Am I an alcoholic?

[Rockclimber]

Serious question. I'll take all the shit you can throw at me regardless.

This whole thing started when I was trying to cut weight for bodybuilding. I realized in my macros that I was spending between 500 and 1000 calories a day on alcohol while bulking. A lot of times I would cut that down to 250 calories (2 beers) but I'm still drinking alcohol everyday. It is basically impossible for me to have zero calories of alcohol a day.

I went to the Alcoholics Anonymous website and took the tests and it says that I'm not an alcoholic but I'm at risk. They had like 11 signs that you're an alcoholic, a lot of them were ridiculous like blacking out and not remembering things, embarrassing yourself at family functions excetera. Some of them did apply to me like drinking alone but what man doesn't drink alone while watching football?

The real reason I think I'm an alcoholic is because I drink hard liquor at lunch. I'm especially fond of Long Island Iced Teas which contain around 4 ounces of liquor. Fortunately I own several companies and therefore don't have to answer to anyone so I can drink at lunch but this does concern me as far as alcoholism goes and my family has a large history of alcoholism.

So to the question at hand, am I an alcoholic? Should I go to AA? I've asked my wife and my family this question and they all think that it is a stupid idea to go to AA but I think deep in my heart I probably need to go. Plus we all know getting that last layer of fat off requires no alcohol in the diet LOL. P.S. I'm writing this at lunch while drinking an LIT.

 

[Rockclimber]

Some more evidence of alcoholism. Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had in several months... it was a thousand calories in alcohol. My father loves to take me out for drinks and this is what really leads to excess calories consumed in alcohol.

 

[TideGear]

I like to drink too but as a rule of thumb, I won't drink until the sun goes down. That's a bitch right now because it doesn't get dark here until like 8:15pm. I hate the summer time lol. If you can cut out the day drinking I think you'll be ok

 

[legendary]

Look into group and vivatrol shot. It seriously stops cravings. And yes. Your an alcoholic

 

[NorthMich]

More people are alcoholics than realized.

Alcoholics are not homeless losers. Most are high functioning alcoholics

 

[fodsod]

If you can't go without it then you have a problem. I'm not going to put a label on it (alcoholic) but you definitely have a problem that you can't seem to police on your own. It also sounds like your support system isn't convinced there is an issue (or they're personal habits obscure their ability to assess your issue clearly).

Your little voice inside is already warning you and it sounds like you're still in some semblance of control of the issue.

If you honestly feel that you need to shut it down then take required steps to slam the addiction 100% right now to ensure it doesn't continue to get worse or create a medical condition that will change your life.

They have medicine that will make you sick if you drink alcohol and other methods that can assist you in stopping but you have to actually want to stop.

Off topic but do you keep a check on your blood sugars? Since you're running GH for extended times and taking in quite a bit of sugar with your drinks I'm curious if your BG levels are jacked.

 

[Rockclimber]

I do check blood sugar all the time and it is fine. Fasted waking in the 60s and after alcohol never above 120s. However I drink at lunch and dont test till I get home at 5 so that's 5 hours of no testing. I should bring my BG meter to work now that you mention it.

Thanks for all the replies, it just confirms my suspicions. I'm going to try to quit for a week or two and if I can't I'm going to join AA. My family will be upset but whatever, they drink 3x as much as me so I dont expect them to understand. To be honest I only want to quit for bodybuilding purposes, this sport is fantastic. It really forces you to become in tune with your body and health. I wish I had a better support network but all my friends are normal non bodybuilding people. They already think I am taking it too far. Stopping alcohol might even cost me some of these friendships.

 

[Dw725]

The having an alcoholic drink everyday thing stands out to me the most.

Id start with seeing how long you can go without a drink. Cut down to just one night on the weekends or something. It if you can't let go of the daily drinks you definitely may have an impending problem

 

[fodsod]

I do check blood sugar all the time and it is fine. Fasted waking in the 60s and after alcohol never above 120s. However I drink at lunch and dont test till I get home at 5 so that's 5 hours of no testing. I should bring my BG meter to work now that you mention it.

