Should i get sober even if it isn't "bad enough"?

I'm 19f and alcoholism runs in my family. My dad is a functioning alcoholic and doesn't even want to admit he has a problem which makes it even harder for me to quit drinking, because there's always alcohol in the house.

I've been drinking since i was about 15, at first i stole alcohol from my parents, then at 16 i was able to buy beer and wine from the store (i don't live in the us, you can buy alcohol here from the age 16) and ever since i turnef 18 i've just been drinking hard liquor. I mostly drink alone, as i rarely get invited to partys or anything, but when i'm out with my friends, we usually end up drinking aswell.

But it's not like i have to drink every day. I have "phases", where i drink daily for a few weeks/ up to 2 months, and then get sick of it and quit and i'm fine. But after a few weeks, the cycle repeats, i start drinking again because of whatever reason and my drinking has become more intense, like i'll start earlier, sometimes at noon, i drink more and more frequently. The phases where i don't drink have become shorter.

But i feel like i can't call myself an alcoholic because i don't experience any physical withdrawals, only when i'm in a "drinking phase" i start getting angry and annoyed when i haven't drank yet. I never really did anything stupid while drunk, except for one time and that was a year ago.

When i hear other peoples storys i feel like i don't have a problem, because i'm still functioning like my dad is.

I guess i just wanted to talk to someone about this and get some advice.

Posted Jul 29, 2026, 6:48 AM UTC

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