It may be difficult to distinguish between an alcoholic and someone who has a drinking problem. The problems and consequences are often the same for an alcoholic and a heavy drinker. They may have legal problems due to alcohol or drug use. Their relationships might be suffering, their health deteriorating. They might have lost or may be about to lose their job because of a decline in work performance. The problems are the same and the solutions are the same. The solution is a recovery-based lifestyle supported by abstinence.
Both the alcoholic and the heavy drinker may suffer from anxiety, depression, mood swings, and bipolar symptoms. But of course they feel that way. Those are symptoms of the way they are living. If you are addicted to a substance and are constantly lying to yourself and everyone to not be found out, you might have some anxiety in your life. If you are always thinking about getting more alcohol or drugs, or hiding it when you get it, you might have some anxiety symptoms. If you isolate so you can drink or use, lose jobs, wake up unsure of what happened the night before, and push your loved ones away from you due to your drinking, you might have some depression symptoms. If you are using alcohol or drugs to change the way you feel, feeling euphoric when you do and depressed when you aren’t, you might experience some mood swings or bipolar symptoms. Just because an alcoholic or problem drinker has anxiety, depression, or bipolar symptoms, does not mean they necessarily have those disorders.
Anxiety, depression, and mood swings might just be symptoms of the way we were living. Of course I’m depressed; I’m alone and drinking all day. Of course I’m anxious; I’m on probation and I can’t stop using drugs. Of course it looks like I’m bipolar; I’m constantly using alcohol or drugs and waking up the next day feeling the consequences of that binge. On page 44 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it states, “If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic.”
In other words, someone with a drinking or drug problem will look very similar to an alcoholic or addict when they are actively using. They may have the same legal, emotional, employment, and relational problems. The difference between the addict and alcoholic and the heavy drinker or user is that the heavy drinker might be able to stop entirely on their own. The problem drinker will be able to stop entirely if they have a sufficient reason to. That reason might be a divorce ultimatum, the threat of job loss, a health scare, etc. It is essentially a wakeup call, and when the heavy drinker and user get these wakeup calls they are able to stop entirely. Not cut back or moderate their use, but stop their use completely. Abstinence.
What makes the alcoholic and addict a distinct entity is their inability to stop entirely when they really, honestly want to stop and have every reason to stop. They may want to stop to save their marriage, or job, or health decline. But if they are alcoholic they will be unable to stop drinking and using on their own power. They may quit for a few days or week, even months at a time – but they will always drink or use again.
The alcoholic and addict, when they honestly want to, are unable to entirely quit using alcohol or drugs. Unless they look outside themselves for answers, they will drink or use again. They must find a Power Greater Than Themselves. In order for them to quit entirely they need Recovery plus Abstinence.
If you’re ready to quit for good, contact Bay Area Recovery Center. We’ve been there and we can help you on your road to lasting recovery.