Am I addicted to alcohol? Am I an alcoholic?

Deciding if I'm an alcoholic

Only you can decide whether you are an alcoholic and whether you want to give AA a try. We have some questions below designed to help you decide.

We came to AA because we couldn't control our drinking. We didn't want to admit that we couldn't drink safely. Many of us thought that life would be pointless if we didn't drink or that it would be impossible to stop. In AA we discovered that many others suffered from the same feelings of guilt, loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found that we had these feelings because we were addicted to alcohol and that we suffered from alcoholism. Then we faced up to what alcohol had done to us and set about rebuilding our lives.

Try and answer these questions honestly. Facing up to the fact that you have a problem is the first step towards finding a solution.

How do I know if I'm an alcoholic?

Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days? Most of us in AA made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We didn't keep them. In AA we suggest trying not to drink today. If you don't drink today you can't get drunk today.

Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking and stop telling you what to do? In AA we don't tell anyone to do anything. There are no positions of authority. We talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We'll be glad to help you, if you want us to.

Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk? We tried all sorts of ways. We made our drinks weaker. Or just drank beer. Or avoided spirits. Or drank only at the weekend. You name it, we tried it. But when we drank we usually got drunk.

Have you had to have a drink in the morning during the past year? Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking?This is a pretty sure that you are no longer drinking socially.

Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble? Many of us wondered why we weren't like other people. People who really can take it or leave it.

Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year? Be honest! Doctors say that if you have problems related to alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse. It never gets better.

Has your drinking caused trouble at home? Before we came into AA many of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We couldn't see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved our problems. It just created another problem.

Do you ever try to get extra drinks at a party because you do not get enough? Many of us liked to 'have a few' before going out to 'get in the mood'. If drinks were not served fast enough we would go somewhere else to get more.

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? Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came to AA we found that once we started to drink we couldn't stop.

Have you missed days at work because of drinking? Many of us admit now that we called in sick lots of times when the truth was that we were hung over.

Do you have blackouts? Are there drinking hours or days you can't remember? When we came to AA we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.

Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you didn't drink? Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got to AA we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.

What's your score? Did you answer yes four times or more? If you did you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say that? Because, over the years, thousands of people in AA have said the same. They found out the truth about themselves - the hard way. Again, only you can decide whether you think AA is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject.

How to stop drinking

If you want to stop drinking we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking. Just call, email or message us. We can show you how we live without the booze one day at a time. We stay away from that first drink. If there is no first one, there can't be a tenth one. When we got rid of the booze we found that life became much more manageable. It has worked for us and it can work for you. If you think you might be an alcoholic, or you've decided you need to stop drinking please get in touch with us. It will give you another chance at life.

Call 0127 320 3343 or 0800 917 7650 anytime to talk to someone who has stopped drinking. 

Email us at help@aamail.org

Chat now with us online.

Find a physical AA meeting near you.

Click here for a list of meetings in the Brighton area.

Visit one of our online meetings which runs hourly on Zoom 24/7/365. You don't need to say or do anything and, if you prefer, you can keep your camera off.