Alcoholism Quiz: Do You Need to Stop Drinking Alcohol?

The purpose of this short quiz is to help you see the priority you place on alcohol in your life. There is nothing physically harmful about a couple of drinks - now and then - but once we go over this amount we open a Pandora's box of problems in our lives.

Are YOU in control of your life, or is ALCOHOL in control of your life? If, at the end of this quiz, you discover that alcohol is running your life then you need to immediately take action so that things can CHANGE and your life gets better.

Be Honest!
The results of this test depend on your being honest with yourself. Don't just read this quiz ... get a sheet of paper and a pen as this will force you to think about your answers before writing them down. There are ten questions, and you need to choose the ONE response that most represents what you would HONESTLY do.

1. You are home, and it's around dinner time. You feel tempted to drink but you do not have any alcohol. Do you ...
A. Eat dinner and resist going out for a few drinks?
B. Eat dinner and then perhaps go out later for a few drinks?
C. Immediately go out the liquor store and buy some alcohol to bring back home with dinner?
D. Immediately go out for a few drinks and get something to eat at a local bar or restaurant?
E. Skip dinner altogether and go out drinking?

2. You are out shopping, and you notice that your favorite alcoholic beverage is on sale. Assuming you have the money, do you ...
A. Notice the sale but feel no desire at all to buy alcohol?
B. Notice the sale and, although you are tempted, you resist the temptation to buy alcohol just because it's on sale?
C. Buy a small quantity to save a little money?
D. Buy a medium quantity so you can save a fair amount of money, and also have extra at home?
E. Buy a large quantity so you can save a lot of money, and also have a large supply at home?

3. You are out with friends, you've had a couple of drinks, and you're thinking about leaving so you can drive safely. Your friends want you to stay and continue drinking. Do you ...
A. Avoid the situation in the first place by not drinking alcohol before driving?
B. Tell them that you've had enough, thanks anyway, and then leave?
C. Stay longer, but only have non-alcoholic drinks?
D. Tell them that you'll stay for just another couple of drinks, but then you need to go?
E. Stay as long as any of them do, knowing that you can out-drink them and still get home safely?

4. You have a splitting headache after drinking too much last night. Since your body is having withdraw symptoms, do you ...
A. Avoid getting a headache in the first place by only having one or two drinks the night before, or not drinking at all?
B. Learn from your mistake, and vow to never again drink to the point that you have a headache the following day?
C. Take the day off from drinking, take some aspirin and go back to bed?
D. Take aspirin to help you feel better as soon as possible, because you'll likely be drinking again later tonight?
E. Try to "bite back what bit you" by drinking alcohol and seeing if the headache goes away?

5. You are constantly tired and decide to go to the doctor's to see if something is wrong physically. The doctor asks you how much you drink during the course of a week. Do you ...
A. Be completely truthful, and vow to change your habits to become healthier and have more energy?
B. Admit to drinking too much, but not to as many drinks as you actually have because you're embarrassed?
C. Admit to drinking too much, but joke about it with the doctor?
D. Tell the doctor that you only have a couple of drinks now and then, even though you drink nearly every day?
E. Admit to drinking a lot, but ignore your doctor's advice to cut back because you don't see it as a problem?

6. Your family or significant other is pressuring you to quit or cut back on drinking alcohol. Do you ...
A. Take their advice because they are more important than alcohol?
B. Cut back a little bit right away, and plan to cut back more in the future?
C. Try to cut back, but can't because you find it very difficult?
D. Drink as much as you ever did, but try to keep it hidden?
E. Ignore them because you enjoy getting drunk?

7. Your spouse's parents will be staying with you for a couple of weeks. They do not drink and your spouse wants you to avoid drinking around them. Do you ...
A. Completely avoid drinking while they are there because alcohol doesn't mean anything to you?
B. Cut back drastically while they are around?
C. Continue to drink, but do so in secret so no one notices?
D. Drink in front of them so they learn to be more accepting of your habits?
E. Continue to drink as much as ever because it's your life, not theirs?

8. Your friend was nearly in a car accident, and received a DUI citation. Do you ...
A. Vow to never drink alcohol before driving?
B. Change your habits so you don't get caught up in the same thing?
C. Thank God that it wasn't you because you often drive while intoxicated.
D. Be more aware of the police when you drive so they don't catch you?
E. Laugh about it when you see him.

9. You haven't drank alcohol in one week. Your friends are having a party and you're invited. You decide to go, but do you ...
A. Avoid drinking any alcohol because you've noticed how much better you feel and look when sober?
B. Have just a couple of drinks and then stop, because you enjoy being in control of your life?
C. Drink a little more than you should, but resist the urge to get totally drunk?
D. Drink too much and feel guilty after wards?
E. Drink as much as you can to make up for the days you missed?

10. Your friends and family confront you, and they are trying to get you into a rehab or detox program. Do you ...
A. Break down and admit that you need help with this problem?
B. Admit that you need help, but feel scared because you're not sure you can stop drinking?
C. Admit that you need help, but feel defensive that other people are ganging up on you?
D. Get angry because other people are trying to control your life?
E. Refuse to seek any help because you do not have an alcohol addiction?

Scoring
Add up your answers to the ten questions using the following point system:
A = 5 points
B = 4 points
C = 3 points
D = 2 points
E = 1 point

How Did You Fare?

• 40 - 50 points: GREEN Congratulations! You are in control of your life and you demonstrate tremendous willpower over alcohol. You probably drink very little, as other areas of your life - family, friends, job - all have a higher priority to you than alcohol. Once in a while you may over-indulge, but you quickly get yourself back on the right track as your health is very important. You are probably happy with your life, and have a great deal of energy to accomplish all that you want.
  

• 25 - 39 points: YELLOW - Caution! You are fighting an addiction to alcohol. Some areas of your life may seem to be 100% normal, but other areas cause you a great deal of pain, and it's due to your abuse of alcohol. You probably realize that you have a problem but you have yet to take the steps necessary to improve your life. You often lack the energy to do the things that inwardly you know must be done, and you wish that somehow things could be different. Alcohol has sapped the energy and happiness out of you, and you are beginning to recognize that things need to change. You may, or may not, need to quit drinking - but you definitely need to drastically CUT BACK immediately.
  

• 24 points or less: RED - Stop! Alcohol has caused untold heartache in your life. Up to this point you knew that you wanted to stop drinking, or drink very little - but you've never felt that you had it "in you" to change. You have a general sense of being "sick and tired" of the lifestyle that you've been leading. You need to immediately QUIT drinking alcohol in order to get your life back.
  

What To Do Now?
If you scored below 40 points you need to immediately do something about your addiction to alcohol. It is important to recognize that nothing will change in your life until you DO something. It doesn't have to be a major change, at first, that gets you started in the right direction.

Also, study your answers to the quiz above: how can you change your D's and E's into A's and B's? Find a way to make a small, immediate change in your life. Read 10 Steps to Get Alcohol Out of Your Life and the other articles in our Quit Drinking section. These articles contains easy-to-use tips and sensible advice to help you get your life back under your control.

Remember, even if you don't know that you have it "in you" to quit or drastically cut back drinking, the most important thing is that you actually TRY TO CHANGE by taking one, small step to do things differently than before. Because after you take that first step, each additional step becomes easier and easier. And, before long, you'll find that you once again feel healthy, happy and optimistic about your future. And, isn't that what we all wanted in the first place?