Forgot to mention... I have been trying to quit drinking, but I can't seem to maintain the idea. I DO want to quit. If I could take a pill to stop I would. It's as though I can't try hard enough, but I think my abiility to persist is part of my problem.

Are you an alcoholic? Thats nothing I can decide. However you are questioning yourself, so I would think that means there is some issue. I'd recommend you stick around here and see what you learn, read the BB see if you fit in any of those categories, see a therapist and try to answer that question. Please don't wait until things get really bad or your life starts falling apart before you do it though... good luck on your journey.

I don't think anyone but you can decide if you are an alcoholic or not. Sounds like you have trouble controlling when to drink and how much and also you are having guilt feelings. Those aren't good.

Do you have a sincere desire to stop drinking? Do you believe that you are powerless over alcohol and that your life is unmanageable? If so, AA may be able to help. Don't get too caught up in all 12 steps right now, just try out a meeting, see if it's for you and keep yourself focused on one day at a time.

I know that sounds trite, but I can't believe how big a help its been to me. Just worrying about today and today only has made my burden so much less.

Sounds like you know the answer to this,and in reality, you appear to be causing yourself pain and confusion and alcoholics not only hurt other people, they hurt themselves the most.

Peace be with you.

Well i think they pretty much said it all.Once you have one drink or two can you walk away?There are alot of questions only you can ask yourself. Good luck to you hope we see you here agian....

bump

welcome aboard! I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I see someone post that they're new and questioning whether they're an alcoholic or not, I always look at their age. I started wondering myself when I was about your age because I was drinking every night when I got in from work. Some nights more than others, some days I had the worst hangovers and they seem to get worse and worse.

Every morning I'd swear "NOT TONIGHT!!!" and by the time I left work, I'd hit the store, started drinking more and more.

Only you can answer that question and I didn't try to seek help until I questioned myself for about a year. Watch and learn, you might see something that speaks to you. :) I know I did.

If you are an alcoholic, I can't say. But you are killing yourself and impairing your chance of having kids or having healthy ons for that matter.. It's your choice. Hope you quit or, if you are able to, really cut down on the booze.

You could have an assessment done through your doctor to help see the problem spots. I am sure there are websites out there that you could do your own simple assessment. I know hazelden has a short assessment.

This is all semantics. Not having to drink is the same as 'can't not drink'!

Dear God! Please!! One step at a time - you don't even know if you're alcoholic yet you are worried about the 9th step. (Personally, I think that idea has a lot to do with your inability to decide whether you are alcoholic or not.

Take 2 drinks per day for 30 days - no more, no less. If you can do it, you're probably ok, if you can't - well, it's time to face those steps!

Haven't hurt anyone? How about yourself?
The 12 steps do not say we ask for forgiveness. It suggests that we repair any damage we have done. If you have not done anyone any damage from your drinking, then the repair job will be quick and easy. Don't worry about it.

But, you seem to be saying you are powerless over alcohol. You also seem to think your situation is not managable by you, so you are seeking help.

Lets review.

You are powerless over alcohol. Your life is unmanagable. Gee, that sounds very familiar.

Take a look at step one.

12 steps are about healing ourselves and to be better people so we don't have that need to drink, we have to live a better life then the average joe, maybe it's cause we are so sensitive to life or whatever who knows, if you are alcoholic, you may need those 12 steps someday, when the pain get's bad enough. As for functional or dysfunctional alcoholism, it all ends in one place, premature death.

Ok first off I mdon't judge, but I'm always willing to report.
People are correct when they say only you can decide if you're an alcoholic, but let's get real. You're drinking one to two bottles of wine every day. You think your ddad as borderline alcoholic. Dude open your eyes you're a drunk your inability to say your dad was a drunk is directly related to your not wanting to officialy adimit you're an alcoholic. The ffact that you obsess about drinking. That once you think about it you have to do it is a crystal clear sign. The thing about addiction is that an extrememly important part of it is the build up the thought of the rush.
Ask yourself how many people drink 1-2 bottles of wine every night?

How many people go on websights wondering if they have a problem. If they are bormal social drinkers never. You are only 33 according to your profile. You haven't hurt anybody yet your worried about asking forgiveness? If you haven't hurt anybody what are you worried about?
I promise you if you keep on doing what you are presently doing it's only going to get worse. You will lose friends, relatives, relationships, jobs, self respect dignity, your jealth and everything you care about.
The truth is you have a problem. If you think not then just quit drinking and check back in 5 years and tell us you haven't had a drink since today and you never thought twice about not drinking.
This is just my opinion and I'm telling you the truth as I see it based on my experience.
My experience is that when I admitted I was an alcoholic I was drinking a lot less than you are now, but it became very clear that I was going to die had I not quit. I promise you and am absolutely certain that is true.
Alcoholism is like riding an elavator that only goes down. You may choose to get off on any floor or take it straight to hell.

Your life can be better and you can have more fun sober than you can possibly imagine at this point.
The first thing you have to do is get real honest with yourself and admit the problem. After that we can guide you from the point. God Bless

Let go of labeling yourself. For your sake, for now don't worry about being an alcoholic or not.
Also please know you Don't have to quite drinking. Each day you can make a choice to drink or not to drink (Shakespeare wrote that I believe). The joy in this thought process is that each day we have the opportunity to choose. If you drank the night before, what a great opportunity for you choose contrary action that meets up with your desire to feel good about yourself.

Be well

if not then potentially I would say yes and you need to get control of it.Functioning alcholics are even more prominent than non functioning and one man told me that he was good at his job but he could have been so much better.