Do I Have a Problem With Alcohol?

Alcoholism is a serious and life-threatening disease that affects over 20 million Americans on an annual basis, and is currently the leading cause of death nationwide, surpassing motor vehicle accidents and chronic disease for the first time in recorded history. Of course, not everyone that drinks on a regular basis is an alcoholic. It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether or not your drinking has shifted from fun and social to potentially having a problem with alcohol. If you believe you may be beginning to transition into the danger zone as far as your alcohol consumption goes, take a look at these warning signs and determine for yourself if further consultation is necessary.

How Can I Tell If I Have a Problem With Alcohol?

If you believe you may be struggling with the beginning stages of alcoholism, try asking yourself the following questions:

• Are you able to only drink one alcoholic beverage at a time, without obsessing about or focusing on drinking more?
• Have you tried to quit drinking for an extended amount of time, but been unable to successfully stop?
• Have you given up other activities so you have more time to drink?
• Does alcohol take up a great amount of your energy and focus?
• Have you suffered any consequences at work, school, or legally?

These are all the basics, the questions that you will stumble across on any run-of-the-mill “are you an alcoholic” test. And for good reason – if you answer ‘yes’ to any, most, or all of these questions you are likely battling some degree of substance dependency. However, there are several additional questions that you should be asking yourself in order to truly determine whether or not you are a problem drinker, heading towards a dark and devastating career of unrelenting alcoholism.

Questions You Should Be Asking Yourself

• Do I bring alcohol to events that other people wouldn’t consider booze-fueled? (Do sneak a water bottle full of vodka into the movies, or Disneyland, or your psychology course?)
• Do you misplace your cellphone and/or wallet on a regular basis?
• Have you ever felt extreme anger, annoyance, or sadness because you were not able to have an alcoholic beverage when you ‘wanted’ one?
• Do people know you as a partyer – as someone who will always, without fail, know where the party is at and whether or not there is booze there?
• Do you tend to keep drinking after you throw up, black out, or start spinning?
• Do you often wake up wondering what the heck happened last night?
• Do you hide alcohol at parties if you see the supply beginning to run low?
• Do you bring your own alcohol to social events where there will be alcohol to ensure that you will have enough alcohol?
• Have you ever wet the bed, or a couch, or any other piece of furniture you passed out on?
• Do you sometimes drink when you feel hungover to avoid symptoms like nausea, weakness, fatigue, and headaches?
• How many fingers am I holding up?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the eleven questions above, you may have a serious problem with alcohol. If you believe you may be struggling and are interested in what steps to take, please contact one of our trained representatives for a comprehensive list of treatment options.