What Does Alcoholism Really Look Like?

Have you ever questioned your relationship with alcohol? Perhaps you have been ‘overdoing it’ on a more frequent basis. Maybe you recently got a DUI. Or does it seem like every time you drink you find yourself in an argument with your spouse? Any of these experiences, among others, can prompt us to look at our relationship with alcohol.

                You consider yourself and where you are in your life. You observe your physical state. “I can go days without drinking”, you think. “I don’t get the shakes; I feel physically fine.”. I wonder if you think about everything you achieve daily, “I manage my own company, I couldn’t do that if I was an alcoholic!”. It may be that you are newly twenty-two years old, “I am not an alcoholic, everyone my age drinks the same amount as I do.”.

                One problem is that the media often portrays one specific version of an alcoholic. This version is older, frazzled, and tired looking. This version does not often have financial stability or a successful career. This version is lonely and unhappy. There are alcoholics that fit this description, and there are many more that do not. Alcoholism has many ages, faces, professions, and lifestyles. Just because you do not ‘look’ like the type of alcoholic that we often think of as a reference does not mean you do not have a problem with alcohol. The danger in thinking that way is that it allows you to continue drinking without giving further consideration to the idea that you may have a drinking problem. If you are questioning whether you may have a drinking problem, it may be time to let a professional help you find your answer.

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Sources

5 types of alcoholics: WHAT ARE THE SUBTYPES OF ALCOHOLICS?. Alcohol.org. (2023, January 19). https://alcohol.org/alcoholism-types/