My boyfriend says he is not an alcoholic, he is a problem drinker. What is the difference?
Denial is one of the most obvious signs of alcoholism – people deny that they have a problem at all, even when their life completely falls apart. However, there is a very fine line between problem drinking and alcoholism. Some people abuse alcohol but have not yet crossed the line into dependence. The difference is that they still have some degree of control over their drinking. A problem drinker drinks too much but can still stop or control their drinking. An alcoholic cannot control their drinking. However, keep in mind that most alcoholics will claim that they can stop any time they want to. Only your boyfriend can determine if he actually wants to stop.
