Alcoholics drink every day

Another myth about alcoholism is the idea that to be an alcoholic you have to drink every day. There are different types of alcoholics and different stages of alcoholism.

Not every alcoholic drinks every day, although most alcoholics in the late stages of alcoholism drink daily as long as they can physically withstand the consequences. Some alcoholics, though, are periodic drinkers. A periodic drinker who is also an alcoholic will go on what’s been termed “benders”. The periodic might drink to excess for 4 or 5 days then suffer the hangover and withdrawals to stay sober for 2 weeks or a month, then go on another bender for another 4 or 5 days.

The problem is what alcohol does when the drinking begins. Alcoholism also has stages. No one goes straight to late stage alcoholism when they first start drinking, so there might be years in which the alcoholic can control his/her drinking to a certain point, then lose control at another point. Some have called this controlled and uncontrolled drinking. If a person has to exert energy to “control” drinking, this could be a symptom of alcoholism. Normal drinkers don’t have to exert energy to control their drinking — they can take it or leave it.

An alcoholic’s drinking increases in frequency as the alcoholism progresses and it becomes harder and harder to control. Many alcoholics deny they have a problem because they can stop for periods of time. In order to diagnose alcoholism it takes a number of signs and symptoms, so the ability to control the drinking in the early and middle stages doesn’t mean the person is not an alcoholic. Below from alcoholreham.com is a list of stereotypes regarding alcoholics and how stereotypes are not always valid:

The usual stereotype of an alcoholic includes a list of characteristics including:

* Someone who doesn’t have much money.
* Drinks cheap alcohol – often from a paper bag.
* Is unable to hold down a job and may even be unemployable.
* They are usually estranged from their family.
* Physically or verbally aggressive.
* Someone who drinks every day.
* Someone who drinks alcohol as soon as they wake up.
* They frequently suffer from blackouts where they can’t remember what has happened.
* They have made a mess of their life.
* They will probably be wearing cheap clothes and have poor personal hygiene habits.
* They enjoy drinking alone.

While there are certainly alcoholics who do fit in with at least some of the characteristics of the stereotypical alcoholic the majority do not. In reality an alcoholic can:

* Have plenty of money and nice possessions.
* Only ever drinks expensive beers or wines.
* Is highly successful in their career and their work colleagues respect them.
* Are loved by their family and friends.
* Never become aggressive when alcohol. They may even be able to completely hide the fact that they have been drinking.
* They are able to stop drinking for days at a time.
* Never drink in the mornings.
* Never experience blackouts – or at least don’t remember experiencing them.
* Are highly respected in their community and thought by many to be a successful person.
* Wear expensive clothes and are always well groomed.
* Rarely drink alone.