Am I an Alcoholic?

There was a time when I typed "How much do alcoholics drink?" into google in the middle of the night wondering iwhat I would find. I knew I was drinking more than I wanted to be, and yet in my mind an alcoholic was someone that drank in the mornings or drank every night, and I definitely was NOT that, right?

The truth is we have been conditioned in our society to believe a narrative that there are only two types of drinkers: those that drink normally and alcoholics. But what about those of us that fall into what I've come to call "gray area drinking"? Drinking more than we know we should, but able to function normally in life? These late night google searches just lead to more questions.

Firstly, did you know that the term "Alcoholic" is no longer even used by medical and scientific organizations? It has been replaced with the term "Alcohol Use Disorder" or AUD. And what does alcohol use disorder mean? It means that the use of alcohol or any substance is not a black or white thing. There are different classifications: mild, moderate, and severe.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) is the standard for classifying medical Alcohol Use Disorder. The DSM-5 uses the following questions:

IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

• Had times when you ended up drinking more, or longer, than you intended?

• More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?

• Spent a lot of time drinking? Or being sick or getting over other after effects?

• Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?

• Found that drinking—or being sick from drinking—often interfered with taking care of your home or family? Or caused job troubles? Or school problems?

• Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?

• Given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to you, or gave you pleasure, in order to drink?

• More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unsafe sex)?

• Continued to drink even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem? Or after having had a memory blackout?

• Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect you want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?

• Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, or a seizure? Or sensed things that were not there?

**Source: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, 2013

The presence of at least 2 of these symptoms indicates an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

The severity of the AUD is defined as:

Mild: The presence of 2 to 3 symptoms

Moderate: The presence of 4 to 5 symptoms

Severe: The presence of 6 or more symptoms

So what does this mean for you if you are googling for answers late at night? It means that there is a spectrum of abusing alcohol. We can shift from seeking to find whether or not we are "alcoholics" and instead ask "Do I want to change my relationship with alcohol and Why?"

Reach out to Coach Kelly if you want that change. It is possible!

***Important: The document is not intended for individuals with a physical dependence on alcohol.