Alcoholic...?

Well if it's not one thing, it's another.

I recently visited some friends out of state. One night, apparently, I had a few too many. One guy said he left because I was drunk. I left with the other two guys and we went somewhere else, where I continued to drink.

The next night, a few of us went out and I volunteered to be the designated driver. I do NOT have to drink when I go out; I do NOT have to drink to have fun. But after this weekend, I'm realizing a pattern.

When I DO drink, I don't do it in moderation. Like everything else I do (or don't do), I'm pinging the end of the spectrum. Either I do it excessively or I don't do it at all. This goes for more than just alcohol; speeding, eating - if I do it, odds are I do it in excess.

So am I an alcoholic? I can recall going out recently and stopping after two drinks - something I don't normally do. But usually when I go out and drink, I drink a lot. I know no moderation; never have.

[All Alone]

I would like to add that there are plenty of times where I go out and do NOT drink at all. It's never a matter of HAVING to have alcohol. But when I do, it's excessive.

[horse1]

i, too, drink excessively WHEN i drink..and yes i also toe the line on other behaviors. i enjoy drinking but apparently the ppl around me don't enjoy it as much as i do, so i have begun to alienate some. i am a 50 yo woman. i don't smoke or do drugs, but the alcohol thing is one extreme or the other..i can go days, weeks or months, but when i do drink i feel like it's no holds barred. other aspects of my life are completely structured and i am a very responsible person.

don't know if it's just personality characteristics or if it could be deemed alcoholism. while i dont have physical cravings, i do feel that it helps me to relax and has a sedative effect on me the following day (i'm very hyper by nature).

try not to label yourself..i would say that maybe you need to do some self-inventory and think about abstaining totally if it
s affecting your relationships with ppl you care about in a negative way.

[siren of the sea]

an alcoholic doesnt mean they drink daily, or miss work, or even monthly. you can drink once a year and be an alcoholic. what this means is when you do drink you do things that end badly everytime and yet you still drink. its excessivly done and you have no control over it. its something you can do when you go out, or stay home. i guess you should ask yourself a few questions-when you go out drinking do you blackout? do you feel bad the next day for doing stupid things yet still get drunk the next time with the same outcome? it is something only you can answer. sure we all go out with friends and have fun, bbq and beer, pasta and wine, pool and jack. but its the actions and regrets you need to see if you have. the excessive behavior with food and the other things you mention may make you see if you need to find out why you do things so excessivly.

[sparkeler]

If Sailor's opinion of an alcholic is right, and I'm not saying its not, I would I ask myself, Do i go to work everyday?  Do I pay my bills?  Is this taking over or ruining my everyday life?  If I answer yes, yes, and no then I could care less if I was an "alcholic."  Just don't get behind the wheel.