I like to drink a six pack of beer a night, does that make me a alcoholic?

As others have said it is not the amount or type of alcohol that is consumed, it is the dependency. but to add to that, it is your reason(s) for drinking. the vast majority of people drink to either relax or become sociable. while that might not qualify for being an "alcoholic" alone it is the stepping stone for becoming one. there's 3 main symptoms to look out for if you don't want to become an alcoholic.

1) you drink alone. drinking alone often means you are drinking as a coping mechanism rather than for social events. it can lead to addiction and eventually affliction.

2) binge drinking, more than 2-3x + a month. while it has been stated earlier that it is not the amount you drink, it is the reason(s) the only common reason for binge drinking is to escape reality. that is a sure sign of alcoholism and alcohol dependency.

3) feelings of depression, anxiety, a/o thoughts of suicide when going with out alcohol for prolonged periods of time. this is a sing that you are at least mentally dependent on alcohol for pleasure and happiness, that is a sing of alcoholism and being an alcoholic.

A six pack of beer is 72 ounces. That's about half the daily beer ration for the Royal Navy. You're not even close to drinking enough.

There was a time I drank a 6 pack of beer every night. Now I can take it or leave it. I don't think it makes you an alcoholic at all.

You're an alcoholic if you can't live without that 6-pack every night--it's not the AMOUNT or TYPE of liquor you consume that makes you alcoholic--it's your dependence on that particular amount or type. You can be an alcoholic on as little as one beer a night if you cannot live without it. That's your standard for determining if you are alcoholic. Not the type of liquor and not the amount.

The hallmark of alcoholism is if you can't stop drinking even if it adversely affects you.

I don't know if you are or aren't an alcoholic, but I can tell you that drinking that much will adversely affect your health eventually.

I don't think it does, but that's more or less what I usually drink. And when I admit to it they're absolutely convinced that I am one. I can take or leave it.