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For instance, some people may think that you can become an alcoholic drinking vodka, but not wine, or from drinking rum, but not beer. This argument is the same as saying you can gain weight by eating cake but not by eating pretzels, as though pretzels don't have calories. I hope you won't fall into this mental trap. It's helpful if you can accept the idea that developing alcoholism is not about what kinds of alcoholic beverages you consume. Whether or not you have developed alcoholism is based on the context and intensity of your drinking.
I strongly suggest having a professional alcoholism assessment completed if the following sentence describes your alcohol use: You have alcohol-related problems and you keep drinking it anyway.
An alcoholic who is in denial may immediately dismiss this notion, swearing that they have absolutely no problems that are related to alcohol. Below, I have broken down the two components of this sentence to help clarify what is meant by "problems".
You have alcohol-related problems...
Has drinking alcohol caused any trouble for you more than once in your life? To be clear about what defines a 'problem', 'issue', or 'trouble', I've included a list of categories and examples below. Keep in mind that these sorts of things can happen to people who aren't addicted to alcohol (or anything else), but the difference with someone who is addicted to alcohol is that they have these problems because of the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Someone who hasn't gotten enough sleep can run their car into their own mailbox, but if you've done something like this more than once (or in addition to having impaired other abilities, such as your motor skills or memory) because you were (1) getting drunk, (2) recovering from getting drunk (sleeping or vomiting, for instance), or (3) trying to access (money for) alcohol, then your situation is worth being assessed by a professional.
Personal
Getting into arguments with family, friends, or co-workers while intoxicated
Having a romantic partner or spouse break up with you because of your alcohol use
Your children are embarrassed and ashamed of your behavior while drunk
You feel remorse or regret regarding things you did or said while drunk
You only hang out with other people who regularly get drunk
You have forgotten how to have a good time without alcohol
You ridicule others who don't get drunk as "boring" or "lame"
Getting into arguments with family, friends, or co-workers while intoxicated
Having a romantic partner or spouse break up with you because of your alcohol use
Your children are embarrassed and ashamed of your behavior while drunk
You feel remorse or regret regarding things you did or said while drunk
You only hang out with other people who regularly get drunk
You have forgotten how to have a good time without alcohol
You ridicule others who don't get drunk as "boring" or "lame"
Legal
Drinking / getting drunk when it is prohibited to do so
Before you are of legal age, while operating heavy machinery, at your child's school, while you're on probation, etc.
Being evicted from your home or apartment
Due to noise, fights, drunken rants, harassing neighbors, spending rent/mortgage on alcohol, etc.
Receiving a DUI charge
Being cited for public intoxication or alcohol-related disorderly conduct
Professional
Not showing up to work
Showing up to work late
Being extremely or completely unproductive while at work
Showing up to work drunk
Getting fired due to the issues listed above
Academic
Not going to classes
Not showing up for classes on time
Going drinking instead of studying
Not being able to focus your attention on basic information that is being taught / studied
Coming to class drunk
Being expelled due to the reasons listed above
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...and you keep drinking it anyway.
Even though you may have experienced any or all of these recurring problems, you continue to use alcohol. If that's true for you, I highly encourage you to get a professional assessment and follow the recommendations that an addiction professional may have.
Think about how you might feel if you noticed a child touching a hot stove, burning themselves, and then touching the hot stove again anyway. When I've brought this example up, people have said that they would be concerned about and afraid for that child. Because humans are wired to move away from things that are painful, we often feel surprised and anxious around people who do things that are obviously causing them problems in spite of the pain of those troubles.
Please don't take this post as a virtual diagnostic tool. Use this post only as the canary in the mine: The way you might know that it's time to get an assessment and be certain one way or another if you've developed alcoholism.
Do you have any examples of people exhibiting this addictive behavior towards alcohol? Have you reached out to people you might think have an addiction to something?
Read More About This Topic:
Does Science Show What the 12 Steps Know?
National Geographic | Jarret Liotta
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130809-addiction-twelve-steps-alcoholics-anonymous-science-neurotheology-psychotherapy-dopamine/
Alcoholism News
Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/alcoholism/
With Sobering Science, Doctor Debunks 12-Step Recovery
NPR | NPR Staff
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291405829/with-sobering-science-doctor-debunks-12-step-recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=495
Think about how you might feel if you noticed a child touching a hot stove, burning themselves, and then touching the hot stove again anyway. When I've brought this example up, people have said that they would be concerned about and afraid for that child. Because humans are wired to move away from things that are painful, we often feel surprised and anxious around people who do things that are obviously causing them problems in spite of the pain of those troubles.
Please don't take this post as a virtual diagnostic tool. Use this post only as the canary in the mine: The way you might know that it's time to get an assessment and be certain one way or another if you've developed alcoholism.
Do you have any examples of people exhibiting this addictive behavior towards alcohol? Have you reached out to people you might think have an addiction to something?
Read More About This Topic:
Does Science Show What the 12 Steps Know?
National Geographic | Jarret Liotta
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130809-addiction-twelve-steps-alcoholics-anonymous-science-neurotheology-psychotherapy-dopamine/
Alcoholism News
Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/alcoholism/
With Sobering Science, Doctor Debunks 12-Step Recovery
NPR | NPR Staff
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291405829/with-sobering-science-doctor-debunks-12-step-recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=495
You have laid out such good information. The first step in any recovery is to note all the symptoms and to continually keep track of them. It serves as a road map from where we can start, since this is a journey, after all. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteScott McKinney @ Midwest Institute For Addiction