How quickly does one become an alcoholic?

[medusa]

Hi,
I usually never drink but in 7 days I have consumed 8 beers, as the alcohol helps me with my chronic pain and anxiety.
How quickly does one develop a drinking problem?

 

[Over n' Out]

I've been at it 30 years and still am not one. Try as I might.
Last year I decided to lose a bit of weight so stopped drinking on 1st Jan and restarted May 13th.
An alcoholic couldn't have done 5 months without one drink so I'm deffo not one even through I drink about 90 units a week which goes against the govt recommended maximum of 14 units a week.

 

[Jaguar]

I never drank before this year when shit went down the crapper. I used to have a beer once every 6 mo if that. Jumped straight into hard liquor to pass out everyday and forget reality for a few hours. I'm drinking now in fact.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

You are only really an alcoholic when you cannot function without a drink. However, the condition is insidious and creeps up on you, especially if you are using it to self medicate. You may think you can handle it, but the negative effects of alcohol on body and mind are cumulative. Keep drinking, even though you can control it, and it will lead to serious health implications further down the line. I speak from experience unfortunately, having self medicated with booze since the age of 17 (now 46). Its a shame, it makes you feel great in the short term and this is very addictive.

 

[FullFat]

The difficult thing about answering this question is that it's more about how and why you drink, not how much. All the signs that I would become an alcoholic were there long before I eventually became one.

 

[bigj75]

it really depends on the person.

 

[never getting better]

I knew I was an alcoholic pretty much straight away, in that I always wanted more and couldn't stop at one drink. I knew I drank differently to other people. I would do things like lie about how much I'd had so I could have more and hide alcohol even when I was really young.

If you don't crave it and can go without then you're not an alcoholic in terms of addiction. For physical dependence, not too sure, but 8 beers spread over seven days isn't even close to problem drinking, in terms of quantity.

 

[bigj75]

when drinking starts consistently interfering with your job, family, friends, or health in a negative way then you are be becoming an
alcoholic.

 

[Smilla]

The difficult thing about answering this question is that it's more about how and why you drink, not how much. All the signs that I would become an alcoholic were there long before I eventually became one.

This is true. At least for me, and I suspect many others.

The floodgates opened about three years ago, but the signs were there from the beginning even though I rarely drank (in my early twenties).

 

[Morning Angel]

My name is Morning Angel and I'm (most likely) an alcoholic. I don't think this is the case for everyone but there is a point where your life gets so painful, you can sometimes just jump right into drinking with zero previous inclination to do so. For me, it's psychological dependence because I like being able to escape my horrific reality.

That was the case for me. I rarely ever drank before this year, but I jumped straight into liquor. Whiskey, vodka, rum. I never had it before except maybe once a year and I was drinking it everyday... since then, I was sober about 2 mo because I knew it would interfere with N but sadly this week, I'm back on the devil water again. :( I'm a bit ashamed of myself.

 

[PatKat]

I drink everyday, but I do not need to drink. I can stop at any time.

 

[Tomasnil]

The difficult thing about answering this question is that it's more about how and why you drink, not how much. All the signs that I would become an alcoholic were there long before I eventually became one.

Agree i can do just about everything in life with out alcohol.. I just can socialize of sleep withouth alcohol

 

[GodKnows]

I drink beer with Xanax

 

[akosineenee]

I drink beer with Xanax

We know. Wish I can join you.