Thanks for all the replies, it just confirms my suspicions. I'm going to try to quit for a week or two and if I can't I'm going to join AA. My family will be upset but whatever, they drink 3x as much as me so I dont expect them to understand. To be honest I only want to quit for bodybuilding purposes, this sport is fantastic. It really forces you to become in tune with your body and health. I wish I had a better support network but all my friends are normal non bodybuilding people. They already think I am taking it too far. Stopping alcohol might even cost me some of these friendships.

You stopping is a personal choice same as theirs to continue to do so. If they get butt hurt and judge you for it then they aren't real friends. Your family will get over it as long as you don't try to change their habit or make them feel weird about it once you've stopped.

The great thing about bodybuilding is everyone knows it's an extreme lifestyle so you choosing to stop drinking to pursue the BB lifestyle wouldn't even raise an eye brow from most people. As matter of fact, they'd be surprised if you did drink much if anything.

I get the "I bet you don't eat junk food, drink, smoke or have any bad habits" spill all the time. Yep and I'm all natural too . People are retards and assume everything. I love occasional junk food, have a drink or weed session with the wife every now and then but it's all in moderation.

 

[chocolatethunder]

agreed you’re on a slippery slope, but the fact that you’re aware says volumes about your character. you’re clearly not in denial, but it seems you are asking for some guidance.

don’t put so much stress on yourself, small steps. maybe switch booze for beer, maybe enjoy a non alcoholic beer while watching the game instead.
if you like having two long islands during lunch, maybe make one virgin. if you continue to put a lot of pressure on yourself you might counter the issue.



whenever i crave a beer and i’m dieting i’ll drink kombuca instead, really does the trick minus the drunk effect
i also love high quality sodas like maine root, they make awesome flavors.

 

[NorthMich]

The biggest threat to an alcoholic is a sober person. Of course they’ll react. It’s the standard defense of an alcoholic

 

[Havah]

The amont of daily alcohol intake isnt enough to classify one as having a substance use disorder

 

[NorthMich]

Ya... but read the rest. Alcoholism isn’t a volumetric thing. It’s a behavioral thing

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Serious question. I'll take all the shit you can throw at me regardless.

This whole thing started when I was trying to cut weight for bodybuilding. I realized in my macros that I was spending between 500 and 1000 calories a day on alcohol while bulking. A lot of times I would cut that down to 250 calories (2 beers) but I'm still drinking alcohol everyday. It is basically impossible for me to have zero calories of alcohol a day.

I went to the Alcoholics Anonymous website and took the tests and it says that I'm not an alcoholic but I'm at risk. They had like 11 signs that you're an alcoholic, a lot of them were ridiculous like blacking out and not remembering things, embarrassing yourself at family functions excetera. Some of them did apply to me like drinking alone but what man doesn't drink alone while watching football?

The real reason I think I'm an alcoholic is because I drink hard liquor at lunch. I'm especially fond of Long Island Iced Teas which contain around 4 ounces of liquor. Fortunately I own several companies and therefore don't have to answer to anyone so I can drink at lunch but this does concern me as far as alcoholism goes and my family has a large history of alcoholism.

So to the question at hand, am I an alcoholic? Should I go to AA? I've asked my wife and my family this question and they all think that it is a stupid idea to go to AA but I think deep in my heart I probably need to go. Plus we all know getting that last layer of fat off requires no alcohol in the diet LOL. P.S. I'm writing this at lunch while drinking an LIT.
View attachment 95103

Yes or No … [From your posts, 1 & 3 appear to be Yes. But, you answer ...]

1. Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?

2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

3. Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?

4. Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

CAGE Questions for Alcohol Use - MDCalc


Take the Five-Shot Questionnaire
Points for each answer are posted next to the answer.


