What If I'm No Longer an Alcoholic?

Could I eventually go back to drinking without it getting out of hand?

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

It’s been six and a half years since I quit drinking. Am I still an alcoholic?

I’m not asking about the semantics of the word. Although the debate between the terms “alcoholic,” “recovered alcoholic,” and “former alcoholic,” can be interesting, that’s not what I want to focus on in today’s newsletter.

Instead, I’m interested in the real, underlying question: If I had one alcoholic drink today, would I feel an irresistible compulsion to drink another? Or, after six and a half years without a drink, is it possible that I’ve changed, and would now be able to drink in moderation?