This simple quiz may help you answer the question, “Am I an alcoholic?” Give yourself one point for each “yes” answer.

1. Do you lose time from work due to your 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. Do you confuse memories of things that have actually happened to you with things that you’ve seen happen to other people on T.V.?
7. Have you gotten into financial dificulties as a result of your drinking?
8. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
9. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
10. Are there periods of time for which you cannot account, no matter how hard you try?
11. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking — stop telling you what to do?
12. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
13. Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?
14. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
15. Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
16. Do you sometimes “skip” breakfast or lunch so that you’ll have more money to spend on drinks?
17. In arguments, do people quickly concede your point rather than risk having to deal with you when you’ve gotten overexcited?
18. Has the distinction between drinking alone and drinking with others become so badly blurred that you can no longer tell the difference?
19. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
20. Are there no longer times when you really don’t mean to get drunk?
21. Do you love me?
22. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
23. No, really: do you love me?

Scoring:

0-3: Risk low. Even people with no risk of alcoholism sometimes encounter alcohol-related difficulties.

4-10: Risk moderate. Alcohol has probably gotten you into more trouble than you’d like. The possibility that this trend will continue is high unless action is taken soon.

11-20: Risk high. Even you are no longer persuaded by the explanations you give for your drinking. Seek help from someplace other than the place where you usually go when you need help.

21-23: Risk null. You have ascended the high mountain and are now beyond the kenning of normal men. Any advice we might offer you would be wholly redundant.

 
     



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