Alcohol Addiction Symptoms: Signs You Shouldn't Ignore
episodePreviously titled “Gray Area Drinking: Am I An Alcoholic? (Signs & Recovery)” — renamed by the publisher on Sep 22, 2026
RECOVERable: Mental Health and Addiction Experts Answer Your Questions
47 min
2 speakers
6 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the guest’s background and why is she talking about alcohol use?
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If I can give it up, I don't have a problem. That is a misconception. National mental
health expert Kelly Kitley, a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience, shares her holistic approach to breaking cycles of trauma and addiction.
Look, we can't force somebody to change. I think that that's really important to note. There has to be a willingness and a desire to stop drinking alcohol.
Welcome to Recoverable. I'm your host, Terry McGuire. Today's discussion is going to be about alcohol use disorder and gray area drinking. And it's for anyone concerned about their own or someone else's drinking habits. There are a lot of us high functioning people who feel a disconnect between our put together lives and our private drinking habits. This episode will explore that gap and remind us all that you don't have to be an alcoholic to decide that your life or someone else's could be better and healthier without alcohol. Kelly Kitley, thank you so much for joining us. It's so great to be here, Terri. And you not only have the professional experience to discuss with us, but also lived experience, and you have literally written the book on being a person in recovery.
So let's start with your own story and just tell us a bit about your personal experience and exposure to alcohol and alcohol use disorder.
So I was born into the bar business. That's usually my opener. Yeah. That's a heck of an opener. And my grandfather was a bar owner. My father was a bar owner. And now my brother is running my family bar. You were raised above that bar. I was as the oldest of five. And so the regulars were like extended family. And so I was very curious about alcohol at a young age and why did people walk into the bar acting a certain way and then they left acting a different way, which was usually louder and laughing and not able to walk straight. And so I became very curious. I had my first blackout and my first drink when I was 13 years old. And... had tried to manage and control my drinking almost my entire drinking career, as I say.
And as a mom of four children, my drinking changed throughout the trajectory from binge drinking to drinking more regularly, as I called it, around the witching hour of raising children. And so the progression changed and the way that I drank changed. And I have been a clinical social worker for 25 years, and I didn't think I qualified as somebody who had a drinking problem. And I recognized through my research and my schooling that alcohol use is really along the spectrum. And we can talk about diagnoses and labels, but also it's important to look at alcohol use from a whole health perspective.
Yeah.
And you are in recovery now. I am. I will celebrate 13 years next month. Congratulations. Thank you.
So we're going to start with the top questions from the internet. I'm going to have a thousand on my own because I'm very curious about your story and what you know I can teach us. Not surprisingly, the number one question that's searched in this area is simply, am I an alcoholic?
How do I know? Terri, I took that questionnaire so many times and oftentimes we overlook some of the real seriousness of it because one of the components of drinking is denial at times and sometimes we minimize our drinking. But the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders qualifies alcohol use disorder if somebody has increased tolerance, if they have interruption in relationships or jobs, if they are increasing tolerance, if they're not able to stop on their own. And oftentimes we use these qualifiers of, did you get a DUI. Did you lose your job? Did you lose your family? But really, it's when alcohol becomes a disruption in daily living. That can be a very
difficult thing to recognize for yourself because it's easy to think, and I shouldn't even say think, it's easy to believe that it is improving your life because it's helping you, whatever that is.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the guest’s background and why is she talking about alcohol use?
0:00–6:17
2
How did Kelly Kitley’s personal journey lead her to recovery?
6:17–12:36
3
What are the DSM‑5 criteria that define Alcohol Use Disorder?
12:36–19:21
4
Which signs indicate problem drinking or gray‑area drinking?
19:21–27:56
5
How can someone cope with social anxiety and stay sober in social settings?
27:56–37:06
6
What are practical moderation‑management strategies like Dry January?
37:06–47:25
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from RECOVERable: Mental Health and Addiction Experts Answer Your Questions
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