When We Drank, Bad Things Happened

I’ve said this before, you know you need help with your alcohol use if when you drink, bad things happen.  It’s so much simpler than asking yourself what I call “denial questions” – do I drink in the morning? no. Does that mean I’m not really an alcoholic?  Argggh! What a great way to make sure you don’t get help.  I mean, how many of us were full-blown drunks but never ever ever drank in the morning so we concluded that indeed we were in full control of our drinking?

Over the last two decades I’ve learned not to roll my eyes when I hear the “denial questions”:

I don’t drink every day (I did, but I know a lot of drunks who were binge drinkers)

I only drink when I’m out – never alone (big deal, where you drink has nothing to do with how you drink)

I don’t really have blackouts (translated: I occasionally do forget a few things I said or did, but it’s not like I forget the whole night!  Good for you! Hope the part you forgot wasn’t too bad!)

I don’t drink as much as X, Y, or Z (comparing yourself to even bigger drunks is an excellent way to talk yourself out of needing help! Sort of like, I’m not fat because I’m only 40 pounds overweight, but that gal is a good 70 pounds overweight!)

I just have really high tolerance – so I can drink a lot more than other people with no effects (you just have really high tolerance because you’ve been drinking a lot for a really long time, oh, and guess what, alcoholics tend to have really high tolerance.)

I’ve never had a DUI (yet)

I have a really good job and make a lot of money. I’m too successful to be a drunk.  (Hope it doesn’t catch up to you – it usually does – plus it’s fun to go to early morning meetings with a headache or sick stomach)

I’ve never done anything I wouldn’t have done sober (are you absolutely sure of that?)

I only drink beer.  (Uh, beer is alcohol, you just have to drink a bit more liquid – one beer = one shot.  Six beers = Six shots.)

I only drink fine wines (this one makes me smile; many times I would buy expensive wines and liqueurs to convince myself I was a connoisseur – gotta research the latest cabs, you know!)

No one in my family is a drunk and it’s supposed to be genetic (often is – and chances are there is a drunk in your family; either no one talks about Great Grandpa James escapades  or that person figured it out early enough and stopped drinking; but if you don’t, congratulations on starting a new branch in the family tree)

Frankly, if you are spending any time whatsoever trying to come up with reasons you do NOT have a problem with alcohol, chances are, you DO.