself in an unpleasant scenario.

So maybe find something else to interchange with the drinks. Monday & Wednesday are tipping back cold ones & Tuesday & Friday are for the double-sided, extra pieces, no edges, 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of a wheat field…or something else of your choosing.

One question you should ask yourself is do I have to drink to today. Is it at the point where you need it?

If you have control and can decide to say “No.” Today or whenever than I believe in my opinion you are ok or if you can’t say no then yes you have a problem.

How is it for you? I’m not a professional or anything so, take this however you want….

I think thinking about it in advance 3–4 days a week is a bit of a warning sign. Do you think about a drink if you have a stressful day? Do you think about a drink if you want to celebrate something?

Perhaps you should start substituting some other habits. Maybe working out.

I alawys suggested to my sons that if they thought they were becoming dependent on alcohol or anything else to try stopping it for two weeks and see how difficult it is. That will usually indicate to you whether you are seriously dependent on it or just able to casually enjoy it

It sounds like it could be becoming a bad habit. I think you have a lot of good answers above. Why not just do without and find a different way to unwind as others have suggested. I think you are on a slippery slope possibly of using alcohol as an escape. 2 or 3 beers is quite a bit, unless you weigh 300 pounds, or are drinking them over 4–5 hours time, I would say better to stop. Think of all the money you will save…you can save it up and take a long weekend somewhere as a treat every 4–6 weeks.

If, by cold ones, you mean beers, you are fine as long as you don’t have an everyday dependency.
If, by cold ones, you might be refering to this question you have serious issues.

@filmfann Thanks

The American average is 2 drinks per day. We are on the low side compared to other countries.
You are only an alcoholic once it becomes your only reason for waking up and going to sleep. If you can function and make things happen without endangering yourself or others around you then you are not an alcoholic.

My grandma always tells me not to drink. She says, “why even open yourself up to the possibility of becoming an alcoholic” Shes right, why do I take that chance? Why are you? Another thing she says, which I think is a little more relevant, every dollar you spend on beer is a dollar you take away from your family, it is an unnecessary expense.

@LKidKyle1985 That’s why I’m glad I don’t have a family.

@judochop Wow. That is much higher than I would have imagined.

I agree with @LKidKyle1985 grandma. If you never get accustomed to it, you will never have to quit.

CAGE questionairre.

@Draconess25 yeah I don’t have kids yet so I still party it up lol

Also, drinking 3 beers every day increases your risk of becoming an alcoholic by a lot. alcoholism sneaks up on you, and thats because your body builds a dependency on it. I think alcoholism is one of the few addictions that can kill you if you stop cold turkey. If you are drinking just to drink, you should probably cut it out, those empty carbs are really not good for you. thats at least 30% of your recommended daily calorie intake if your drinking 3 a day. Not healthy.

@LKidKyle1985 Meh, I don’t really like beer. All my mom buys is canned. I prefer vodka & wine.

3 – 4 beers a day = expensive pee

We make beer, and it hurts us, nature makes other plants, and they don’t hurt us, and you get the same result, a happier person. That’s all I have to say about that ;)

@LKidKyle1985 ; I am an alcoholic, and I was born with that gene. I was raised (adopted) by teetotalers, so had no alcohol in my life until I went to college. My first beer set it off, and I was on fire after that. There was no sneaking up. I hang out with alcoholics (AA) a lot, and one thing we have in common is that the ONLY way to quit drinking is to quit ‘cold turkey’.

The brief quiz linked to by Rarebear is a good start, but there are more comprehensive self tests out there.

As someone who has grown up in an alcoholic family system who needed to figure out how to avoid following in their footsteps, here’s a few clues.

As pointed out earlier, if you can’t do without it for a few weeks, that’s a hint.

If you can’t unwind without the help that alcohol brings, that’s a problem.

People can play all sorts of mind games with themselves because alcoholism is, above all else, a disease of denial.

It doesn’t have as much to do with how much one drinks or how often because numbers vary from on person or another. It’s easy to play around with numbers and still fool yourself.

Alcoholism revolves around WHY you drink. That’s a more profound question but also more accurate. If you try to go without the beer for awhile and can’t , that’s a clue to you that you are specifically using it as a substitute for living life fully.

Most people have a variety of ways to unwind after a long day of work. If alcohol is you’re only way to do this that’s not healthy for you.

Once you can determine why you drink, you can then determine if this is healthy or not healthy for you.

The fact that you’re questioning yourself about this may be the clearest clue for you that alcoholism is a possibility.

You should also know that AA has what are called “open” meetings where anyone can attend regardless of whether they identify as alcoholics or not.

Medical News.

You can find a million stories on a couple of drinks a day.

You are fine.

There are a lot of relaxing things that go into drinking two or three beers a few times a week other than just the alcohol. Drinking is usually a social activity. If you go to a happy hour after work and drink a few beers, it can give you a change to have fun with your friends or coworkers outside of work. That can be very relaxing if you spend all day sitting in front of a computer screen. Or if you work in a customer service job, it’s nice to have someone else wait on you for a change. And alcohol aside, it’s just nice to drink a cold, refreshing beverage.

There are healthier ways to have fun and unwind after work, but sometimes exercising or reading a book after a long day can just feel like more… work. Drinking with a few friends is fun that doesn’t take any effort. I drink about as much as @TrevorMaryWeatherALL, but I’m usually drinking wine. My boyfriend is an amazing cook, so he’ll cook up a great meal and I’ll pick out a wine to pair it with. I think wine is something you can appreciate with all your senses, so it’s about much more than getting a buzz. I’m not knocking beer, I’m just a wine person. :)

Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that getting drunk isn’t the only reason why people drink. Drinking a couple beers a few times a week doesn’t have to mean you’re on the road to a drinking problem.

No. Maybe you’re having a hard week. Although if you have been doing this every week for a long time, you may want to make some lifestyle changes so you’re not as stressed out.

Most alcoholics have a gene that makes them an alocoholic. if you are aware of your beer consumption and its not an addiction, i would do my best to keep it under control. you seem to be doing this. when you forget about everything else in life and the beer comes first, its then time for a serious talk with yourself of possible addiction. like Ladydragon stated, if you are relying on the beer to “come down” after a hard days work, then maybe you might want to make some lifestyle changes in your life.

Recently I read a book written by a German physician saying that the “3 F Test” aimed at diagnosing alcoholism is correct in at least 90% of all cases:

In German the “3 F” stand for: Firma, Frau, Führerschein and it essentially means

having had at least one serious problem in your company, with your partner or your driver’s license because of alcohol. If that never has been the case it’s likely that you are not an alcoholic (yet).

Alright, everybody. Thanks! that actually did help a lot!