10 Excuses You Might Hear an Alcoholic Say

10 Excuses You Might Hear an Alcoholic Say : It is often the case that someone who has an alcohol abuse problem will be in a state of denial and will attempt to justify their behavior and drinking levels by using a host of different excuses.

If someone is managing to keep up the pretense that they don’t have an issue with their drinking it is likely that they will be a functioning alcoholic. That means they have developed a high level of tolerance to alcohol so they don’t appear to be drunk or hungover and even often manage to maintain a professional life.

Eventually, the reality of their situation will hit home. In the meantime, these are some of the classic excuses you might hear an alcoholic say.

“Most people like to have a drink”

An alcoholic will often point out that they are only doing what many others do. Drinking is an accepted habit in many cultures so they won’t stand out from the crowd. It is the level of drinking that separates them, of course.

“I am only hurting myself”

You might also hear someone with a drinking problem say that they are only hurting themselves with excessive drinking. The reality is that loved ones are almost always impacted by having an alcoholic in their life.

“I don’t have a problem”

A regular tactic used to deflect attention is to claim that it is a loved one that has the problem rather than themselves. Shifting the blame is a common denial strategy.

“I have to drink in order to relax”

A number of alcoholics tend to justify their drinking by claiming that they need to drink as a way of relaxing away from the stresses of their work.

“I can’t be an alcoholic because I have a regular job”

Someone who is abusing alcohol might claim that their level of drinking can’t really be a problem because they are still managing to hold down a regular job. They will usually say that there is no way they could do this if they were an alcoholic.

“I have always drunk a lot”

An alcoholic will often say that their drinking behavior has always been the same. In a marital relationship, they might claim that their partner knew what they were signing up to and nothing has changed since.

“I can quit anytime I want to”

An alcoholic will regularly claim that they have full control over their drinking habits and they can stop anytime they want to.

“Socializing and drinking is part of my job”

An alcoholic can often claim that they need to drink alcohol regularly as it is a regular feature of their job. Social drinking often features as part of a working culture, but not to the extent they are consuming alcohol and excusing it as just social drinking.

“I can’t afford the time to seek treatment”

It is common for an alcoholic to say that they don’t have the time in their life to seek treatment. They will often claim that they will be able to handle their drinking problem themselves.

“My health is fine”

Although the physical toll of heavy drinking is quite apparent to another person it can often be the case that an alcoholic does not see the deterioration in their appearance.

Trying to convince a loved one that they need help and should seek treatment for their addiction is never going to be an easy task. It is important to approach the subject with compassion and understanding.

Helping someone face up to their alcoholism is always going to be a tough challenge but when they start on a treatment path it can be a transformational moment in their life.