Alcohol Addiction
Treatment
For over 50-years treatment counselors and evaluators at the Beachcomber
Family Treatment Center in Delray Beach have employed a
simple test to help in determining those who need treatment or referral
to a 12-Step program.
The short quiz is commonly referred to as " The 20 Questions"
and the original, developed by researchers in the addiction
field, has been adjusted many times over the years to include all
mood-altering substances and prescription medications. As a quick
provider in indicating areas of concern, it has proven a valuable
tool keyed to behavior among substance abusers and those who may
be drinking too much alcohol.
If you or someone you know feels they may have a problem with alcohol,
drugs or prescription pills we recommend answering the following
questions as honestly as you can! All that's needed is a simple
"yes" or "no" and you'll gain a perspective on what you should be
doing to turn things around promptly .
• Have I been gulping drinks rather than sipping
them?
• When I'm under pressure do I drink or do drugs
more than usual?
• Has drinking and substance abuse made me more
impulsive and less rational?
• Do I feel guilty about drinking and doing drugs?
• Have I lost time from work because of my dependencies
on alcohol and prescription meds?
• Has my drinking and drug use caused abusive conduct
at home with my spouse and children?
• Do I continue drinking when companions have stopped?
• Do I sneak drinks or pop pills before or during
social events?
• Have I ever had an auto accident because of drinking
or substance abuse?
• Do I forget things that happened when I drink
or use drugs?
• If alcohol is not available at a social event
am I uncomfortable?
• Am I harder to get along with after drinking for
a while?
• Do I still claim I can stop drinking and doing
drugs whenever I want?
• Do I crave a drink at any special time every day?
• Do I ever need a drink first thing in the morning
or a pill to get going?
• Did I ever hide a bottle or a "stash at home?"
• Do I prefer to drink alone so it's possible to
drink more?
• Have I lost a job because of my drug use or drinking?
• Do I ever need a drink or a couple of pills
to get rid of the "shakes?"
• Do chemical substances or alcohol help me build
confidence?
If you answered "yes" to several of these questions
it may be time for you to take a closer look at your drinking or use
of mood altering drugs. If you took the test for someone else you
might want to confront that person now with your results. Those who
did answer "yes" should strongly consider consulting with a treatment
professional now. One doesn't jump to conclusions but this test will
point out the proper direction to take.
Many of us have wondered about "social drinking" and others have pondered
the "borders" of substance abuse. When does alcohol or some other
mood-altering substance become a concern and how can we tell if we're
headed for trouble? The tests helps! When was " alcohol" first
discovered and by whom? Has alcoholism and addiction always been a
problem among different societies? Why are some groups more than others
effected and why do I drink differently than others. These doubts
and recurring questions are more and more troubling as dependency
grows and addiction to drugs and alcohol becomes a true fear.
The 20 Questions can help advance such a plan. Doubts accompany
almost any intake of mood altering substances when capacity limits
have been exceeded. Excesses are actually symptomatic
and recognized as markers where guilt begins and we ponder major changes
in behavior with alcohol or prescription drug intake. It's a point
universally shared and may be most important for anyone interested
in avoiding the consequences of alcoholism and drug dependency.
So how do we know if we've turned the corner on our drinking and
it's become an addiction? In the early days of alcoholism and drug
treatment therapists and counselors would say: "If you think
you have a problem with alcohol or drugs you almost certainly
do!" That would often suffice as a personal diagnosis and was followed
by a list of behaviors that usually accompany frequent and obsessive
bouts with alcohol.
The next step requires honesty with ones self. Since denial is,
however, a prime symptom of alcoholism and drug addiction that may
not be as easy as it sounds. A clearer answer lies in the person's
conduct. We can be sure we're headed for possible alcoholism and
addiction if our consumption of any chemical substance has begun
to adversely affect a major part of our life.
According to professionals in addiction and alcoholism treatment
there is another way of saying it: "An alcoholic or addict is a
person who excessively and uncontrollably uses any substances
to the point where it interferes with health, family or employment."
We recommend you take the " 20 Questions " honestly and
follow up with action if the results you get indicate
more problems ahead.
If you or someone you know is experiencing the consequences of
alcohol abuse or feels a growing dependency on drugs, please contact
The Beachcomber Family Treatment
Center . Telephone: 561- 734 - 1818.
Our treatment specialists will speak with you promptly! Over 5,000
Beachcomber residents have followed our footsteps to recovery
since we began our journey in South Florida in 1976. Please call
us today !
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