Word alcoholic

[Lotty32]

I am and admit to it but it's such an ugly word! 5 months sober today for the first (and really hope the last time ever) and it's definitely getting easier. Last night was hard as staying with my parents when I always revert to being a child - despite having teens of my own! After lots of drinking at dinner they were talking about a drunk 'but he's not an alcoholic' made me very sad. Don't want to be labelled as an alcoholic - I am me, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and then an alcoholic in that order. Does anyone else feel like this?

Lotty I remember your post at 100 days, 5 months is bloody awesome 😊

Agreed it's a negative term but now you're sober it doesn't need to hold any of the negative emotions it might immediately conjure up, fear, shame, despair. It doesn't have to have any power over you at all. Regret, maybe, but with every day your are building a great gulf between the old you and the you you want to be, who you will be. You are free! As long as you can avoid drinking again then it never needs to define you at all.

It's such an achievement to have got where you have, really, when alcohol is literally everywhere and so many people have turned to it massively in lockdown.

Also I find people always tend to talk about others being 'alcoholics' or getting that way when they themselves have been drinking. It's perhaps a little subconscious reassurance to themselves that they're nowhere near that bad. In reality they probably have no idea what a real life alcoholic can look like.

I am an Alcoholic,I have been sober over 17years.

I did the drinking,I have to accept what goes with it,which is being called an Alcoholic and it’s what I am.Not that anyone calls me one these days.
It’s just a word,better than,pisshead,drunken slut etc.

Be proud of yourself,you need never drink again.

Voldemort - what a truly lovely post thank you so much for your lovely words x