Do I Have a Drink Problem?

The very fact that you are asking this question must mean that when you drink it is not always a happy experience. Maybe the occasion itself seems to be more enjoyable due to you having a drink – you are more relaxed, feel more confident, feel more witty etc., – but afterwards you regret how much you had to drink. Perhaps you suffer from a hangover or regret some of the things you did and said. Maybe the drinking meant you did not keep to your original plans – you got home later than intended; had to leave the car somewhere inconvenient for the next day etc.  Maybe you fell out with someone, or got verbally or physically aggressive.

Ask Yourself The Following Questions about drink

Of course lots of people have experiences like these when they have a drink and it does not mean that they have a drink problem as such. But these can be the first signs of addiction.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your drinking often out of control and beginning to have a more negative than positive impact on your life?
• Do you ever forget conversations or things you have done the day before because you have been drinking?
• Do you have a regular time of day when it is important for you to have a drink?
• Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
• Have you ever done something when drinking which you regret and you would not have done if sober?
• Is your drinking making you unhappy?
• Do you sometimes put having a drink before the interests of the people you love?
• Do you drink to give you confidence?
• Is your drinking affecting your sleep?
• Is your drinking affecting your appetite?
• Are you worried about what other people think about the amount you drink?
• Do you regularly drink alone?
• Do you ever have to hide your drink or the amount you drink?
• Are you ashamed of how much you drink?
• Is your drinking affecting your work or your ability to find work?
• Are you achieving less than you could due to drinking?
• Have you taken time off work due to drinking too much?
• Do you ever get a dry mouth or the shakes due to drinking – and feel that only another drink (‘hair of the dog’) will make you feel better?
• Do you ever feel like a drink in the morning?
• Does your drinking give you any financial difficulties?

Even if you answered ‘yes’ to only a few of these questions, you may have the beginnings of a drink problem – and the more ‘yes’ answers you gave, the more serious your problem is likely to be. Do not put off facing up to the problem.

Please see our alcohol addiction page for more detail on its symptoms, consequences and causes.

Progression

Alcoholism is a progressive illness that only ever gets worse and for which there is no cure. But there is hope. It can be stopped in its progress one day at a time – by not drinking at all on that day. There are millions of alcoholics in the UK, many not drinking and in recovery, but many more in active addiction and struggling with the effect that drink is having on their lives and on the lives of the people they love.

Help is available. Many turn to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which is a fellowship of people with alcohol problems who support one another to maintain sobriety.  Some people go to AA and find all the help they need there in order to stop drinking and stay stopped. Others go into a rehab clinic in order to get detoxed from the physical addiction and to address the psychological obsession with alcohol. Whatever is the best route for you, do something about it before you do further damage to yourself and your family and friends.

Call us on 01462 851414