Me personally I don’t think so but was just wondering. I drink basically everyday but I haven’t gotten black out drunk in forever (not really my thing anymore). Whenever I get off work I usually have 2 or 3 beers with dinner then go to sleep. On my days off I might day drink 1 or 2 beers then drink a few more later that night. Like right now I’m waiting on my clothes to finish drying so I opened a beer and I started thinking about it. I still go to work every morning and am always on time and I don’t get hangovers because I don’t really get drunk, just a little buzz
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If you could go without if you had to and it’s not impacting your life at all then I’d say no 🤷♀️ I’m not in charge though so who knows
I’d say no.
Could you stop drinking entirely right now?
Drinking “basically everyday” “2 or 3 beers” is alcoholism, yes. Take some time off drinking and see if you can do it and how you feel.
You don’t have to be blackout drunk every night to be an alcoholic.
Yes, you seem addicted to alcohol
It sounds like you are drinking everyday and drinking because you have nothing better to do. If you are not an alcoholic, you are at least on the road to being one. If you can go days without drinking and without thinking about drinking you might be fine. But really no one else can tell you if you are or not. That is something you have to determine. Being able to drink and go to work does not mean you are not one though.
If you catch a buzz with 2 or 3 beers, that by itself I’d lean towards no. Add on the stopping after 1-3 beers tells me more than likely you are not. But, if you are asking because YOU are curious (not someone else accusing you), maybe just keep an eye on it. Like most will say, it’s not up to me.
Alcoholics don’t get blackout drunk every time they drink. They just drink often and regularly, like you. Are you able to go a week or more without a drink easily? And I do mean easily. Either way whether you are by technicality classified as an alcoholic or not, your lifestyle is incredibly unhealthy. Alcohol every day is just bad. You are destroying your body long term, especially your liver.
2-3 beers minimum every single day makes you an alcoholic, yes.
Since you’re concerned and you’re asking, it seems that it is troubling you. Can you go a week without drinking? Five days? Try to see how your body responds after stopping. Your withdrawal symptoms maybe an indicator that you’re dependent on alcohol.
On top of this, 2 days ago you were posting “drinking and driving should be legal as long as you’re not legally drunk”.
What people mean by “alcoholic” covers a lot of things, but you should consider cutting back on your drinking and see what happens.
My personal criteria for being an alcoholic is: do you drink alcohol? Because there’s no real healthy reason to do so. My dad, with 60-some years of AA always says: anyone that tells you they drink because they like the flavor is a dirty, rotten liar.
#1. if you have to ask…
#2. I read up to: “I drink basically everyday”
I think you KNOW the answer. The question is: “Do you want to get sober?”
Go 1 month alcohol free then decide.
There’s certain questions that doctors ask to determine whether you’re an alcoholic and some of them aren’t always obvious, things like do you drink by yourself or with friends and do you need a pick-me-up drink in the morning.
The FAST screening questionnaire is a quick and easy way to do this. It’s not comprehensive but you could always score yourself and if it’s very high it might be time for some self-reflection.
You’re a functioning alcoholic
Is it a problem?
If you think it’s a problem then maybe but if not then probably not
7-8 drinks a week for women and 15 or more for men js classified as a heavy drinker. Drinking more than 4 in one sitting for women and 5 in more than sitting for men is considered binge drinking.
Getting drunk is not a qualifier an alcohol nor how often. How much and more importantly WHY you are drinking is what will classify alcoholism.
You do sound like someone who abuses alcohol. Past that you’d have to give a professional some more information most likely.
Substance dependence is the kind of thing that sneaks up on you. Tread very carefully.
I agree with the others that a month off from drinking would be useful. Or even just a week if that seems daunting right now. Listen to how your body and mind react.
Ask yourself next time you reach for a beer- do I actually want one? Or is there some kind of autopilot taking over for me and getting one? That’s a habit, if nothing else.
I’ve been told that being an Alcoholic is something you need to come to terms with in yourself, not a label that someone else can “assign” to you.
Keeping this idea in mind, why don’t you try an AA meeting and see if you relate? They have online ones if you need.
As an alcoholic myself I wouldn’t say 2 beers a night is really a problem.
doesn’t matter if you’re an addict or not, the amount you’re drinking is more than enough to cause adverse effects to your body
Not yet.
Yes.
I drink coffee every day. If I don’t drink coffee, I don’t feel well (headache) therefore, I’m addicted to coffee.