1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
(0.0) Never
(0.5) Monthly or less
(1.0) Two to four times a month
(1.5) Two to three times a week
(2.0) Four or more times a week

2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
(0.0) 1 or 2
(0.5) 3 or 4
(1.0) 5 or 6
(1.5) 7 to 9
(2.0) 10 or more


3. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
(0.0) No
(1.0) Yes


4. Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
(0.0) No
(1.0) Yes


5. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hang-over?
(0.0) No
(1.0) Yes

This Questionnaire for Alcohol Problems Is a Shortened AUDIT Test

 

[Michael Scally MD]

“I don't drink water. Fish fuck in it.” ― W.C. Fields

 

[Sparkyp]

“I don't drink water. Fish fuck in it.” ― W.C. Fields

Love w.c. Fields. One of my favorite lines is:
“Ive spent half of my money on booze and girls, the other half I wasted”

Rockclimber, sounds like your an alcoholic in the making. Do you get the shakes at all?
There’s a lot of functioning addicts/alcoholics. I think @fodsod mentioned if you can’t go without it then you have a problem. And he’s right. Even if you physically don’t need it.
I’m 9 years clean myself. I envy the people like you that can just have a couple drinks. But if it’s weighing on you, it maybe time to re-evaluate yourself and take a break. In that break you’ll know if you have a true problem

 

[Ripped]

Serious question. I'll take all the shit you can throw at me regardless.

This whole thing started when I was trying to cut weight for bodybuilding. I realized in my macros that I was spending between 500 and 1000 calories a day on alcohol while bulking. A lot of times I would cut that down to 250 calories (2 beers) but I'm still drinking alcohol everyday. It is basically impossible for me to have zero calories of alcohol a day.

I went to the Alcoholics Anonymous website and took the tests and it says that I'm not an alcoholic but I'm at risk. They had like 11 signs that you're an alcoholic, a lot of them were ridiculous like blacking out and not remembering things, embarrassing yourself at family functions excetera. Some of them did apply to me like drinking alone but what man doesn't drink alone while watching football?

The real reason I think I'm an alcoholic is because I drink hard liquor at lunch. I'm especially fond of Long Island Iced Teas which contain around 4 ounces of liquor. Fortunately I own several companies and therefore don't have to answer to anyone so I can drink at lunch but this does concern me as far as alcoholism goes and my family has a large history of alcoholism.

So to the question at hand, am I an alcoholic? Should I go to AA? I've asked my wife and my family this question and they all think that it is a stupid idea to go to AA but I think deep in my heart I probably need to go. Plus we all know getting that last layer of fat off requires no alcohol in the diet LOL. P.S. I'm writing this at lunch while drinking an LIT.
View attachment 95103

It's a problem for you already it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of it.
Because you already know it's starting to get a grip on you so I believe you should address it soon and good luck you can beat it no problem.

“I don't drink water. Fish fuck in it.” ― W.C. Fields

Lmfao

 

[boost creep]

An old biker once told me this one...… Go to the bar every day after work for a month straight and have only one drink. If you can do that without having more than one your not an alcoholic. Fuck I could never do that! lol.
Im an alcoholic 15 years sober. Not trying to be a dick but if your asking the question be careful!

 

[ickyrica]

Truly enjoy threads like this. Growth happens when we ask hard questions and heed the warnings...

 

[Rockclimber]

Love w.c. Fields. One of my favorite lines is:
“Ive spent half of my money on booze and girls, the other half I wasted”

Rockclimber, sounds like your an alcoholic in the making. Do you get the shakes at all?
There’s a lot of functioning addicts/alcoholics. I think @fodsod mentioned if you can’t go without it then you have a problem. And he’s right. Even if you physically don’t need it.
I’m 9 years clean myself. I envy the people like you that can just have a couple drinks. But if it’s weighing on you, it maybe time to re-evaluate yourself and take a break. In that break you’ll know if you have a true problem

No shakes, no hangovers, no blacking out, no morning drinks. Just a few at lunch and then maybe 1 at night. The concern is that I need to stop so I can cut weight better but I can't seem to stop completely. Most people say that if you can have just 1 or 2 you dont have a problem.... and that's why for so long I didn't think I had a problem. Even my wife who isn't a drinker says me going to AA "would be stupid"
But deep down inside, I know I need to stop. I would like to get to the point that I can just have a few on the weekend while barbecuing and 0 drinks monday-thursday. That'll be my priority this month.

No Alcohol August
Let's see how long it lasts.