# Could I be an alcoholic ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283 "2010-07-19T22:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/21 "2010-07-20T16:24:35Z")
> [@](#): > > If it were B vitamins you were after you’d be more likely to crave liver and fava beans. Yes, but a nice Chianti has more alcohol than beer. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/22 "2010-07-20T16:28:54Z")
I don’t usually harp on etiquette, but I think you should be asking, “May I be an alcoholic?” ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/23 "2010-07-21T01:10:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I don’t usually harp on etiquette, but I think you should be asking, “May I be an alcoholic?” Well, you have my permission. ---
**Author:** ![1step4word](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/cc9497/32.png) [@1step4word](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1step4word)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/24 "2010-07-21T01:25:19Z")
Thanks for the comments. I agree with most of the responses. I never have felt that I was an alcoholic, but often you get the response If you have to ask… A few more things at one point in my college days I did drink a lot more, over the last fifteen years my drinking has consistantly decreased to the point is at now. Also good catch on Wheelz’s part. After thinking about it my cravings it seem to decrease as soon I purchase the beer so something else may be going on mentally. ---
**Author:** ![DogRatCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@DogRatCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogRatCat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/25 "2010-07-21T19:00:40Z")
What if you bought a non-alcoholic beer? At least you’d know if it was a craving for Hops or something in the beer besides alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/26 "2010-07-21T21:59:18Z")
Sounds like you might be an alcoshopaholic. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/27 "2010-07-22T09:09:51Z")
> [@1step4word](#): > > Thanks for the comments. I agree with most of the responses. I never have felt that I was an alcoholic, but often you get the response If you have to ask… > > A few more things at one point in my college days I did drink a lot more, over the last fifteen years my drinking has consistantly decreased to the point is at now. > > Also good catch on Wheelz’s part. After thinking about it my cravings it seem to decrease as soon I purchase the beer so something else may be going on mentally. I’d guess simple classical conditioning, and generalizing. Did you previously drink alcohol to make you feel better? Did knowing that you were going to get the beer serve as a relief back then, too? I have the same reaction with some of my OCD medicines. They can’t possibly work immediately, but I tend to feel a lot better as soon as I take them. Heck, it even happens to me with cough syrup (which shouldn’t help with OCD symptoms much, if at all.) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283/28 "2010-07-22T11:22:53Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I would say it’s the nutritional deficit thing. Cravings are a way of your body to say “I need some of X.” I often crave red vegetables or ketchup. That’s when I know I need vitamin A. How can you be sure of this? Do you have someone independently monitoring your Vitamin A levels to see if they concide with your cravings? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-be-an-alcoholic/547283.md?page=1)