I think I'm addicted to alcohol...

[BigToque]

A little while ago I realized that every weekend I drink a lot of alcohol.

I almost never have anything during the week or when I'm by myself, but I find that in almost any social situation, I get drunk. (I'm the kind of guy that gets really happy and more sociable when drunk)

I don't drink to escape from anything (as far as I know) and don't need it to have a good time either. I guess I just find it a little more fun when I've got some in my system.

Last weekend I told myself I was going to stop drinking for a few weeks, just for the hell of it (and to save a little money), and that lasted about 12 hours before I got asked to come to the bar for St. Patricks day (great day to attempt to give up alcohol lol)

So here I am again wanting to give up alcohol for a month. Wish me luck.

 

[Dunbar]

I assume you are college aged? If so, I don't think you necessarily have a problem if you only get drunk 1-2 nights a week. How much do you usually drink?

 

[EvilYoda]

After the first week or so, it's easy...after a period of constant partying and drinking, I went roughly 4 months w/o a drink and it wasn't too bad. Now, I drink when I'm on the road working (auto shows) and when I'm home, it's just casual drinking with my friends.

Good luck!

 

[BrownTown]

maybe its just my lack of an addictive personality, but really, I don't think it would be so hard to give up alcohol. TBH being at a party and not being drunk can be just as funny cause you see just how retarded all your friends look when they are drunk .

 

[mb]

At first I was going to say it doesn't sound like you have a problem since you only drink on the weekends, but if you're getting wasted it is a problem.

Good luck.

 

[doze]

Sounds like you are just quitting to save money. There are several solutions that do not involve quitting, b/c nobody likes a quitter

1. Drink less
2. Drink with friends at home
3. Get started at home then go to the bar

Either way good luck

 

[iamaelephant]

I was in the same boat as you and decided to cut back. I have drank for the last two weekends but prior to that only a couple of times in the last few months. The final decision to cut back and ultimately quit alcohol came when I made a list comparing alcohol to marijuana (something I quit a few years ago) and realised that alcohol is actually much worse. I want to be 100% drug free eventually, but alcohol is certainly a lot of fun so I will continue to drink in moderation during my university years.

 

[Sukhoi]

I'm driving 330 miles each way to go drinking next weekend.

 

[BrownTown]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
I'm driving 330 miles each way to go drinking next weekend.

I REALLY hope there is more involved.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: Dunbar
I assume you are college aged? If so, I don't think you necessarily have a problem if you only get drunk 1-2 nights a week. How much do you usually drink?

I'm 24.

I don't think it's problem drinking. I doesn't appear to affect any part of my life (well, except maybe the wallet).

The number of drinks varies depending on the situation. If it's just going out for drinks at a lounge, maybe 2-5 depending on what's happening the rest of the night (or next day). If we're going to the bar, it's not uncommon to have 10-15 (combination of beer, mixed drinks and shots).

I just hate the feeling when I wake up after drinking. Sometimes it's not even a hangover, I can just tell when I've had ANY alcohol in my body the night before and I don't really like it. It's sort of hard to explain.

 

[TheGizmo]

yea, just make sure you have a friend who sells some weed.. ease yourself into it, less alcohol everyday.. then slowly aid yourself in switching over to pot permanently

 

[Kniteman77]

I quit drinking for three months and started working out instead, lasted three months.

Lost 50 pounds.
Saved a ton of money.
Lowerd my tolerance a TON due to the loss of weight and lack of drinking for an extended period.
Lost 50 pounds.

Didn't help with my redundancy issue unfortunatley.

Best of luck to you sir.

 

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: BigToque

Originally posted by: Dunbar
I assume you are college aged? If so, I don't think you necessarily have a problem if you only get drunk 1-2 nights a week. How much do you usually drink?

I'm 24.

I don't think it's problem drinking. I doesn't appear to affect any part of my life (well, except maybe the wallet).

The number of drinks varies depending on the situation. If it's just going out for drinks at a lounge, maybe 2-5 depending on what's happening the rest of the night (or next day). If we're going to the bar, it's not uncommon to have 10-15 (combination of beer, mixed drinks and shots).

I just hate the feeling when I wake up after drinking. Sometimes it's not even a hangover, I can just tell when I've had ANY alcohol in my body the night before and I don't really like it. It's sort of hard to explain.

Here's a hint....learn to drink in moderation. Or quit it altogether. Trust me it's not fun to see how many young people come into the ER wasted off there ass as a Trauma Code because they wrapped a car around a tree, brickwall, another car etc. Just not cool. I'll be 22 in May here and I rarely drink. Partially from my job but also because it is just SO bad for your body.

The story I always tell people about is a 30 year old woman who died because she was an alcoholic. She started off with parties like you are talking about and just doing it for fun....a few years later it was an everyday thing...then she just continually got/kept herself drunk. By the time she died it she was as yellow as corn. Now obviously that wont happen to most people but still. Alcohol leads to so many other health problems and the biggest thing is it leads to a life dependent on a bottle with little or no family, perhaps lack of a home and various other things...

