I’m a Stay at Home Mom Who May be an Alcoholic? Could I Really Be One?

by Jane

I’m a stay at home mom with 2 young children. I like to think I’m a good mother who does a good job of keeping the house in order and making sure everything is in good shape for when my husband gets home.

The thing is though, come four o’clock, I’m so ready for that first glass of wine. In fact, by lunch time I’m usually already thinking about it and looking forward to it. I don’t necessarily get drunk every night, but have a ‘few’ glasses practically every day and so would probably describe myself as getting to a state of tipsy most days.

I am starting to worry though whether this is normal? Could I actually be an alcoholic – or at least on the road to becoming one? I should also add that we have a long history of alcoholism in our family.

Answer

Hi Jane

The fact that you’re worried about it and have taken the time to ask the question is actually quite a telling sign, especially the fact that you have a history of alcoholism in your family. It doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic yet (it’s difficult to say by the information you give – take this alcoholism test for a better idea), but you need to know that alcoholism is progressive and so even if you aren’t suffering from what could be formally defined as full blown alcoholism yet, you may be well on your way to doing so.

But for me, whether in fact you meet so called definitions of alcoholism or not is not the major issue. If alcohol is causing you a problem, whether it be mental, emotional, relationship related, to do with work, anything really, you know it’s serious enough to do something about. I like this simple definition that gets used often, ’if drinking alcohol causes you problems, then you have a problem with alcohol.’

‘Normal’ drinkers don’t usually dream about that first drink they’ll be having later that day. ‘Normal’ drinkers can stop after a glass, without it having to become a ‘few.’ Us alcoholics simply obsess and think about alcohol in ways that a ‘normal’ drinker doesn’t. We can’t help it ... that’s why we’re alcoholics.

But what you can help – is what you do about it. Ask for help, get treatment, go to AA – basically do whatever you need to so that you don’t become another statistic in your family.

Good Luck and All the Best

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