alcohol...ha
 

yeah...hey guys
I've never posted in this 'area' before...
this is gonna sound like a stupid question, but I'm hoping some of you who have more insight into these things can tell me...whoa...I'm rambling...what was I saying?

yeah...basically, I tend to drink a lot...less than I used to, now its mostly on weekends. Once I start...I cant stop. One drink is NEVER enough...and once I start it doesnt even matter what I drink, as long as it has an alcohol content. man, this'll sound ridiculous, but...do you think I'm an alcoholic? I mean its fairly obvious...damn, I'm even willing to go into debt to alcohol, and its not like I have a job...I'm just hoping someone'll say 'no, you're fine =]' but what chance is there of that? I really want...a way to fight this. I tried just going cold turkey, and it made me feel physically sick...I got a load of headaches, it made me irritable and depressed...so clearly I cant just quit...any help plz?


love you alll.....

yey a hug.

I know exactly where you are coming from as up to very recently I was doing exactly the same thing. I rarely drank during the week because if I did I couldn't get up for work but when Friday/Saturday came one led to another and so on it went. A binge drinker certainly, but did that automatically make me an alcoholic? In my case I am not sure as I have always had on/off periods with alcohol never really feeling 'addicted' and was generally ok as long as I didn't start drinking in the first place. That said, in my case, I think that I was using alcohol as a form of self medication.

As to whether you're a true alcoholic or not is another matter and I guess it depends on how much you feel that you really need the alcohol (beyond the physical symptoms) and how much it is interfering with your life.

On a practical note can you try only keeping a bit in the house? A few cans maybe? That way when you do have a drink you simply can't keep going.

*portal ^_^* I think...even if I only kept a bit in the house, I'd just end up going out and buying more once I was through it...

Portal indeed :-D.

Ok...maybe not the best idea but…wait until at least 9:30 before you start and that way the off-licences will be shut when you want more.

Seriously though I know what you mean and it is hard. I would have the best of intentions on Saturday afternoon but go into the supermarket and buy more anyway in a kind of planning ahead sort of way.

Out of curiosity are you on any meds?

er...I'm supposed to be on risperidone and fluoxetine but I'm not taking them, because tbh, I dont need them. although a lot of people would just say 'thats just a lack of insight into your own condition'...I'm like...'no...I really DONT need them =\'

What happened with your alcohol consumption when you were taking the meds? You said that you don't need the meds but why do you think that? Since I started on mine I have stopped drinking (well not entirely but I guess the odd beer doesn't really count for that much) as it seems to interfere with them.

I'm no expert but I guess what I am trying to figure out is whether you are using alcohol as medication or are drinking like this for some other reason.

when I was on my meds, yeah...I drank less because they didn't mix well. I dont need them, well, based on the fact that I've been off them for two months and had no symptoms.

Basically, I'm usually a very antisocial person, and drinking helps me to socialise. Or at least, thatwas the reason to start with. Now I just drink for the sake of it, because I dont feel right if I dont.

If you drank less when you were on the meds but don't feel right without drinking now then it is just possible that coming off them wasn't the right thing to do. Have you talked to anyone about not taking them/your drinking?

You said originally that you drink mostly at the weekends so how do you feel in the week without alcohol? Drinking to help with socialising I believe is fairly common but what about now; do you mostly drink at home or out with friends?

I feel pretty **** during the week without alcohol. I mostly drink out with friends, but I often drink at home alone.

I sort of guessed the last part but you didn't answer my other question. Anyhow, I don't think that I can really say if you are an alcoholic or not. Trying to stay objective I do think that you need to, at the very least, recognise that there is a problem (although I guess you have done that by posting) and take some steps to get your drinking back under control.

yeh. cheers for the support. goodbye.

I'm sorry I dind't reply sooner.
Everyone has said what i could have too.
I am an alcoholic in recovery, feel free to send me a message if you want!