If that doesn’t give you the answer, try this test;
Do you want beer? Do you need beer? If you get ill from not drinking beer, then you have an addiction
Would it bother you to totally stop for a month? From what you say it sounds like more of a habit, especially if you’re able to drink one or two then stop but it’s still bad for you to drink every day, maybe cut down and have three or four alcohol free days a week.
Sounds like you don’t have a serious problem but may want to pump the brakes a little. Take more days off
Alcoholism is a complex thing.
You certainly are above what is considered low risk consumption.
If you are addicted is an other question. You can find out by just trying to stop, usually people report feeling way better after they stopped drinking. Maybe find out what need is being met with alcohol (eg: nice taste, short break, doing something nice for yourself)and find something Else to meet it.
Also beware: alcohol withdrawal can be lethal. If you feel physically bad while quitting, consult an expert. (Also: I dont know you, please do not take medical advice from stragers on the Internet)
For the question If you are an “alcoholic”: standard questions medical people ask to acess if someone might be an alcoholic are the CAGE questions.
Copied straight from Wikipedia:
Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?[
Do you need to have the beer? Like, can you go a week or more without?
if you are asking, then you probably are
2 or 3 beers a day with food is NOT alcoholism. Regardless of what these puritans say.
Sorry but you do sound like to have a problem.
I think you might actually be asking the wrong question. Reason I say this is I got some education about my own alcohol consumption last year. “Alcoholism” doesn’t appear to be what people use as a criteria when discussing health, it’s where you land in the Alcohol Abuse Disorder criteria. Ask your doc what he/she thinks the next time you’re in there.
I had an alcohol problem but I could still function at a super high level and treated everyone in my life really well. A shrug-off-15-shots kind of problem. So I decided to make a change purely from a health perspective, not because I was facing any consequences.
look into HAMS, a lot of the lingo around alcoholism is shit and most people don’t know what defines it anyway.
From psychiatry.org: “Drinking more alcohol or over a longer period than originally intended.
Having two or more of these symptoms in the last year could signal an alcohol use disorder.”
this means that if you don’t meet this criteria you’re not ‘an alcoholic’ (someone with substance use disorder). if you want to reduce your drinking, HAMS is a great place to go. the website is full of information that focuses on healthier drinking habits instead of complete abstinence. my cousin drinks like a fish when he does drink, but he doesn’t meet the criteria for SUD.
The question is, how would your body react if you decided to take 2 straight days off 🤔?
If you can’t get through 2 straight days without absolutely dying for a beer or something, then you are an alcoholic in my opinion.
Back in the days, when I was in the military, I used to drink almost a 5th of liquor every day. But, I could also go a week straight without a drop of alcohol with 0 problem. I think someone who does things like that Loves alcohol. But, they aren’t an alcoholic. In my opinion.
You are a functioning alcoholic.
You’re not an alcoholic you’re just stone cold steve austin
To what extent does it interfere with your life? Does it interfere with work? Cause you to lose jobs or to underperform at jobs? What affect does it have on relationships? Are you estranged from people because of alcohol use? Do you have legal issues from alcohol issue? DUI? Public drunkenness? Gotten into fights? Put yourself into dangerous situations?
You absolutely are not an alcoholic. Trust me, you aren’t.
Stop drinking for a month and prove to yourself you aren’t addicted or reliant. Revisit the topic either after you clearly aren’t addicted and stop for an entire month with zero alcohol, or the moment you break. You will have your answer. Good luck.
I dunno, results matter. Is this affecting any aspect of your life in a negative way, that can have long term consequences? Are you aware of this and do nothing to change behavior?
Alcohol is a drug plain and simple. It rewires your brain. Consistent exposure over time will have more of an impact but 3 drinks a day every day is 100% having an impact. It sounds like this is happening less out of need and more out of habit and you are damaging your brain and liver for no reason. This is slow, gentle, eroding-type damage, the kind that just has you feeling a little crappier every year until SHTF. Dopamine and seratonin being off. Feeling just a tiny bit more sad. A tiny bit tired. Added up day after day after day. Just stop buying beer and have sparkling water or whatever else will scratch the itch. Try to go 3 months and you will break the habit part.
If alcohol was as life threating as they say , why is it legal and marijuana is not ? no clue lol
Anyway, I have been a working alcoholic my whole life , im now 60 and just retired, bored as hell, drinking 4 beers and maybe a bloody mary per day ….trying to cut down less with cannabis ( weed is such a baby drug though ) but it doesn’t do what alcohol does for me Im not condoning anything but we a have to deal with our own demons
I think 4 beers per day , is better than my non drinking brother who drinks a 2ltr of soda per day , just my opinion
Regardless of whether you or anyone else considers your behavior to be alcoholic, it generally comes down to simple questions. Does alcohol affect your quality of life? Relationships? Finances? Misc, etc?
