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QUIZZES TO HELP DETERMINE ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY
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FROM ADULT CHILDREN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARD - (703) 821-2925
This file contains:
1. Twenty Questions for the family
2. 3 Versions of a Self Test
3. Drinking Questionnaire for Women
4. Al-Anon Questionnaire
5. Parent's Self Test
(Twenty questions to be answered by family members with as much honesty as
possible.)
1. Do you lose sleep because of a problem drinker?
2. Do most of your thoughts revolve around the problem drinker or problems
that arise because of him or her?
3. Do you exact promises about the drinking which are not kept?
4. Do you make threats or decisions and not follow through on them?
5. Has your attitude changed toward this problem drinker (alternating
between love and hate)?
6. Do you mark, hide, dilute and/or empty bottles of liquor or medication?
7. Do you think that everything would be okay, if only the problem drinker
would stop or control the drinking?
8. Do you feel alone, fearful, anxious, angry and frustrated most of the
time? Are you beginning to feel dislike for yourself and to wonder about
your sanity?
9. Do you find your moods fluctuating wildly, as a direct result of the
problem drinker's moods and actions?
10. Do you feel responsible and guilty about the drinking problem?
11. Do you try to conceal, deny, or protect the problem drinker?
12. Have you withdrawn from outside activities and friends because of
embarrassment and shame over the drinking problem?
13. Have you taken over many chores and duties that you would normally
expect the problem drinker to assume or that were formerly his or hers?
14. Do you feel forced to try to exert tight control over the family
expenditures with less success and are financial problems increasing?
15. Do you feel the need to justify your actions and attitudes and, at the
same time, feel somewhat smug and self-righteous compared to the drinker?
16. If there are children in the house, do they often take sides with either
the problem drinker or the spouse?
17. Are the children showing signs of emotional stress, such as withdrawing,
having trouble with authority figures, rebelling, acting out sexually?
18. Have you noticed physical symptoms in yourself, such as nausea- a "knot"
in the stomach, ulcers, shakiness, sweating palms, bitten fingernails?
19. Do you feel utterly defeated, that nothing you say or do will move the
problem drinker? Do you believe that her or she can't get better?
20. Where this applies, is your sexual relationship with a problem drinker
affected by feelings of revulsion? So you "use" sex to manipulate or refuse
sex to punish him or her?
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Self Test for Alcoholism
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By the National Council on Alcoholism
The first--and often the toughest--step in beating alcoholism is admitting
the existence of a problem. To test whether alcohol is a problem for you,
answer yes or no to this series of questions.
1. Do you occasionally drink heavily after a disappointment, quarrel or
rough day?
2. When under pressure, do you always drink more heavily than usual?
3. Can you handle more liquor now than when you first started drinking?
4. On the "morning after," have you been unable to remember part of the
evening before--even though friends say you didn't pass out?
5. When drinking with others, do you try to have a few extra drinks when
they won't know it?
6. Are there certain occasions when you feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not
available?
7. When you start drinking, are you in more of a hurry to get the first
drink than you used to be?
8. Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking?
9. Are you secretly irritated when friends or family discuss your drinking?
10. Have you experienced memory blackouts more frequently?
11. Do you often want to drink more after friends have had enough?
12. Do you usually have a reason for occasions when you drink heavily?
13. When sober, do you often regret things you've done or said while
drinking?
14. Have you tried to control your drinking by switching brands or following
different plans?
15. Have you often failed to keep promises about controlling your drinking?
16. Have you tried to control your drinking by changing jobs or moving?
17. Do you try to avoid family or friends while drinking?
18. Are you having an increasing number of financial and work problems?
19. Do more people seem to be treating you unfairly without reason?
20. Do you eat very little or irregularly when drinking?
21. Do you sometimes have the morning "shakes" and relieve them with a
drink?
22. Are you unable to drink as much as you once did?
23. Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time?
24. Do you sometimes feel very depressed and wonder whether life is worth
living?
