-=> Quoting Jane Kelley to Regina Finan <=-
 RF> JK> was uncomfortable).  I self RF> medicate myself at time with beer.  

 RF> JK> do have several beers a week, not RF> getting high on it or drunk, 
but
 RF> JK> several a week.  I will panic if there RF> is none in the house.  I
 RF> JK> need one to be in my fridge at all times.  I do RF> go for weeks
 RF> JK> without it also.  No, I am not an alcoholic, but you will RF> 
probably
 RF> JK> call me that after what I said.  I am ADHD and I self medicate RF>
 RF> JK> myself with it.  I smoke cigarrettes which is another form of self- 
RF>
 RF> JK> medication.
 
 RF> JK> This is very dangerous for you and more dangerous for your children 
to
 RF> JK> see this in a parental role model.  Most addicts start out just this
 RF> JK> way with the same jusitifications.
 
 RF> They really don't see anything.  They know beer is in the fridge, but
 RF> that is all they see.  It's not like I go into some frenzy or tantrum.
 JK> You have more symptoms at your age than I did when I finally wised up
 JK> and quit drinking beer.  One day it is going to become markedly
 JK> unfriendly and you will wish you'd take my advice and done to see a
 JK> certified drug and alcohol counselor close to you.  Only then can you
 JK> find out for certain if you have any of the various forms of
 JK> alcoholism. The most common type is not the only form of this disease.
 I have, thank you.  And it all came out that I was not an alcoholic, I
 was abusing it at one time because of a abusive ex-husband and strict
 european parents, which I was mentally abused by my mother and spankings
 from my dad were also abusive.  I had psch. help during and after my
 first marriage and have been able to put just about everything behind me.
 The only reason I have this mentally dependence on beer being in the
 house is because I hate pop.  The psch. said if I would have liked pop
 I would have been the same way only with that.  My daughter is like
 that with pop.  She must have it in her fridge.  Since my stomach won't
 allow me to abuse it anyways, I don't drink much of it.  I drink more
 than 8 glasses of filtered water everyday, only two cups of coffee in
 the morning and because I have low-blood sugar, coffee is followed up
 with two glasses of water and 4 to 5 smaller meals a day.  Not much of
 a meat eater, love veggies and very seldom eat snacks or desserts of
 any kind.  I grow a garden just about every year and can alot of my
 veggies including spaghetti sauce and so forth.
 Not everyone who abuses alcohol at one time in their life is an alcoholic.
 There is a big difference in abuse and dependence on it.  I was fortunate
 enough to have a psych who was able to help me see the why's so it never
 got very far.  Because of my family abuse and ADHD it could have.  I
 also have a problem with dark chocolate covered cherries by Cella.  Only
 that brand.  I don't eat alot of them, but once I find them I buy 4 boxes
 or more and stuff them in a drawer.  Just to have them there.  It is my
 connection to pleasurable things since growing up was not pleasant, so I
 hold on to things that either do or can make me feel good.
 Since you don't know my mental or physical history (my doctors do) I would
 suggest you refrain from implying people are alcoholics without all the
 data and dr. degree needed to make a diagnosis.  And as far as you are
 concerned:  if you are an alcoholic and stopped drinking, hats off to ya.
 But you are not me and I am not you and our mental and physical make-ups
 are not the same.
 Regina
... All I need is a Wave and a board to surf it on.
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