drinking problem

[firefox335]

It is time for me to realize that I have a drinking problem. No, it's not what you think. I'm not an alcoholic. I can go months without alcohol. But when I drink, I at least want to get a buzz from the alcohol. It has taken me over 70oz of beer to achieve this buzz. Now my stomach is all full and it sloshes when I move. It used to be a few of 12oz beers would do the trick. Now I have to go through 3 24oz bottles of Budweiser to get the same effect. This is too much work. I don't make very much money, so I can't afford good hard liquor. This is depressing. This must mean I'm getting old. I just now finished the last of the 72oz. Now I am drunk.

Please don't think I'm treating alcoholism as a joke. I know it's not. I just wish it took less to feel a buzz for me. The gray hair on my head and face is lobbying for legitimacy. And it looks like it's winning.

 

[Nighthawk]

Wether you drink or not, you still might be an alcoholic. Having to drink that much to get any effect could be one sign of that. I live with a non-drinking alcoholic. He doesn't touch it anymore, because he knows if he starts, he's not likely to stop. I used to be a constant drunk when I was young, self medicating. I can take it or leave it now, usually I leave it. Probably because I am a control freak, but I don't need it like I used to either. Once every few years I will drink myself silly. then I'm good for another few years again. Everyone is different, but please be careful with yourself. You are too precious to be lost in the bottom of a bottle. (((hugs)))

 

[firefox335]

It's just too much effort anymore. Drinking should be fun, not a chore.

 

[jj2]

If it's too much of a chore, then don't do it. If you don't want to do it and you do it anyway, you have a drinking problem.
I don't want to sound condemning, but I grew up with an alcoholic father, and have several sisters and brothers that are following in his footstep, and maybe one will admit to "having a drinking problem." AND that one is the one who can go months, even years without touching the stuff, but boy when she does, it gets bad.
And later she will admit she doesn't really enjoy it, she just feels driven to drink one after the other after the other until she is plowed.

 

[whiskey]

I have a father that is slowly dieing as we speak of alcoholism..I once was headed there myself..but to see my fathers pain & struggles
with it on a daily basis..well...woke me up to what I was following...I had a huge problem too...but something just clicked & one easter
I gave it up for good..that makes me a recovered alcoholic..Its been 9 years..I hope you have it "Click" for you firefox...

 

[jj2]

congrats whiskey!!! What you have done is not easy.
I was one of the lucky kids in my family that wasn't doomed with that gene or whatever they call it. I thank God every time I see one of the 5 out of 9 that have a problem---I was blessed.

 

[whiskey]

TY..JJ2...I am so proud & lucky I was able to...It wasn't easy...but well worth it!! yes you were Blessed!!!

 

[PaulB]

A Facebook friend of mine, who apparently has given up drinking and probably really needed to, posted. "I'm allergic to alcohol. Every time I drink, I break out in handcuffs!"

 

[Lorizgal]

Yes you are an alcoholic!!! You drink to feel "something", say buzzed in this instance. You have been doing this same ritual for years, right, drink to get buzzed and then quit. So now are you drunk!
If you can have alcohol without the Buzz feeling. Just drink it for the taste, have a nice cold one with a burger and fries (or whatever) then probably are not an alcoholic.
The fact that when you drink you drink for a feeling you can't get when you are sober, is the definition of alcoholism. I can have 1 beer, 2 beers maybe even 3 beers without feeling drunk. I don't drink past that limit, because if I did, I know I will feel nasty the next morning. So I don't (a blessing from my father, I have fought with for most of my adult life).He was an alcoholic, as is my mother, as was my grandfathers on both sides. I like the taste and don't like how I feel after being drunk, the next morning. If I wanted to escape from something I probably could, just take a drink and one more and one more and one more,.

 

[scratchm]

First of all Firefox: Sorry you have that can't-get-a-buzz problem. Also sorry you have the need-a-buzz-for-some-reason problem. I know that back when I drank and I felt like I needed a buzz, it was because I was depressed. So I hope for you it's just purely recreational.

I self medicated with Captain Morgan and coke, and that worked when my depression was mild. But once the depression got worse, the drinking made it even worse instead of better. And when I started on meds, the drinking kept the meds from working properly.

I was fantastically lucky because when my wife and a friend convinced me that I needed to stop drinking, I was able to just stop drinking. Haven't had any in like six or seven years I think. I rarely have cravings, and when I do they are mild. So I'm obviously one of the really lucky ones for whom it is easy to stop. Yay for winning the genetic lottery for once.

 

[firefox335]

Hoo boy. I knew when I posted things would turn out this way. I was originally lamenting over the fact that I am getting older and with age, your body's metabolism changes. Most of you have really missed the point. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Stephaniems]

Sorry I think the whole point of drinking is to get a buzz and to take the edge off.

Firefox buy some cheaper more potent stuff.

I think its a combination of genetics and tolerance that increases your ability to drink a lot.

I rarily drink prob less then 2xs a year if that but when I do my goal is a buzz and to chill.

Yes you are an alcoholic!!! You drink to feel "something", say buzzed in this instance. You have been doing this same ritual for years, right, drink to get buzzed and then quit. So now are you drunk!
If you can have alcohol without the Buzz feeling. Just drink it for the taste, have a nice cold one with a burger and fries (or whatever) then probably are not an alcoholic.
The fact that when you drink you drink for a feeling you can't get when you are sober, is the definition of alcoholism. I can have 1 beer, 2 beers maybe even 3 beers without feeling drunk. I don't drink past that limit, because if I did, I know I will feel nasty the next morning. So I don't (a blessing from my father, I have fought with for most of my adult life).He was an alcoholic, as is my mother, as was my grandfathers on both sides. I like the taste and don't like how I feel after being drunk, the next morning. If I wanted to escape from something I probably could, just take a drink and one more and one more and one more,.

 

[potholerepairman]

Hoo boy. I knew when I posted things would turn out this way. I was originally lamenting over the fact that I am getting older and with age, your body's metabolism changes. Most of you have really missed the point. Sorry for the confusion.

Try a bottle of wine it will give a quick effect over beer when you don't want the ocean belly of a good beer buzz.Sure its not too manly but its a great date drink and if alone you only need to throw one bottle away.Everyone of us on this site looks for a buzz of some kind in nicotene unless they vape zero where its a mind buzz.

 

[Nighthawk]

Well firefox, at least you did start an important conversation!

 

[Automaton]

Hey Firefox, if it's any consolation... I got your drift.

I'm getting to be more of a lightweight as I get older, weirdly. Although I'm hardly "old."

I used to drink a fair bit sometimes. I don't think the amount I drank was really a problem - I was young, abroad, and yeah, sometimes I liked to go out and party. I was never falling-down-drunk though. And I never "needed a drink."

But I noticed a couple years ago that my mood started to become unpredictable when I drank. I used to always be a "happy drunk."

But it started turning into a crap shoot. Sometimes I was happy, sometimes I got depressed, and sometimes I got angry. And what was really weird is that I noticed the mood change before I was even buzzed sometimes. Even just 3 drinks, and if it was a bad night, I'd start getting depressed/angry.

So once that started happening, I pretty much stopped drinking. I won't have more than two drinks in a row now, and I go months without touching it at all. In my case it wasn't the amount or the frequency that was a problem - it was how I reacted to it.

There's many ways to be a problem drinker.