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[evile]

http://efap.torontopolice.on.ca/alcohol_test.html

Are You An Alcoholic?

Ask yourself the following 20 questions honestly then check your score at the end of this page. These test questions are used by Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA in deciding if a patient is an alcoholic or not.

Formated in black and white for easy printing.

Check off Yes or No after each question then add your score at the bottom. Yes No
1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you ever drink because you are shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
6. Have you ever gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
19. Do you drink to build up your self confidence?
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?
TOTAL

Results

If you answered yes to ONE of the above questions you may be an alcoholic.

If you answered yes to TWO of the above questions, you are an alcoholic.

If you answered yes to THREE or more of the above questions, you definitly are an alcoholic.

Comments

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Uh, sometimes it's just nice to have a beer at home after I finish working on the car, or when I'm watching the Football game. If Jenn happens to not be home, I'm an alcoholic?

Hell, I don't know.

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

do you *want* the beer, or do you *need* the beer?

I know at least one person who thinks it's OK to be out drunk every night, because their definition of 'alcoholic' is someone who stays home and drinks.

[ghostdogmeta.livejournal.com]

My yes on 5 was because of my yes on 17. And 17 has
happened once in twelve years.

And technically, I have to answer yes on 16 because
I stopped at a bar one day after a bomb threat at work
and had a beer.

There's more to being an alcoholic than a few yes or no
questions. A beer or two a week, or a glass of wine
with dinner, is not the same as a fifth of vodka every
night. Most of these are good questions, though.

[ex-prunesnp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that might be a little too harsh.

yeah

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

I didn't put this up for anyone to take personally or get pissed off, just as a springboard for discussion.

Most programs to help addicts are not much better than the original addiction, you get addicted to a group or a religion rather than the substance. So of course the group wants you to believe that you're weak and need them to tell you how to live your life. If you're smart and independent enough to figure that out, you probably are smart and strong minded enough to know the difference between recreational use and abuse/addiction.

But IMHO, addicts are weak minded and need something to be dependent on, so why not a group or religion that at least encourages them to be productive members of society?

Just posting this as an offshoot of a discussion I was having with someone earlier.

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

I am sure I've got addictive tendencies, and I know I have used alcohol as a social crutch in the past, and occasionally still do.

Now, do I need a meeting where someone encourages me to give up all personal responsibility, turn over my autonomy to a group and a leader, and blame god/parents/society/the world for my behavior? no.

Just something to be aware of, to modify behavior accordingly, knowing those tendencies are there.

[colorbars.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with that. Another good example, if I have 1 beer a month and I happen to be at home alone because I live alone, I'm NOT an alcoholic.

(In reality I haven't drank any alcohol in years, in case anyone was wondering.)

That drinking alone question should be at a minimum reworded and qualified. They should have something like 'frequently' on most of them. A 0 to 5 point scale (never to always) would make a lot more sense. I'm surprised that an institution like Johns Hopkins would actually use such an obviously biased test. Maybe that helps them get matching funds or something for all the non-alcoholics they treat.

Re: yeah

[colorbars.livejournal.com]

Addicts *can* be weak minded, but it depends on the addiction. If you're talking about alcoholism, you're probably right most of the time IMO.

Re: Hell, I don't know.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

WANT. WANT WANT WANT. :)

[mouser.livejournal.com]

3. Do you ever drink because you are shy with other people?
19. Do you drink to build up your self confidence?


Serveral years back, I was moderator on a transgender forum (no idea HOW I get roped into it) - someone sent around a "If you are xxx you're probably a candidate and don't know it."

It was odd because they mostly took questions about being submissive (in a BDSM sense) and equated it with being femine.

I mention it, in conjunction with the above questions because I remember being young, in a bar and wanting to approach someone...

[made-of-paradox.livejournal.com]

Looking at the past 15 years, I can say "yes" to 4 of those, each based on 1-5 individual incidents. So less than 20 events in 15 years that might cause a "yes" answer to anything. Period. (OK, one of them might have been more than 5, but I don't deal well AT ALL at parties where I don't know at least 1/3 of the people there, and was required to do so due to my husband's job to go to a number of parties and be sociable towards strangers. Given my druthers, I wouldn't have gone to some of them in the first place, period. I am SO glad he's telecommuting now and I have to be dragged to another state for it to be a work function!)

And, geez, for the remorse? I know someone who had remorse about drinking -- because an emergency came up AFTER he had decided that he could drink and not worry about anyone having to be sober & responsible for the rest of the evening, and felt guilty that someone else had to deal with the situation. Does that count?

