How Do You Know If You Are an Alcoholic?

How do you know if you are an alcoholic? What makes a person an alcoholic? Perhaps you're wondering because the start of a new year often brings reflection on the past as well as hope for the future. It can prompt a person to make resolutions to be healthier, and that may be motivation to look at whether he or she is an alcoholic. Addiction to alcohol, or alcoholism, is not a one-size-fits-all disease. There isn’t a blood test for it, it doesn’t consist of a specific number of drinks per day, nor can someone decide that you are an alcoholic for you. Whether or not you are an alcoholic depends on a number of conditions, the biggest being the effect that alcohol has on your life.

How Do You Know If You Are an Alcoholic? Take This Quiz

If you are experiencing negative consequences (relationships, career, legal) as a result of your drinking, then you may want to take a look at the list of questions below and consider your answers.

Signs of Alcoholism Quiz

• Do you drink alcohol in order to change your mood?
• Have family or friends expressed concern about your drinking?
• Do you crave alcohol at a certain time of day?
• Do you get anxious on days when you don’t drink?
• Do you disrespect the people around you while drinking?
• Have you ever done something you regret while drinking?
• Has alcohol ever affected your performance at work?
• Do you neglect the welfare of your friends and family due to alcohol?
• Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking?
• Do you drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel with someone?
• Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink?
• Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though your friends say you didn't pass out?
• When drinking with other people, do you try to have a few extra drinks when others won't know about it?

So, how do you know if you are an alcoholic? Answer: If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it could mean that you have a problem with alcohol. Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step toward recovery. And yes, there is recovery and you are not alone.

Alcoholism is the most common addiction affecting Americans. In fact, there were 16.3 million people suffering from alcoholism in the U.S. in 2014, nearly six million of which were women. Unfortunately, only about three million of those people sought treatment, even though treatment provides you with a much better chance at recovery.

Are You an Alcoholic? Alcoholism Is Treatable

The most important thing to realize about alcoholism is that it is treatable. Finding treatment may seem daunting, but it really isn’t. You have options when it comes to what level of treatment you want. The most intensive is residential rehab, where patients typically stay for at least 30 days and sometimes longer. There is also day treatment, or partial hospitalization, which you attend during the day, but sleep in your own home. Next is outpatient treatment, which is typically meeting a few days a week, for a few hours.

All of the levels of treatment typically offer education about alcoholism, 12-step programs, life skills, and addiction relapse prevention they also offer group and individual counseling and screening for medical issues, including mental health. Some patients use the different levels of treatment as a step-down approach, beginning with residential treatment, then day treatment, and then outpatient. The highest level of care that your life (and your insurance) will allow, is well worth the time and lowers your risk of relapse.

Unfortunately, many alcoholics do relapse after treatment. However, relapse does not have to be part of your recovery. Most treatment centers offer some sort of aftercare or alumni program and taking advantage of that can be essential to preventing relapse.

When you enter treatment, you will begin to build your recovery support system; it is the first step toward recovery. By doing so, you may be saving your own life.