am I a drunk?

Question
My mother insists I am, but I tell her that I only have a problem with drinking when I do it without eating first.  If I eat, I can drink all night.  I have had trouble on a few jobs because I was seriously hungover, but if I had been smart, and would've eaten first that wouldn't have happened.  In all fairness, I have to say that drinking has been a major part of my life since experiencing a very hurtful divorce (2 years ago).  I just don't know why I can't control it....Am I an alcholic?  I'm so happy when I drink...can it really be that bad?


Answer
Jeanie,



there is no doubt that drinking starts

out as fun even for alcoholics.

It feels good and we feel bigger, smarter

and stronger because of it's euphoric effects.



At some point the shine starts to tarnish

and we have some problems usually directly

related to our excess drinking.

We may do something we regret and start

to feel guilty. People start to notice

we drink fairly often and don't handle it

so well.



People start to complain and warn us of

the dangers of compulsive drinking.



We start to deny any problem because

we like the feeling too much to give it up.

After all is it really so bad?

It still feels a bit good.



One day we don't like who we are,

we don't like the things we do

when drunk. It doesn't feel as good

as it used to...but we keep on drinking.

Why? we are addicted to alcohol and can't

stop so we start to make excuses.

"It's fun, I don't care, it's my right,

I am only hurting myself,what's their problem?"

and so on.



At this point our defense mechanisms are so strong

we even blind ourself to how bad things are

in our life. We are out of control but can barely

see it for ourselves, but others do see it.



Alcoholics rarely quit just because someone

complains or because someone gives them

information about alcoholism.

They sometimes recover and sometimes they die

before they realize how ill they are.



You may want to consider that drinking is not

all that important to non-alcoholics.

They don't try to find ways to justify drinking

such as "I will be okay if I eat first"

That is another excuse to continue drinking.

That is how much you like it already.



Come back and talk to me when drinking is not

so much fun anymore. That is when you

will be ready to hear how I recovered

from a hopeless state of body and mind.



Please take care and be honest with yourself

if you are losing control of when and how

much you drink.



Moms can often see things we don't want to see. ;)





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