I was in AA and sober for 3 years before relapsing. “Alcoholic” means a lot of different things to different people in different circumstances, but in the end, only you can decide for yourself if it has an adverse effect on your life and make changes to overcome those issues.
My dad was a functioning alcoholic for almost 40 years. Successful in business, well loved by all, but still an alcoholic. Home life was bad. Everything a normal alcoholicic household would be, coming home late, not being involved with family matters, except for my stepmom screaming at him. He finally got sober at age 54, he was like a different person. The few times he tried to quit before he was finally successful was really hard on him, go a few days and felt good, then right back at it. I only share this for your informational purposes, in case you read anything relatable. Only you can answer this question; but my question is why ask anyone else’s opinion? Look in the mirror and try to tell yourself the truth. I have a feeling you already know. Best of luck.
Yes.
Do you NEED to drink? If no, no, probably not
Americans would say yes, Europeans would say no.
Medical threshold for being a heavy drinker is 14 drinks per week for a male. That’s 14 355 mL cans of 5% beer (if you’re drinking half litres or high percentage beer, you’re probably having 1.5 or so standard drinks per beer you consume).
We don’t have enough information to say whether or not you’re an alcoholic, but there are three things that are significant red flags here:
Regardless of whether or not you have an addiction to alcohol at this point, your drinking habits are doing to cause long term damage to your health. And if you’re not an alcoholic yet, drinking the way you are puts you at high risk for becoming one. Alcoholism is something that often sneaks up on people and they don’t recognize it until it’s too late.
Yes
Why do you drink beer? Is it to relax? Does it make you feel better? If that’s the case I would say you are dependent on it.
If you drink it because you like the taste, drink non-alcoholic beer.
Nothing good comes from alcohol in the long run. Before you know it you’ll be drinking more and more to get the desired result
stop drinking and see how you feel
I stopped getting drunk completely in 2020, but for a couple years I still drank probably 5/7 days each week. My tolerance was still high from my party days, so I could down at least 4 beers before feeling the tingle. I don’t know that I would call myself an alcoholic at that time, but one thing is certain: I was drinking a very unhealthy amount of alcohol.
I stopped keeping beer in my fridge, only drank when I was out with friends, and limited myself to two drinks per outing. My gut health is night and day now and I actually enjoy drinking in moderation much more than I did when I was doing it almost every night. I don’t think the label is “alcoholic” really matters that much. The bottom line is that you’re living an unhealthy lifestyle and if you care about your live and overall physical and mental health, you should start reigning it in.
The bar is set pretty low to be considered an alcoholic. 2-3 beers a day definitely qualifies. I personally drink more than that and don’t worry about the definition of alcoholism. If it’s not screwing up your or your families life, I wouldn’t really worry about it.
NIH says 15 drinks/week (men) or 8 (women) is definition of alcoholic
How does it make you feel to cut them off entirely right now. Do you think that would be an easy thing you could just get up and do? Or would it cause you some discomfort? And are you being honest with yourself on how you answer?
Probably not yet but gettin there.
I’ve always heard you essentially have to “self diagnose” yourself because there is no exact formula for determining alcoholism. But if you think you might have a problem, you probably do. IMO someone who drinks 3 beers at night after work over the course of 3-5 hours and never drinks before or during work is not a heavy drinker nor an alcoholic.
You’re not an alcoholic until your drinking habits impact your job, family, or education. If you’re drinking every day but it hasn’t damaged your life in any way, then you’re good, but drinking every day will have consequences for your health.
You don’t have to be an alcoholic or even get drunk for alcohol to have serious health consequences.
Regular, sustained alcohol consumption- even as little as 1-2 drinks twice a week- is considered medically significant and can cause significant organ damage and cognitive deterioration over time. Daily alcohol consumption is an immediate risk factor for kidney, liver, and heart disease, a long-term risk factor for conditions like Alzheimer’s, and 100% meets the medical criteria for alcoholism.
The term you’re looking for is a functioning alcoholic.
Only you can say whether or not you’re an alcoholic.
The DSM-V would probably classify you as at-risk for a substance-use disorder.
But I’d worry less about titles and more about whether you feel you have a healthy relationship with alcohol. It’s progressive, meaning, the more you do it the more of an issue it’s going to be.
Try choosing not to drink one night and see how you feel. If you find yourself thinking about drinking during that time, odds are you have something of a dependency on it. Doesn’t really matter whether you get blackout drunk or not. It’s about your mind’s obsession with it.
