Can you be “Almost” An Alcoholic?

Over at the Huffington Post there is an excellent article by clinical psychologist Joseph Nowinski. Nowinski describes our tendency to categorize drinkers as being either alcoholics or “the rest of us” – that is, non-alcoholics. After all, can a woman be “almost” pregnant? But Nowinksi shows that society’s understanding of drinking behavior is inaccurate.

You most likely know that alcohol is an addictive substance. Over the course of time, drinking may lead to physical dependence. So the truth about drinking Nowinski writes, is that that drinking behavior may generally fall into four categories. There are non-problem social drinkers; drinkers tending to be almost alcoholic; alcohol abusers; and finally, alcoholics. But Nowinski stresses that there are infinite degrees of differences between each category.

Being “almost alcoholic” may result in adverse affects, such as poor sleep and the resulting loss of energy and vitality. There are several other effects of which you should be aware. So I definitely recommend that you read Nowinski’s article if you want to get a handle on understanding drinking behavior and the consequences.

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