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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
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? 
   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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

There are a number of ways to stop drinking. Alcoholics Anonymous is just the one that has worked for us. We hold over 4000 weekly meetings in the UK. Click here to find one near you.

Only you can decide whether you want to give AA a try: whether you think it can help you stop drinking. We have admitted that we needed help to stop drinking. We have learned that we need to live without alcohol if we are to live decent lives for ourselves and for those close to us.

We are part of an international fellowship with about two million members in over one hundred countries. We have one primary purpose: to stop drinking and to help others who want to stop drinking.

There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we don’t support or oppose any causes and we’re not allied to any sect, denomination, political body or religious organisation. Some of our members believe in God. Some don’t. We welcome atheists just as much as we welcome anybody else with a desire to stop drinking. We welcome everybody who wants to stop drinking.

Get help now to stop drinking
If you want to stop drinking we can help. Get in touch with us:

• Call 0800 917 7650 anytime to talk to someone who has stopped drinking.
• Email us at help@aamail.org
• Find a physical AA meeting in North East Surrey.