"On the AA issue, let me chime in a few words, Grew up with a highly functioning brilliant father, alcoholic. But there is such a thing as a "dry alcoholic" who stops drinking, somehow, often cold turkey. Does NO introspection about why they drank, learns nothing about how they should cope with stress in the future, gets no tools for the future, but declares themselves "cured" or obviously NOT an alcoholic, b/c they stopped drinking!
But their odd behaviors, overreactions, tempers/ mood swings, and conflict avoidance usually remain, as they really have not been "treated". Don't minimize it."
I guess my question would be .. what makes this person an alcoholic? IF the odd behaviors, overreactions, tempers, mood swings and conflict avoidance were all there BEFORE he was drinking. If the individual had not begun drinking .. he would not have been considered an alcoholic to begin with. He would have (maybe) been considered a very depressed/anxious person.
So, if this person drank for a while and then quit cold turkey .. but did not address those issues (that were there before he drank a lot) how does that MAKE that individual an alcoholic? Wouldn't it just be a case of this person looking for an "out" with the alcohol, didn't find it there, quit the alcohol, but still did not address his personal issues?
How long/how much does a person "have to" drink before they are classified "alcoholic"?
