Almost Alcoholic

This is the third in a series of blogs about the book. Last week’s blog we started talking about the five signs of being an almost alcoholic. We finished the first sign and this is the second sign in which we will talk about people presented in the book: “You look forward to Drinking. With respect to this second key sign, both Marcus and Jen qualify as almost alcoholics. Although Marcus’s drinking was mostly limited to parties, he readily admitted that he looked forward to it. He even eagerly anticipated getting drunk. Meanwhile, Jen said she definitely looked forward to her glass of wine and would have been considerably put out if someone told her she could not have them.” (pg. 31) When I was drinking I would look forward to getting off work and getting drunk. I worked construction and sometimes we would not even wait to get home we would buy shooters and drink in the parking lot. I would be drunk by the time I arrived home. The third sign: “You Drink Alone. The vast majority of people who drink begin their drinking careers in a social context. And for many people, drinking remains largely a social activity throughout their lives. When a person’s drinking moves beyond a social setting—when it becomes more than just a social activity and is done alone for its own sake; that is, for the intoxicating effects of alcohol—there is a good chance that he or she has crossed the line separating normal social drinking from the territory we’ve labeled almost alcoholic. Drinking alone is also common among alcoholics, and whether this behavior indicates that some one has ventured beyond the large gray area of almost alcoholic drinking to alcoholic drinking depends on whether a person meets the criteria for alcohol dependence.” (pg.31, 32) When no one was around I would drink alone. It was cheaper than going out and spend money drinking in a bar. Alcohol can make you do some crazy things. Even if they put you in jail, a person will continue to drink after they get out. When they would put me on antibuse and probation, I was just a dry drunk waiting to get off so I could drink. I still had the alcoholic tendencies. To wake up and know what you did the night before is a relief also. Next week we will finish the signs of an almost alcoholic.