Drinking Problem?

by T
(Kin)

I'm a 25 year old recent college grad and thought I was just a normal 20 something. I go out to the bars every weekend. For the past year, however, I've noticed my drinking has increased. I've been on antidepressants for several years, but noticed my depression worsening the last year as well as the increase of drinking.

I find myself coming home from work and wanting to just drink a bottle of wine to relieve stress or meeting up with a girlfriend for drinks. On weekends I usually spend a lot of time hung over and laughing about how much we drank.

However, the last couple months I've worried a bit. I am drinking almost every evening after work and my childhood best friend called me several days ago to let me know she was worried about my depression and drinking. She said I act like a different person when I'm drunk and don't know when to stop.

Another friend agreed with her and told me I need to slow down. Now I am questioning whether or not I have a problem. When I reflected on the past 6 months I do admit that I have been overusing alcohol and drinking when I feel down. Also, after several years of heavy drinking I would assume my tolerance would increase. But it's been the opposite.

I can't drink very much before I'm very tipsy. This is the first time I've ever posted or blogged, but I feel like I need some advice. Is it possible for me to learn to control my drinking and still be able to "have a few"??

Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com Answer

Some people manage to go through periods of heavy and regular drinking, but are then able to tone it down and moderate successfully. So the biggest difference between someone with a genuine drinking problem, and someone just going through a phase of heavy drinking, is the loss of control experienced by someone with a problem.

Which category do you fit into? There's only one way to find out. Start trying to moderate and just have a couple ... and see how that goes for you. If you can control it, and just have one or two and then stop without it being an issue, you're probably alright.

But if you get started and then find you're a person that needs to keep going until one or two, becomes one or two too many, you've got a problem.

Alcoholism is defined by dependency (physical and/or emotional) and loss of control. And that loss of control is usually the most telling sign for someone developing a drinking problem that it could well progress into something more severe, i.e. full blown alcoholism.

Many people are also very much functional alcoholics - on the surface seem to have it all under control and lead successful lives, but dig a bit deeper and the reality is very different. So if you have a problem, best get it seen to before it progresses even further. Professional help is available and isn't something you need to be ashamed to enlist.

Try taking this test for alcoholism because it will give you a pretty good idea if you have a problem or are heading that way. Hope this all helps. Take Care

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