| DEAR DEVLYN: I come from a family where there was alcohol abuse on the part of both of my parents. No one in the family is an admitted alcoholic, but sometimes the problem can be quite obvious. When I drink to excess, I have trouble controlling my emotions. Whatever I'm feeling becomes amplified, so I am quick to be very jubilant, sad or even angry. This lack of control has caused me a lot of trouble -- especially with my current girlfriend. She says she can't handle when I drink because I always become verbally abusive to her. Devlyn, how can I tell if I am an alcoholic? I don't have trouble controlling the amount or frequency of when I drink, but I do get "mood swings" when I'm intoxicated. Is that a classic sign? -- WORRIED IN WORCESTER DEAR WORRIED: The easiest way to determine if you are an alcoholic is to look at your net worth. If your net worth is over $500,000 then you are an alcoholic; if it is less you are a drunk. If you call being verbally abusive to your girlfriend ‘very jubilant‘ then you have some sort of problem which could use some addressing. It is wrong to choose drink over your girlfriend? That’s hard to say. Who has been more supportive of you? Between the two, which one do you tend to make long term plans with? Do you know you will be drinking on New Years Eve yet are unsure where you are going to be doing it at? Which do you look forward to on a Friday more: Drinks after work or an evening spent with your girlfriend? I don’t think the larger problem here is your drinking but your inability to see it’s effects on your life. Makes me wonder what else you are missing... Soon it could be your girlfriend.
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