Are You a Problem Drinker or an Alcoholic? Here’s How to Tell

Various people have different definitions for the term “problem drinker.” They probably differentiate that from being a full-blown alcoholic. Most people readily agree that neither one is a good thing to be, though.

You can take a handy addiction quiz if you are uncertain about which one you are or if you have a serious drinker in your life and you’re curious about how you might define them. We will also talk about what differentiates problem drinkers and alcoholics in the following article.

Problem Drinkers Are Letting Alcohol Impact Their Lives in a Negative Way

First, let us talk about problem drinkers. A problem drinker, at least according to most mental health professionals and doctors, is someone who is allowing alcohol to have a negative impact on their lives.

For instance, you can consider yourself a problem drinker if you drink to excess multiple times per week. You may also fall into this category if alcohol is negatively affecting your relationships with family members, friends, coworkers, etc.

If you’re missing work or you’re late for work frequently because of alcohol, you’re likely a problem drinker. You’re also a problem drinker if you’ve had multiple DUIs or you regularly become violent or abusive when you consume alcohol.  

Alcoholics Are Physically Addicted to Alcohol

Problem drinkers can certainly be alcoholics, but that particular term usually has a slightly different definition, at least from a medical standpoint. To be considered an alcoholic, you must have a physical dependence on alcohol.

In other words, if you’re an alcoholic, then you will experience DTs if you do not consume a baseline amount of alcohol every day. You will go into withdrawal because your body has a dependency.

You Can Be Both a Problem Drinker and an Alcoholic

If you go by these definitions, then you can easily see how you can be both a problem drinker

and an alcoholic. You might be an alcoholic, which is to say that you have a physical dependence on alcohol, but you may also exhibit some or all of the troubling behaviors we mentioned earlier. You can be an alcoholic and a problem drinker simultaneously.

However, you can also be a problem drinker without necessarily being an alcoholic. You might get DUIs, be late for work because of alcohol, and so forth, but you don’t have that physical dependency. You might crave and want alcohol, but you will not experience physical withdrawal if you can’t get it.

This might seem like semantics, but if you seek treatment for alcohol abuse, the doctors and mental health professionals who you reach out to will likely put you into one of these categories.

They do that to help treat you. Their treatment recommendation will probably be different if you’re a problem drinker, but you’re not one that needs to be weaned slowly off alcohol because you’re also an alcoholic.

Whether you’re an alcoholic, a problem drinker, or both, if you reach these designations, it’s time to make some changes in your life.