Are You Just an Occasional Heavy Drinker, or on the Way to Serious Health Issues?
Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
Is drinking affecting your reputation?
Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
Have you had financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
Do you turn to inferior companions and environments when drinking?
Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare?
Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
Do you want a drink the next morning?
Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
Do you drink to escape from worries or troubles?
Do you drink alone?
Have you ever had a loss of memory from drinking?
Has a physician ever treated you for drinking?
Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?
Answering yes to just three of these questions represents a sign of concern that your drinking behavior may be leading to serious issues, according to the Office of Health Care Programs, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, who are the developers of this well-known screening quiz. The more "yes" answers beyond three, the more likely you may be developing increasingly harmful behaviors associated with alcohol and alcohol dependency. From ministers to physicians to professionals to everyday housewives, alcohol is no respecter of persons.
Remember, admitting you have a problem is a not a weakness—it is a strength and a good sign of starting to recover from potentially lethal or highly harmful problems.