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WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ALCOHOLISM? Purpose: This activity is designed to help you determine if you have some alcoholic tendencies and to advance your understanding of alcoholic behavior.
Directions: Respond to the following questions by answering "yes" or "no".
_____1) Do you occasionally drink heavily after a disappointment, a quarrel, or when the boss/your professors give you a hard time?
_____2) When you have trouble or feel under pressure, do you drink more heavily than usual?
_____3) Have you noticed that you are able to handle more liquor than when you were first drinking?
_____4) Did you ever wake up on the "morning after" and discover that you could not remember part of the evening before, even though your friends tell you that you did not pass out?
_____5) When drinking with other people, do you try to have a few extra drinks when others will not know it?
_____6) Are there certain occasions when you feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available?
_____7) Have you recently noticed that when you begin drinking you are in more of a hurry to get the first drink than you used to be?
_____8) Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking?
_____9) Are you secretly irritated when your family or friends discuss your drinking?
_____10) Have you recently noticed an increase in the frequency of your memory blackouts?
_____11) Do you often find that you wish to continue drinking after your friends say that they have had enough?
_____12) Do you have a reason for the occasions when you drink heavily?
_____13) When you sober, do you often regret things you did or said while drinking?
_____14) Have you tried switching brands or following different plans for controlling your drinking?
_____15) Have you often failed to keep the promises you have made to yourself about controlling or cutting down your drinking?
_____16) Have you ever tried to control your drinking by making a change in jobs, college or moving to a new location?
_____17) Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking?
_____18) Are you having an increasing number of financial, work and school problems?
_____19) Do more people seem to be treating you unfairly without good reason?
_____20) Do you eat very little or irregularly when you are drinking?
_____21) Do you sometimes have "the shakes" in the morning and find that it helps to have a little drink?
_____22) Have you recently noticed that you cannot drink as much as you once did?
_____23) Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time?
_____24) Do you sometimes feel very depressed and wonder if life is worth living?
_____25) Sometimes after periods of drinking, do you see or hear things that aren't there?
_____26) Do you get terribly frightened after you have been drinking heavily?
Scoring: Those who answer yes to two or more of these questions may wish to evaluate their drinking habits to further determine consistency and frequency of patterns. The guide below indicates which questions relate to the different stages of alcoholism.
Questions 1 through 8 represent the early stage of alcoholism. If you checked one or more of these, it would be wise to watch your drinking behaviors carefully. Although many people stay at this stage throughout their lives, many others miss the chance to control their drinking before it progresses.
Questions 9 through 21 represent the middle stage of alcoholism. If you check one or more of these, your dependence on alcohol is probably well established. Outside counseling might be helpful at this stage.
Questions 21 through 26 represent the final stage of alcoholism. If your answers indicate that you are in this stage, you should seek medical help.
From the brochure What are the Signs of Alcoholism? published by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. For more information, visit the website at www.ncadd.org.