25. After drinking, do you ever see or hear things that aren't there?
26. Do you get terribly frightened after drinking heavily?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you have some symptoms that
may indicate alcoholism. "Yes" answers to three or more questions in various
categories indicate the following stages of alcoholism:
Questions 1 to 8: Early stage.
Questions 9 to 21: Middle stage.
Questions 22 to 26: Beginning of final stage.
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Self Test for Alcoholism
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From Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted
for a couple of days?
2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking--
stop telling you what to do?
3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that
this would keep you from getting drunk?
4. Have you had a drink in the morning during the past year?
5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
8. Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get
enough?
9. 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?
10. Have you missed days of work because of drinking?
11. Do you have "blackouts"?
12. Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
If you answered "Yes" to four or more of these questions you are probably in
trouble with alcohol.
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Self Test for Alcoholism
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Am I An Alcoholic?
Perhaps you have already answered this nagging question and made a decision
about your drinking problem. Perhaps not. At any rate it's necessary for you
to come to grips with this question. To answer this question, "Am I An
Alcoholic?" ask yourself the following questions and answer then as honestly
as you can.
1. Do I lose time from work due to drinking?
2. Is drinking making my home life unhappy?
3. Do I drink because I am shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting my reputation?
5. Have I ever felt remorse after drinking?
6. Have I gotten into financial difficulties as a result of my drinking?
7. Do I turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does my drinking make me careless of my family's welfare?
9. Has my ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do I crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do I want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause me to have difficulty sleeping?
13. Has my efficiency decreased since drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing my job or business?
15. Do I drink to escape from worries or troubles?
16. Do I drink alone?
17. Have I ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
18. Has a physician ever treated me for drinking?
19. Do I drink to build up my self-confidence?
20. Have I ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?
If you have answered yes to any one of the questions there is a definite
warning that you may be alcoholic. If you have answered yes to any two of
the questions the chances are that you are an alcoholic. If you have
answered yes to three or more of the question you are definitely an
alcoholic.
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DRINKING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WOMEN
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From the New York City Affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism
Do You...
1. Need a 'pick-me-up' drink before starting daily housekeeping chores?
2. Have difficulty combing your children's hair or getting them ready for
school?
3. Have difficulty remembering what you saw or did the night before?
4. Feel angry with yourself after a drinking binge?
5. Find the children making excuses why their friends can't come over to
dinner?
6. Turn to drinking, them pick-me-up drugs, when the job gets hectic?
7. Find the family budget needs more and more rearranging so you can afford
to buy more alcohol?
8. Pride yourself in being able to drink your friends under the table?
9. Find yourself drinking more when your husband is out of town?
10. Find your husband is having to make more and more excuses why you can't
go to work in the morning?
11. Find yourself relieved when he's gone?
12. Envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
13. Find yourself being passed over when promotions come up...despite the
fact you feel you're doing a good job?
14. Feel you could do more with your life if you did not drink?
15. Find that friends and neighbors are not inviting you to parties any
more--despite the fact that you are the "life of the party"?
16. Find that others around you (your husband, children, boss or co-workers)
are having to do more and more of your work?
If you answer "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be developing a
drinking problem If you answer "yes" to any 4 or more of these questions,
you have a drinking problem. If so, have you ever wondered what life would
be like without a drink?
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DID YOU GROW UP WITH A PROBLEM DRINKER?
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from Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
Al-Anon is for families, relatives and friends whose lives have been
affected by someone else's drinking. Many adults question whether they have
been affected by alcoholism. If someone close to you has, or has had a
drinking problem, the following questions may help you in determining
whether alcoholism affected your childhood or present life and if Al-Anon is
for you.
1. Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation?
2. Do you fail to recognize your accomplishments?
3. Do you fear criticism?
4. Do you overextend yourself?
5. Have you had problems with your own compulsive behavior?
6. Do you have a need for perfection?
7. Are you uneasy when your life is going smoothly, continually anticipating
problems?