If it isn’t a big deal to stop, then stop. Pay attention to how you feel.
Just try one month without drinking.
Yes if you drink every day you’re an alcoholic. And no I’m not a puritan I’m an alcoholic
If you have to ask yourself, then yeah you’re an alcoholic.
Is being an alcoholic a bad thing? No. We all have monkey brains bro it’s ok. My primary care physician is an alcoholic . I know lawyers and bosses bosses who are heavily functioning alcoholics.
But get that shit in control
From a clinical perspective, definitely
I knew someone that had one drink every day after work. He ended up having to stay in a hospital for a period of time for an unrelated issue and went through withdrawal so bad from missing out on his one drink a day.
Addiction is no joke, even if the thing you’re doing is technically light use.
If you have to ask, then yes.
It sounds like you could be. You’re certainly drinking more than the recommended limit. It doesn’t matter that you don’t feel drunk, as that can be a matter of tolerance. It doesn’t matter that you go to work, as functioning alcoholics are a thing.
Drinking every single day in excess of the recommended limit is bad for your health, whether or not the label of alcoholic applies
How often and for how long are you going days without drinking?
No.
If you could stop cold turkey and feel fine then no.
If you wouldn’t be ok with it or would crave it, you probably have a problem.
If you are drinking 2-3 or more drinks every single day, 7 days a week, or even like 90% of days then yes you are an alcoholic. Not every alcoholic gets black out drunk or binges, etc but drinking multiple drinks every day, or most days, is alcohol dependency imo. While I may not be “extreme” it’s still drinking on a daily basis.
Go a month without drinking and see what it’s like then you’ll know for sure.
Same boat, I think technically we’re functioning alcoholics. I’m working on cutting back, it’s been a conscious effort to buy NA beer instead. Like you said, it’s not getting drunk that your after, it’s that you want something to keep you occupied in down time.
Sunflower seeds and podcasts have also helped me feel like I’m not just sitting around waiting to die in my down time.
If you have to ask…
does drinking coffee every day to wake up make you a caffeine addict?
does smoking weed every morning to motivate yourself to eat breakfast make you a stoner?
does smoking a tiny little bit of crack every day make you a crackhead?
how does this behavior actually impact your life? is it impacting your health? if i had to guess i would say absolutely this is effecting your health for the worse, but im not a nutritionist, i only know from my own experiences what a few beers a week does to me.
my question isnt really about your relationship with being drunk, it sounds like you dont really have one, but you obviously have a relationship with alcohol. what is that like? what is the true nature of that relationship? is it one thats serving you or is it harming you?
Can you replace those beers with a non alcoholic beverage and be fine? It sounds like you’re getting into alcoholism out of boredom. If you can immediately stop, do so. What you’ve described sounds like alcoholism.
Only you can prevent a forest fire
I was headed down a similiar road. Decided ro get a trainer and that’s when I realized the impact beer was having on my body and health. Glad I cut it out. I’ll still have a beer or three on occasion but it isnt a daily thing at all. And I don’t miss it.
I had a drinking problem and I wasn’t and am not a full blown alcoholic. I started like you…..then it became 6 beers…..then it became 6 beers and a shot…..then it just became shots and thats when I made a decision about my future. I quit cold turkey a month later and have benefited immensely….this was like over 9 years ago and I’m not looking back. I don’t miss it at all…..first 3 months I was trying to find ways to justify it but never had a valid reason. After the 3 months I wasn’t even remotely considering it anymore. I dropped 30 lbs with no other changes in my life, so that was also a nice perk.
Pretty sure alcoholic has been redefined to “anyone that drinks more than me”. Back in the day it used to mean someone that experienced withdrawal symptoms if they went more than few hours without a drink. Just because I indulge in something that might be detrimental to my wellbeing doesn’t mean I’m addicted to that indulgence, or if it does then the term addict, and alcoholic, et al, have been diluted into uselessness.
If you drink everyday you are likely already physically addicted, seek help immediately
Doctors recommend less than 6 alcoholic beverages a week.
You are probably drinking enough so that is effecting your organs, body and brain chemistry and health in general… which for all intents and purposes can be called alcoholism.
Unfortunately, if you have to ask then you already have your answer. If you really want to examine your relationship with alcohol, don’t drink for an extended period of time and see where your thoughts naturally go.
Yes, this pattern is not good for you this is how a body develops a dependency on alcohol. I suggest replacing daily beers with sparking water like liquid death.
