recovery matters

Self Test

This questionnaire is based on one commonly used by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Please answer yes or no to the following questions. Please note the word "ever" is used, rather than "often" and is important as a diagnostic indicator.

Have you ever felt you should cut down on, or tried to control (successfully or not) your drinking?
Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
Do you ever take a “regmaker” or morning “eye-opener” to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?
Is alcohol sometimes more important than the other things in your life – your family, job, school, and your values?
Do you find yourself lying to your spouse, your kids, friends or employer to try to cover up your drinking – even though you don’t like lying?
Have you ever switched from one drink to another in the hope that this would stop you from getting drunk, or from getting aggressive?
Have you had problems connected with alcohol use in the past year? (Drinking and Driving charges, non-attendance at work or school, missed appointments, failed exams, financial problems, auto or other accidents with or without injury).
Has your drinking caused problems at home or work? Are those around you annoyed or concerned about it? Are you annoyed by their concern? Do you become defensive?
Have you ever gone to work or driven a car while intoxicated?
Have you been drunk more than four times in the past year? Do you sometimes stay drunk for days at a time?
Do rely on alcohol to help you cope? (Socialize, to change how you feel, give you confidence)
Are you pre-occupied with drinking? (Making sure you always have a supply, drinking more than others at a party, drinking at home after a party)
Do you notice you need more alcohol to achieve the same result?
Do you create situations where you can drink? (Inviting friends over, going out to dinner, meeting colleagues at a bar)
Do you tell yourself you can stop anytime, but find you keep getting drunk when you don’t mean to?
Have you ever woken up in the morning with no memory of the night before? Have these blackouts become more frequent?
Do the people you spend your time with drink too much? Do you avoid friends and family when you are drinking?
Do you do things while under the influence that you wouldn’t do otherwise? Do you find yourself regretting them later?
Have you ever thought your life might be better if you didn’t drink?
Has a doctor ever warned you to stop drinking?

If you have answered yes to even two or three of the above questions, you should consider the possibility that your alcohol use may be a problem. If there are more than five positive responses, you should seek help.