Twenty Questions
Are you an alcoholic?
To answer this question,
ask yourself the following 20 questions,
and answer them as honestly as you can.
- 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 you reputation?
- Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
- Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
- Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment 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 you efficiency decreased since drinking?
- Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
- Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble?
- Do you drink alone?
- Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
- Has your 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?
If you have answered YES to any one
of these questions,
there is a definite warning that you may be an alcoholic.
If you have answered YES to any two,
the chances are that you are an alcoholic.
If you have answered YES to three or more,
you are definitely an alcoholic.
(The above test questions are used by Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, MD, in deciding whether or not a patient is an alcoholic).
Do you want
to stop drinking?
If alcohol is a problem to you and if the "20 Questions" have convinced you that you are an alcoholic, perhaps you will say, "Yes, but I can quit by myself any time." More power to you if you can - and do.
All of us who are now members of Alcoholics Anonymous said that once, or a hundred times, "I can take it, or leave it alone." So we took it. With the result that later we got into further trouble and eventually reached an extremity when we had to admit we could not stop without help.
We define an alcoholic as anyone whose drinking disrupts his or her business, family or social life and who cannot stop, even though he or she may want to. We regard alcoholism as an illness - an obsession of the mind coupled with an "allergy" of the body. We think of ourselves as sick people who cannot touch alcohol any more than a diabetic can eat sugar.
If you sincerely desire to stop drinking, perhaps Alcoholics Anonymous can help you.
How can AA Help me?
Below are some suggestions of the AA program which have helped thousands of AA members to stop drinking.
- Admit that you are an alcoholic, that you are licked and need help.
- Have a sincere desire to stop drinking.
- Believe in God, or some power greater than yourself; or at least keep an open mind on the spiritual factor, remembering always that thousands of AA members have found this indispensable, some at once, others gradually.
- Make an inventory of your personal assets and liabilities. Put down your faults so that you know what to fight and your good points to build up your self-respect and confidence.
- Make a list of persons you have injured, and make direct amends to them, financial or otherwise, whenever possible.
- Read the book Alcoholics Anonymous as soon as possible and then other AA Literature.
- Attend every meeting of your AA group. Do this each week. Make this your #1 duty, ahead of every other business, family or social responsibility, remembering that your drinking came first before; now AA MEETINGS must come first.
- Bring your wife, husband, other close relative or friend to open AA meetings. Invite them to study the AA program as you do yourself. They can help you a lot if they understand the program too.
- As soon as possible, find another alcoholic who needs help and try to help him as you have been helped yourself.
- Talk and associate with other AA members as much as possible. Ask questions freely. Only through Honest, Open-minded and Willing personal discussion can full understanding be obtained.