Now, if there's habitualness on any of these, yes, there's a problem. But 2 parties a year drinking because I'm shy? Difficultly in sleeping because my body has a limit now and I exceed it and drink the entire 3rd drink and it's messing with me during the night? Not necessarily indicative of alcoholism. Other problems that might be better alleviated through other methods, certainly. (Alcohol is relatively cheap and easy to use ONLY situationally, though, unlike some prescription meds that some might push for the shyness problem.)

I think there are some folks who have gone through some of those in the past, taken consequences as a wake-up call and now drink responsibly, not addictively.

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps the benchmark is being smart and self aware enough to know what you're doing and why. And to know that it's not the only outlet, or the only solution.

I dunno. This list definitely ought to be 'weighted' in terms of frequency and severity...something.

Just something to get people thinking, I guess.

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

yup.

I agree with you. It's important to see consequences to actions, weigh your options, and adjust behavior accordingly. And to understand the difference between 'want' and 'need' and 'habitual use' and 'special occasion'

A point that gets lost on both the AA and the Addict side of the argument.

[nancywums.livejournal.com]

My two cents...based on some classes and experience with (teenage) addicts:

The really important questions are #1 (lost time at work),2 (making home life bad),6. (financial issues due to drinking), 7 ( drinking makes you careless of family's welfare), 10 (craving--not just wanting, but needing--a drink). 14 (drinking jeopardizing job), 17 (blackouts), 18 (medical effects) and 20 (treatment). And they left out a biggie--legal issues due to drinking. I'd say use the result guide, but really only on these 9 questions, that would give you a better idea.

This really wasn't that great of a scale; it makes almost everyone into a alcoholic!

[erinlefey.livejournal.com]

"I was moderator on a transgender forum"

I'm sure THAT'S a fascinating story. ;)

[ghostdogmeta.livejournal.com]

The questions in any addiction test regarding
the quality of the substance's impact (financial
impact, legal problems) are more important than
most questions regarding the mechanics of one's
consumption.

Doing something by yourself happens. Doing something
to your permanent detriment is something else.

"7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?"

Seedy bar filled with midgets? O_o

[ulitave.livejournal.com]

I had to take the test twice - normally, I'm definitely not an alcoholic.

In New Orleans, I need help.

[colorbars.livejournal.com]

I'm sure. I didn't even know fora HAD genders.

Badum baa.

Thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the veal.

*laugh*

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

Yup. The closest I've ever been to being an alcoholic was when I went to Tulane that year. Reading my paper journals was...kinda sick. I'd do things like not eat for a couple days so I would be sure to actually feel the effects of drinking at a party. wow. sick!

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

"it makes almost everyone into a alcoholic!"

Well, yes, that's so you'll join a group and stuff.

I definitely think the questions needed to be weighted in some way. Like, if you've lost a job, been talked to by a doctor or institutionalized, that's WAY more telling than feeling like you need a drink in a social situation or something like that.

I would say answering 'yes' to one of the questions regarding health, livelihood, or relationship loss would be equivalent to answering three or four of the 'social adjustment' type questions..something like that.

Re: *laugh*

[ulitave.livejournal.com]

it's like that fortune cookie game, but insteadof adding "in bed" after the fortune, I add "in New Orleans" after the questions...

Have you ever felt remorse after drinking...in New Orleans?

Have you ever gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking...in New Orleans?

Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking...in New Orleans?

Do you fall down in the street and pretend you're swimming...in New Orleans?

I actually got tossed from Cafe Du Monde one night. That was special.

Re: *laugh*

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

wow! That is very special. Never been tossed out of CDM. I guess now I have a reason to go back...

Re: *laugh*

[ulitave.livejournal.com]

I should go back. If that waiter still works there, I owe him an apology. As long as they didn't take any pictures, everything will be fine.

My smart ass answers

[ex-rengeek562.livejournal.com]

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking? If killing time counts
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy? Define home life. Does living alone constitute a home life?
3. Do you ever drink because you are shy with other people? Absolutely. I'd rather blame the booze than my lack of confidence for the puking.
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation? I have a reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking? Only when I run out of beer.
6. Have you ever gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking? Only when I couldn't pay for my beer. Other than that I'm broke anyway.
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking? Lower companions? As compared to what? No companions? Me? Have you seen where I live? Can't get much more lower or inferior.
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare? Define family. No family, no welfare to worry about.
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking? No, I'm a very ambitious drinker.
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily? Only during awake time
11. Do you want a drink the next morning? Only if I'm awake in the morning
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping? I pass out just fine thank you.
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking? I'm a very efficient person. I can get drunk much faster than I use to.
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business? Yes, because those bastards at work only keep cheap beer in the company fridge.
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble? See #3,6,8
16. Do you drink alone? See #2
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking? I don't remember.
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking? Cant afford a Doctor so I quit going
19. Do you drink to build up your self confidence? See #3 again
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking? I went once to a hospital but they would not give me any booze. Does jail count as an institution?