I don’t know if I’m a low key alcoholic or so cheap because in my past I was homeless and dependent on the charity of (sometimes) strangers and feel I only “deserve” alcohol when it’s on sale.
I know binge drinking is stupid, I know if I drink more than a pint of beer without food my stomach feels bad and I feel dizzy, but each time I find beer on sale I buy at least a 6 pack (6 pints). I then promise myself to drink it within several days, not all within 3 days, but something snaps in me each time I open the fridge and see all that beer. I sometimes drink 2 pints a day till I have no more beer.
The only thing stopping me from buying beer every day is the price: if beer is not on sale, I don’t buy it.
Beer is the only alcoholic drink I buy, I cannot tolerate anything else.
There are much healthier alternatives there, like tea, milk or juicy fruits, but my brain still associates beer with a good time, which is very ironic, because now, after drinking almost a pint, I have a headache. It doesn’t even taste as good as I thought it would.
Another thing that stops me from drinking more is reading about other alcoholics, their regrets and health issues, but my brain still “wants” the beer.
To be even more ironic, I usually run 2 miles and do some stretching and yoga before going to work, but yesterday and today I was so tired I skipped this routine and started drinking.
Am I a high functioning alcoholic?
How do I stop being so fixated on alcohol on sale?
I think solutions to this is of a very individual nature - it’s hard to imagine a universal solution.
But it seems your addiction might be to beer more than to alcohol itself, for now at least. And (some) alcohol free beer has gotten really good.
So my suggestion is this: Next time beer is on sale, instead of buying a six pack match the value in buying alcohol free beer. When you’re back home you can still pop a cold one, it still feels like a nice reward, and you don’t feel bad after. And you don’t run the risk of developing an addiction to alcohol.
I never had a drinking problem, but I try to always keep alcohol free beer in the fridge these days just because I think it’s a nice treat after a day of work or whenever.