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Alcoholic – What Does Alcoholic Mean? Are You an Alcoholic? | SDA35

by | Stop Drinking Alcohol, Year One | 6 comments

Alcoholic – What Does Alcoholic Mean? Are You an Alcoholic? | SDA35

The definition of alcoholic according to the Merriam-Webster
An alcoholic is a person who frequently drinks too much alcohol and is unable to live a normal and healthy life.
A person who is affected with alcoholism …

The definition of alcoholism is

1: continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks

2 A: Poisoning by alcohol
B: A chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction

Define Alcoholic

There’s nothing there that says once an alcoholic always an alcoholic.

The physical symptoms of alcoholism wear off after time, as do the psychological symptoms, unless you keep them alive.

How do you keep them alive?

Keep calling yourself an alcoholic.

I am not an alcoholic…. How can I be? It took me a long time to get away from metaphorical slavery that I imposed on myself with every drinking, I’m not carrying the prison any more. I think ‘alcoholic’ is as good a label as any to describe a person who has a problem with drink.

The reactions you’ll get from others when you tell them you’re not drinking any more will range from feeling sorry for you that you can no longer indulge to fear that somehow you’re going to try and force them to look at their own habits.

The latter is the most common reaction in my experience, even if most people keep it under the surface.

The most common term used by people when you’ve a problem with drink is alcoholic.

Why?

Because it’s easy for them to label you that way!

I’m not objecting to the word alcoholic in terms of what others think. Who really cares!

Being labelled an alcoholic could affect your life in a serious way if it comes up in a job interview or maybe in a legal context.

Where this label can do most damage is when you apply it to yourself. By all means use it before you quit. It might even give you the push in the right direction. But to label yourself an alcoholic after you’ve quit is like calling yourself obese when you’ve lost all the weight, or a smoker when you’ve haven’t smoked in years. It’s ridiculous!
I’ve come across people that haven’t touched a drop in ten or twenty years, and still call themselves alcoholics.

The Past is The Past

I don’t drink alcohol because it has negatively impacted years of my life.

I don’t drink alcohol because it is a poison and only a madman deliberately poisons himself.

I don’t drink alcohol because of all the health risks associated with drinking alcohol.

I don’t drink alcohol for the same reasons why I don’t take heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, why I don’t smoke and why I avoid taking prescription drugs if at all possible.

The past is the past, there’s nothing that can be done about it.

Quitting alcohol, never drinking again, and continuing to call yourself an alcoholic doesn’t make sense, it’s pure madness.

Some people shift the addiction from alcohol to an ‘alcoholic’.

Let that part of you go. How can you move on to other things when you constantly stick this label on your back. You’ll always be a victim.

Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter by leaving your first name and email at the top of the sidebar. It’s not much at the moment, I’m still trying to develop it and see where it can go. As I develop the site, and maybe bring in some help to get the work done, I can really make the newsletter into something very worthwhile. It’s free and at worst I think it could be a weekly reminder of the benefits of quitting.

Until next time…
Onwards and Upwards…
Kev

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6 Comments

  1. Molly

    I am 49 years old and have made several attempts in the past 5 years to quit drinking. I have read books, joined websites and even checked out AA. None have helped me or inspired me as much as your website. I have related to you more than anyone I have talked with before. Thank you for making these videos. I look forward to following you through your journey as I begin mine.
    Molly

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Hi Molly, it’s great to have you on board. And thank you so much for the kind comments. It make it all so worth while when I know I’m making a difference to someone else.
      Cheers
      Kev

      Reply
  2. Barbara

    Hi Kevin, I’ve been in and out of drinking and in and out of AA and still blame me for all the mistakes I’ve made during my ‘wet’ times. I am very glad I found your website and I attend it every day now. It does lift my spirits and gives me a lot of hope and courage. Thank you so much!! Barbara

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Glad to have you aboard, Barbara. I hope I can make a difference to your journey in the coming months.

      Reply
  3. Lea

    I am quitting drinking after spending the past 16 years having a couple of glasses of wine almost daily. I have had enough!!! Thank you for doing these videos! I think you are amazing! As a matter of fact you said in one of your videos somthing about a beautiful woman with long blonde hair lol well you moved to spain how about new york? I have a beautiful house on 41/2 acres with fruit trees, a fenced in vegetable garden and many flowering spring trees. Hey, you never know. No i do nit do this often! Lol i just think your great. Lea

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Good for you Lea… I’ve never been to New York, I’d love to go one of these days… lol!
      Kev

      Reply

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