Am I An Alcoholic?

Alcoholism is a disease that affects millions of people around the world. Alcoholism most often results from self-medication, which entails using alcohol as a coping mechanism in order to deal with environmental stressors like job troubles or relationship issues. Many people become alcoholics without even realizing that it is happening to them. If you would like to speak with an alcohol counselor you may dial (800-303-2482).

Struggling with alcoholism is a lengthy process, and because it builds up gradually, it affects many people without them even noticing. If you believe that you might have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, then it will be your responsibility to find out whether or not what you are dealing with is alcoholism.

Questions to Help Determine if You are Suffering from Alcoholism

1. Do you ever find that you are losing time from your work because of drinking?
2. Do you feel that your drinking issues are making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you find that you have a tendency to drink because when you are with other people you feel shy?
4. Do you have a feeling that your reputation is being affected by your drinking?
5. Have you ever found that after a night of drinking, you feel remorseful for your actions?
6. Have you ever experienced financial difficulties that came about as a result of your drinking?
7. Do you find that you turn to environments and companions that are inferior when you are drinking?
8. Do you find that you are careless about the welfare of your family when you are drinking?
9. Have you found that your ambition has decreased since you began drinking?
10. Do you feel as if you are craving a drink of alcohol during a specific time during the day? Do you have this craving daily?
11. Do you feel as if you want a drink the very next morning?
12. Do you feel that you are drinking so much that you have difficulty with sleeping?
13. Do you find that your efficiency has decreased since you began drinking?
14. Are you beginning to believe that your job or your business is being jeopardized by your drinking habit?
15. Do you feel that you drink in order to escape from your troubles or your worries? Is stress the primary factor that drives you to drink?
16. Do you drink alone on a regular basis, rather than socially with friends or in public places?
17. Have you ever drunk so much that you lost your memory, or do you have a cloudy memory about events that transpired when you were drinking?
18. Have you ever been treated by a physician for problems related to drinking?
19. Do you ever use drinking as a method of building up your self-confidence or self-esteem?
20. Have you ever been institutionalized or sent to the hospital as a result of your drinking?

It may surprise you to know that answering as few as three of these questions with a “Yes” response can qualify you as having harmful drinking patterns. This is according to the Johns Hopkins University Hospital’s Office of Health Care Programs. This is a definite sign that your normal drinking patterns have become harmful, meaning that you are probably an alcoholic or alcohol dependent. If you answered more than three of these questions with a “Yes” answer, then the odds are good that you need to seek help from a healthcare provider as soon as you possibly can.

Other Things to Consider in Addition to the Questionnaire

Sometimes it can be difficult for someone who is an alcoholic to see the signs in their own selves. You might read through this list of questions and feel like maybe some of them represent you and your drinking habits, but that you do not have a problem like the people who answer yes to those questions. You might even try to rationalize some of the behaviors in the list with statements like “Everyone does that,” and “That is socially acceptable,” but in truth, rationalizing your drinking problem away in your eyes is only going to make your problem worse, not better.

Often the best possible thing that you can do for yourself is to show this list of questions to a loved one who you are close to. Ask them to read through the questions carefully and answer them about you based on recent experiences. If your loved one, someone who cares about you deeply, tells you that you should be answering yes to these questions, then that is a very serious indicator that you have a drinking problem and that you are in denial about it. It can be hard to live in denial about your drinking problem, but having loved ones that want to see you better can help tremendously.

For many people, intervention is absolutely necessary in order to wake an alcoholic up to what is going on around them. Sometimes launching your own personal intervention is the right course of action. If you suspect that you might be dealing with alcoholism, or that you might be abusing alcohol in a manner that is going to lead to alcohol dependence, then why not throw your own intervention?

Sit down with your family members and your friends, confess to them that you have a problem but that you want to get help, and ask for all of the support that you need going forward so that you can get through this difficult task without feeling alone or defeated. Your loved ones will rally around you and support you through this process.

There are many help options out there for you to consider if you think that you may be dealing with alcoholism. For example, there are drug rehab facilities (800-303-2482) that treat alcoholism, support groups like alcoholics anonymous, counseling and therapy opportunities through trained professionals, hotlines that you can call and a variety of additional options depending on what works for you. The best thing that you can do is to find a support option that meets your basic needs and fits in with your schedule, and soak up as much help, support and guidance that you can get while you are working to overcome your addiction.

Alcoholism is a serious thing to contend with, but it is important that you do not simply brush off the fact that you have a disease. Start getting help for your alcoholism by looking for support within your circle of friends, your family and your local community. There are plenty of help and support options out there, and finding the right one is only a matter of knowing what is going to work best for you.

Communicating with other alcoholics who are working on recovery, being accountable to a professional rehab therapist or checking yourself into a rehab clinic may all help you overcome what ails you, allowing you to return to a sober lifestyle where you can learn to deal with your problems in a more effective manner. The help that you are looking for is out there, you simply need to be willing to go looking for it.