Am I an Alcoholic?

The Johns Hopkins 20 Questions

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
6. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family’s welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
19. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?

If you answered yes to any one of these questions, you may have a problem with alcohol.  If you answered yes to two of these questions, you probably have an issue with alcohol.  If you answered yes, to three or more of these questions, you should seek professional help.  Talk to your doctor.  Talk to a close friend.  Talk to someone, but speak honestly and completely.  This is no time for secrets.

We Are Only as Sick as Our Secrets

The more secrets that you keep, the more that you feel you have to hide, is only more that should be telling you that you DO have a problem with alcohol.  The fact that you’re even on this webpage is a little alarm bell in your head that something is wrong.  Maybe there is a problem and that problem will not go away on its own.  You need to take action. No, it’s not easy, but the longer you wait, the worse it will get.  Alcoholism is a disease that will never just get better on its own. Alcoholism is a progressive disease that gets worse if you continue to drink. If you find that you are constantly thinking about your next drink or thinking about if you have already had enough to drink, maybe it’s time to realize that you have probably had enough to drink for good.

There is a Solution

Find a local meeting.  Alcoholics Anonymous really is ANONYMOUS.  Walk into a meeting and sit down and listen to the other people that have found and answer to their problem.  You’ll quickly learn that your problem is NOT UNIQUE.  You can just sit and listen.  You’ll never have to justify your presence. At some point in the meeting, the leader will ask “any newcomers if they’d like to identify by first name only”.  You can say, “Hi, my name is John, and I’m just listening tonight.”

In response, the entire room will come alive with calls of “Welcome!” and “Keep Coming Back!” and “We’re here for YOU!”  You need say nothing further and you can leave at any time.  But stay to the end.  Surely, some members will want to talk to you.  They’ll invite you to come back the next time they meet.  They’ll want to get to know you.  But, it’s always your option to say, “I’ve got some things to think about. Thank you.” and head for the door.