Sounds like you are functioning alcoholic. My last job most of the guys drank the same way you. Though if they say its 2-3 it’s probably 4 or 5+.
Yeah like everyone else said, if you did something like sober October or Dry January would you have a panic attack or get anxiety over it? If not then you probably are not one. I will say this though, that progressive drinking even in moderation daily will kill your liver and lower your lifespan or at least quality of life so even if you arent one I would encourage you to lower your alcohol consumption soley for your personal health. Iv’e seen too many loved ones get liver disease because of their alcohol consumption and it is hard
There are guidelines, I think 9 drinks a week for women and 12 for men. I tend to think if you are considering you may be an alcoholic, it’s worth thinking about, can you stop for a month?, how are the liver enzymes?, any negatives? Do with that what you will. But I think it’s a personal distinction more so than something others can say for you.
If you have to ask, then there is an issue. Whether or not you’re dependent, or full blown alcoholic, is up to a medical professional.
Can you stop for a month? If not… Yeah, probably.
Yes- probably an alcoholic
No- probably not an alcoholic, or are in denial
You could be what’s known as a maintenance drinker, as opposed to a binge drinker, which is what most people associate with alcoholism.
Try to not drink, and see if you can control it. If you can, congrats, you’re normal!
So, it really depends on what we are talking about I think. Usually, alcoholism or some other addictive behavior is only a “problem” or disorder if it is having negative impacts on your life. Are you getting DUIs? Are your personal relationships crumbling? Are you having trouble keeping a job? These are important factors. The health problems that come with drinking, while usually major with alcoholics, can also manifest in people with a lot lower consumption rate. So that along doesn’t really account for it.
My suggestion is talk to your doctor if it’s bothering you.
I just wonder if you have dependence on alcohol. Do you get withdrawal symptoms?
Yes
Honestly, yes. If you drink more than one alcoholic beverage (one beer or mixed drink) every night, I would recommend cutting down by a lot or quitting altogether. Alcoholism is defined as “drinking without the ability to stop”
There are many kinds of alcoholics. Some binge drink weekly until they black out. Some drink socially. If you depend on the substance then you have an alcohol problem. Some people have one or two drinks at parties or when being social. If they cannot be social without the alcohol they have a problem. Many people are functional alcoholics. Their lives aren’t affected to a large degree by their drinking. Many people tend to drink more over time until it inevitably affects their life. Many people describe hitting rock bottom when the alcohol has affected their life to the point they give it up because they see the damage it’s doing.
You are what I would call a functioning alcoholic. So yes.
yes you are an alcoholic, drinking every day makes you an alcoholic
Can you stop drinking now, do you have negative outcomes from drinking? If you keep it up after having results you don’t want, you very well may be an alcoholic. I only put the negative outcome rider in because some folks who “can’t” quit are people who are just habituated and enjoy drinking, the negative impact test proves you can’t.
Addiction doesn’t mean scratching at the neck, shaking in your boots out in the streets, and spending away your life savings for a second of bliss. It starts as minor conscious choices, then minor unconscious habit, then major unconscious habit, then minor dependency, and finally major dependency.
So what you and most people are worried about is the highest levels of it, and whether you have it. If you do something like drinking everyday without pause, then you’re in the mid levels of it. Cutting it out and seeing the effect is your best bet. See where you are and find a safe substitute.
I had 2 drinks at dinner on New Yers Day. A ber at about 5pm and a martini at around 7pm. I was told that I am an alcoholic, despite that being the only 2 alcoholic drinks I had consumed in more than 2 years. I had a good laugh at that. But it does demonstrate how much different people’s thinking and experiences can influence their opinions.
Yes
You should know, Reddit absolutely demonizes alcohol. Yes you are drinking a lot. Is it too much? Probably not. If you can start your day sober, go to work sober, not drink until it is appropriate, and stop drinking for days sometimes, you ARE NOT AN ALCOHOLIC. Alcohol can be very therapeutic in some people, but it is also expensive and detrimental to your health in the long term.
You need to ask yourself why you are drinking this much. Are you self-medicating? Are you bored? Someone else here said to stop for a month and see how you feel, and that is great advice.
FYI: it can take about 5 days without alcohol for bad withdrawals to kick in, and it is possible to die from alcohol withdrawal, if you have a severe enough problem.
Does your drinking interfere with the normal functioning of your life?
There’s a thing called functioning alcoholism. A guy I grew up with needs to drink at all hours of the day, even when he first wakes up, so he can “take the edge.” Is your boat similar? Do you drink because you like the taste, you’re bored, or you feel compelled to?