8. Do feel more alive in the midst of a crisis?
9. Do you still feel responsible for others, as you did for the problem
drinker in your life?
10. Do you care for others easily, yet find it difficult to care for
yourself?
11. Do you isolate yourself from other people?
12. Do you respond with anxiety to authority figures and angry people?
13. Do you feel that individuals and society in general are taking advantage
of you?
14. Do you have trouble with intimate relationships?
15. Do you confuse pity with love, as you did with the problem drinker?
16. Do you attract and seek people who tend to be compulsive?
17. Do you cling to relationships because you are afraid of being alone?
18. Do you often mistrust your own feelings and the feelings expressed by
others?
19. Do you find it difficult to express your emotions?
20. Do you think parental drinking may have affected you?
Alcoholism is a family disease. Those of us who have lived with this disease
as children sometimes have problems which the Al-Anon program can help us to
resolve. If you answered yes to some or all of the above questions, Al-Anon
may help. You can contact Al-Anon by checking your local telephone directory
or by writing to:
Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
P.O. Box 182, Madison Square Station
New York, NY 10159-0182
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PARENT'S SELF TEST
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A guide for helping parents assess their own use of chemicals
As a parent, your habits and behaviors will be reflected in those of your
child. Because of this, it is important that you be aware of your habits,
especially regarding your use of alcohol and other prescription and non-
prescription drugs.
Below is a questionnaire to help you privately assess your use of
chemicals--and the reasons why you use them. There are no right or wrong
answers! The purpose of this questionnaire is merely to help you focus on
your own alcohol/other drug related attitudes and behaviors. Despite what
you or others say, these are the attitudes and behaviors that your children
will most likely copy.
Go through the following questions and answer them honestly. You may
discover some surprising things about yourself.
1. When you have friends over, do you immediately offer them a drink (an
alcoholic beverage)?
2. When you have a headache, do you immediately take a pill to get rid of
the pain?
3. When you are nervous or upset, is your immediate response to "take
something" to get rid of the feeling?
4. Have your children ever seen you drunk?
5. When you seek medical help for a physical ailment, are you disappointed
when the doctor doesn't give you a prescription or some other medication?
6. In your home is it considered "manly" or "macho" to be able to drink a
lot? Is it "unlady-like" to drink a lot?
7. In your home do people joke about getting drunk and doing crazy things
("Boy,, Fred got so drunk the night, he...)?
8. Do you know about and use methods to cope with minor aches and pains
other than "taking something"?
9. Do you routinely take Nembutal, Seconal, Dalmane, Nytol, Sominex, or some
other sleeping pill to fall asleep? Do you routinely use something to stay
awake (amphetamines, coffee, coke, No Doz)?
10. Do your children ever hear their parents arguing about one or the other
having had too much to drink?
11. When beginning a diet, is your first thought to obtain diet pills to
help you with your plan?
12. Do you smoke cigarettes? How many packs a day?
13. Is drinking often the topic of conversation in your home?
14. Does your group of friends share prescriptions or any other medicines
that have "worked" for them?
15. Have you ever warned your children about smoking while you were smoking?
How about drinking?
16. Do you smoke marijuana? When, and how often?
17. Do you know the difference between a social drinker and an abusive
drinker? Is there a difference? What?
18. How much coffee do you drink a day? Do you ever get nervous or edgy from
drinking a lot of coffee? Do you crave a cup of coffee to wake up in the
morning? Are you crabby without it?
19. Do you use alcohol or other drugs to comfort yourself when you're
depressed or "feeling down"?
20. Do you unconsciously gravitate toward social functions where there is a
lot of drinking, and away from social functions where there is little or no
drinking?
21. Do you handle alcohol or any other drugs in a way that you would not
want your children to?
22. Do you drive a car when under the influence of alcohol or other mood
altering drugs? Do you ride with drivers who are under the influence?
(End And The Beginning )
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