 

[3NF]

If you think you have a problem, then you probably do. Nobody knows you better than yourself.

I'm the kind of guy that gets really happy and more sociable when drunk

If that's true, then you'll probably just continue to do it forever and it won't get better

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Your not addicted till you hit rock bottom .... pissing yourself while napping.

 

[skyking]

It is good that you are at the questioning stages of the process. It sounds to me like it will be more work for you to drink in moderation than you think. I got to that place 17 years ago, and have not had a drink since.

 

[Dunbar]

Originally posted by: DeathBUA
The story I always tell people about is a 30 year old woman who died because she was an alcoholic. She started off with parties like you are talking about and just doing it for fun....a few years later it was an everyday thing...then she just continually got/kept herself drunk.

Most people who drink are not alcoholics. To suggest that it is an inevitability that people who drink will turn into an alcoholic is silly. It is widely believed that alchoholism has genetic roots, without those genes you won't become an addict. That's not to say there aren't plenty of addicts in the US (something like 22 million) but lets not exaggerate the risk...

 

[IronWing]

Quit. You'll feel better. Your relationships will probably improve. Your health will improve. Of course, if you stay drunk into your 40s you could become president so it's a trade-off.

 

[miniMUNCH]

I used to drink in excess way too often when out on the town or at a party.

So I pretty much just quit... I drink maybe once a month now and it's one drink and that's it.

 

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: Dunbar

Originally posted by: DeathBUA
The story I always tell people about is a 30 year old woman who died because she was an alcoholic. She started off with parties like you are talking about and just doing it for fun....a few years later it was an everyday thing...then she just continually got/kept herself drunk.

Most people who drink are not alcoholics. To suggest that it is an inevitability that people who drink will turn into an alcoholic is silly. It is widely believed that alchoholism has genetic roots, without those genes you won't become an addict. That's not to say there aren't plenty of addicts in the US (something like 22 million) but lets not exaggerate the risk...

Well no I dont mean to exaggerate but at the same time you never know. Most of the alcoholics I take care of in the ER I work in(trauma hospital inner city Detroit) Most of the true alcoholics are lucky to see 50-55, and even less likely to see that age if they are homeless...

It's more I just like to point out these worse case scenarios to people because people tend to either listen more....or just say thats not me and it wont ever happen. And sorry if I suggested that people will be alcoholics if they drink it wasnt my intention...but you never know who will become one and who wont.

EDIT: But at the smae time my views/opinions ARE skewed because of where I work.

 

[BrownTown]

I agree with Dunbar, alcohols is not the type of substance that will nececarrily drag everyone sho tries it into addiction, not even close. OBviously some people are at risk, but like I said in my post, I drink alcohol and am deffinitely NOT addicted, or headed that way. I only drink around other people, not once have I drank by myself. When I do drink, I do often drink a good amount so as to achieve the suitable "buzz", in fact by the end of the night I am usually well past that point due to drinking games. But again, at no point did I ever have trouble getting back home (obviously easier at college where you jsut have to walk). Everytime I have drank in a place that was not within walking distance there was a DD, so even when I was completely gone I was able to make it back to my own bead. Now imo this shows that I am able to manage alcohol in a responsible and reasonable way, never have I done something while drunk that I would later come to regret. So I think it is very true that alcohol can be managed safely with a littleforethought and self control, and that not everyone who drinks is destined to become addicted, or to later regret it.

 

[krunchykrome]

Nah, you don't have a problem unless it holds you back from succeeding.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: BrownTown

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
I'm driving 330 miles each way to go drinking next weekend.

I REALLY hope there is more involved.

lol yea kinda. It's really boring where I'm at now, and I still have enough friends at college that it's fun to go back for the weekend.

 

[sjwaste]

Sounds to me like you're a binge drinker, not anything near an alcoholic. You go out on the weekends and drink, not wake up and get smashed before work. I don't see a problem. For many of us, that's our college years/early 20's. If you start putting alcohol in front of better options (work, relationship, etc), that's a problem. Going out and getting bombed with your friends isn't, so long as you're not putting yourself in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, driving afterwards, or generally making bad decisions while drunk. Seems to me like the root of your drinking is social, and believe me, that'll wear off. You'll grow up and wish you had more occasions to go out like that and have fun Bottom line, if you're making bad decisions because of alcohol, you have a problem. If you're drinking with friends and going out, you sound like you don't.

I took this past month of January off, as a bet with some friends who also did. Nothing like the night out we had on Day #32. Cheap, too, tolerance tanks!

 

[hydroponik]

You don't have a problem, i drink every weekend and get trashed, but during the weekdays i'm sober as hell cuz my job. Just having some fun.