Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

This type of question is why the medical community is not using the terminology alcoholic anymore - it's alcohol use disorder. Because you can live for a long time drinking 3 glasses of wine every night and telling your self it's fine because "you're not an alcoholic." But the truth is that alcohol is an addictive substance and if you're already overusing the odds are that you will spiral into addition at some point.

That's my personal story - one glass a night turned to two, then three, then a whole bottle, then two bottles, then vodka ... but it took 25ish years. But I 100% had and issue with disordered alcohol use way before I would have called myself an alcoholic.

Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

yes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

Male or female? Alone or with others? My answer is yes, I would call myself an alcoholic if I drank that much, but I’ll get a lot of pushback from others. I am ACOA and am told this makes me hypersensitive to “normal” amounts of booze.

DP. Hypersensitive how? It’s true you need to be mindful given the genetic tenancies of alcoholism but there’s not a threshold amount that triggers it. Plenty of ACOA can consume normal amounts of alcohol with no issues.

I don't think 2-3 glasses every night is "normal" for someone who doesn't have a problem.

No one is saying that’s a normal amount.

Alcoholics in recovery are extremely happy.

I'm glad this has been your experience. This is not what I have observed. My recovered friends have issues and are not leading ordinary, happy lives though it's nice drinking isn't adding to their problems. I'm glad they went to AA. They are devoted to AA, have made being a recovered alcoholic their identity, seems like their whole identity. I don't see them moving-on or past that.

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Anonymous wrote:No happy person drinks to excess. No happy person drinks daily.

Lots of people can fake it, and many do (for a time). The fantasy of functionality is one of the biggest mindgames of addiction.

Plenty of happy people drink to excess from time to time.

Plenty of happy people drink from time to time? Sure.

Drink to excess? Nope.

When you drink to excess, you're trying to escape something, numb something, or force something (ie, force a good time). Happy, content, secure people don't do those things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

Male or female? Alone or with others? My answer is yes, I would call myself an alcoholic if I drank that much, but I’ll get a lot of pushback from others. I am ACOA and am told this makes me hypersensitive to “normal” amounts of booze.

DP. Hypersensitive how? It’s true you need to be mindful given the genetic tenancies of alcoholism but there’s not a threshold amount that triggers it. Plenty of ACOA can consume normal amounts of alcohol with no issues.

I don't think 2-3 glasses every night is "normal" for someone who doesn't have a problem.

They like to drink it makes then happy. They don't know how to be happy and social without drinking. That's what I was told by several alcoholics. They don't feel "fun" without the booze.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

Male or female? Alone or with others? My answer is yes, I would call myself an alcoholic if I drank that much, but I’ll get a lot of pushback from others. I am ACOA and am told this makes me hypersensitive to “normal” amounts of booze.

DP. Hypersensitive how? It’s true you need to be mindful given the genetic tenancies of alcoholism but there’s not a threshold amount that triggers it. Plenty of ACOA can consume normal amounts of alcohol with no issues.

New person here. Due to the genetic component of alcoholic addiction those who are ACOA are more likely to become addicted.
I'm very careful about my consumption.

That’s literally what the PP said.

Anonymous wrote:Of course not. They are self-medicating their depression, pain, trauma, anxiety, etc.

And causing depression, pain, trauma, anxiety to all of those around them.

Alcoholics drink as an escape from something. No, they are not happy. They may pretend to be and even trick themselves into believing they’re happy for some time. Whatever it is they’re running away from usually catches up with them in some form or another.

You are an alcoholic if you can't stop drinking and stay stopped. If you get cravings.

Alcoholics not in recovery tell themselves they are happy particularly when they are drinking with others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you drink 2-3 glasses of wine every single night, are you an alcoholic?

Male or female? Alone or with others? My answer is yes, I would call myself an alcoholic if I drank that much, but I’ll get a lot of pushback from others. I am ACOA and am told this makes me hypersensitive to “normal” amounts of booze.

DP. Hypersensitive how? It’s true you need to be mindful given the genetic tenancies of alcoholism but there’s not a threshold amount that triggers it. Plenty of ACOA can consume normal amounts of alcohol with no issues.

New person here. Due to the genetic component of alcoholic addiction those who are ACOA are more likely to become addicted.
I'm very careful about my consumption.

Anonymous wrote:Of course not. They are self-medicating their depression, pain, trauma, anxiety, etc.

This was my FIL. He drank because of his unresolved PTSD from Vietnam. I saw him talk about it as part of his AA sponsorship. Getting help for that was part of his process for getting sober (which he was for nearly 40 years before he died).