violentacres.com — This one made me sigh in relief. ?Mark,? I answer, ?If you?re functioning, then you?re not an alcoholic. The entire point of alcoholism is that you?re not functioning.? ?Then how to you explain the fact that I drink every day?? he asks. ?Maybe you?re just a guy who enjoys the taste of beer?? Only in America.
Jan 22, 2007 View in Crawl 4
whoduggJan 23, 2007
Where's the fun in that? On an alcoholic note, my sis was engaged to a very successful salesman who liked to toss back a bottle or two every night...Me being the considered sister, asked her if she should marry him since he seemed to have a "tad of a drinking problem". She said no, I was wrong, he just needed to "unwind" at the end of the day. Fast forward 8 years later, they are divorced after he unwound himself one night and punched her in the face without remembering it. She learned, but it was a long painful lesson. She made excuses for him for years, and it aged her.
hughvJan 23, 2007
AA has certainly inspired controversy, but those of us who are recovering (And we're many and varied) tend to be grateful for the assistance.AA has no ax to grind and shuns publicity. "The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking."From:<a class="user" href="http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_is_aa_for_you.cfm?PageID=14">http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_is_aa_for_you.cfm?PageID=14</a>"Am I an alcoholic?If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in A.A. will tell you whether you are or not."
technoguyrobJan 23, 2007
"Functioning alcoholic equals NOT A f**kING ALCHOLIC."Of course. What's an alcholic?
innatechJan 23, 2007
This blog post and the digg comments are all one giant cluster-WTF. People--your computers are binary machines. *You* are not. Addiction/alcoholism is not an on/off switch. There is no particular behavior that "makes" you an alcoholic. (The "questions" in 12 step programs are a first step tool for self-identification, not an actual diagnostic model.) My folks have a c**ktail most every night. Do they have to have one? No. I do too, although I usually end up not finishing it (I tend to get distracted and let it sit around too long.) We often have wine with dinner. And if you asked anyone who knows any of us, the suggestion than any of us have a drinking problem would be met with hilarity. The most obvious sign of a problem is habitual drinking for the exclusive purpose of getting drunk; whereas when I drink I'm (usually) looking to *avoid* getting really drunk. Then you ruin whatever the hell else you're trying to enjoy. I have an ex-girlfriend, on the other hand, from a family with a history of alcohol abuse. She was having some serious problems when I was with her, and was rapidly going down the path to full blown alcoholism. The behaviors and psychology are very different (although some non-alcoholic but habitual drinkers may show some similarities.) Really, the confluence of over-the-top pop-psych therapy-culture and the ever-present ghost of American puritanism as expressed by aging 'Boomers who now want to tell us all how to live irritates the living s**t out of me.
bitchfromhellJan 23, 2007
Gnolfo, that is a good point. I suppose internally, someone can be just as destructive as an outwardly volatile drunk, even if they go to work every day and do the things people are supposed to do. I also see your point about how VA thinks you have to hit rock bottom before being worthy of getting help. I guess, to me, if someone is just a casual drinker and has a few a day with no side effects, then no, they are not an alcoholic. Which is what her friend sounded like. But I am sure, like you said, there are people who really do have a problem but just are able to better deal with it physically and go about their daily duties.Thanks for the different viewpoint. Still I think all too often people try to pin blame on a disorder when there really is not a problem to start with.
mrjefflewisJan 23, 2007
@synystar:I agree. There was a certain point when the pull of drugs and alcohol got out of hand for me, and I began to speak to friends about wanting out. They gave the same "you're functioning aren't you?" s**t. I let their acceptance of my problem give me an excuse to keep using, and not getting help. I knew it was killing my psyche, finding my only release from some deep issues in drugs. Some people smoke pot a couple times, realize that it hurts their ability to progress and think normally, and quit. I even knew a girl who stayed in 12 step for quite awhile after smoking pot a few times. Not using sometimes isn't out of fear of using- it's merely a desire to be around people who don't. I can't think of a whole lot of ways drugs and alcohol have actually benefited me or my health. Everything is relative in this world, and the only way to really know whether one is addicted or not is what one feels in their heart. Just my 2 pennies.
sillysadieFeb 2, 2007
There are "functioning alcoholics". I've know a few and am related to a couple... people who can do absolutely anything while drunk:work, drive, attend school, etc...But the fact that they can function doesn't make them any less alcoholic.Is someone an alcoholic simply because he/she drinks regularly, or even every day?No, not at all.The question is whether or not a person is actually addicted to the alcohol.Does he/she feel that they need alcohol to cope, to calm down, to sleep, to relieve stress, etc...?How does his/her body react after not consuming alcohol for a certain period of time?Does he/she "get the shakes"? Does he/she suffer from headaches, loss of/increase in appetite, nausea, hallucinations, etc...?There are several other symptoms as well. And if any are present (or even just one or a few), such is an indication of alcoholism regardless of whether or not a person can function.
lisafordegMay 8, 2007
Dugg. I like such articles very much.
amy31415Jan 3, 2009
You're the most awesome honkey ever.
Closed AccountJan 3, 2009
How bout a refreshing bowl of ganja? :)
Closed AccountJan 3, 2009
Ya, thanks for sharing, that's basically what I've been going through for the last year. I lost just about everything I had, except for my trusty Powerbook. I went for about a year without making any money and bumming off of people, it's was embarrassing for everyone, including me. I think there's usually a trigger that turns a functional alcoholic into a dysfuctional, out of control alcoholic. For me it was losing the woman I loved and trying to make sense of what I had been doing my whole life, typical mid-20's s**t. All the while dealing with major depression and coming very close to suicide.I made a decision to move away and start a new life. It's been very tough for me to quit, but I've been making great progress and I can already see how it's having positive effects on my life. I'm healthier, happier, more energy. I'm getting to know my family better and helping them with their problems if they want it and my career is taking off again(in this economy, strangely enough).I still love some Guiness, though,but I can now stop after a few.
lamiaconfitorJan 3, 2009
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