1. Have I ever felt I should cut down on my drinking?
2. Have people annoyed me by criticizing my drinking?
3. Have I ever felt bad or guilty about my drinking?
4. Have I ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady my nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
If you answer “yes” to two or more questions, you should get help. Talk to your doctor, and check out groups like Moderation Management, a recovery program and national support network for people who have decided to reduce their drinking.
Comments (62)
Moderation Management is a “crutch” program that lets alcoholics pretend they can still drink responsibly. It’s not effective, and should not be recommended here. The woman who actually founded the group ended up in prison for two counts of motor vehicle homicide.
I was trying to find evidence online that MM is not effective and did not find that. There is evidence that it is effective for some people and they make it clear in their literature that it is only for mildly dependent drinkers. It is, in fact, more effective for some dependent drinkers that AA. They have tests to see if you qualify or should be in an abstinence program such as AA.
Yes, the founder did end up in prison for motor vehicle homicide. It should be pointed out that she had, herself, decided she needed to follow the guidelines set by MM which indicated she should move to an abstinence only program. She was in AA for 8 months before the accident. So, are you saying that AA does not work or should not be recommended because of this case?
I totally agree with Karen! Most people who have a problem with alcohol have lost the ability to moderate their drinking – or they wouldn’t be asking themselves those questions in the first place.
The difference between AA and other groups using harm reduction or moderation management or whatever is that AA people are Believers (you define this, good and bad) who choose group therapy and guilt as guidlines and this works for many. By the way, Bill W. (White) died from emphysema, nicotine addiction.
It is unfair for anyone to baldly state that only their way works, when that is clearly not the case. Were it so, only AA would exist.
I think alcoholism is overrated. Alcohol is not one size fits all here. If someone has 2-3 drinks twice a week and drinks a beer in the morning for the hangover doesnt mean he is an alchy
Certainly people’s alcohol tolerance varies according to body chemistry, weight, and other factors such as what they have eaten during the day. On the other hand, I am curious about someone who is only having 2-3 drinks in a night and yet has such a bad hangover the next day that they need a beer as a hair-of-the-dog remedy. Perhaps I am lucky in that 2-3 normal sized drinks (which means between 1-1.5 shots per drink) won’t bother me the next day at all. Drinking in the morning generally DOES constitute some sort of alcohol addiction or dependence, and should be seriously looked at.
Oh, and regarding hangovers: remember that most of a hangover is simple dehydration–drink a glass of water for every drink you have, and I can just about guarantee that not only will you not get puking drunk, but you will feel pretty ok in the morning. If you are having a particularly heavy night of drinking, take a B-complex and a couple aspirin before you go to bed.
You can take my word for it–I’m a bartender, and as such am a professional drinker ;)
A person who has two or three drinks twice a week doesn’t wake up with a hangover bad enough to drink a beer. Two or three six packs a week, yes.
Most alcohol related recovery groups don’t work. 12 step programs aren’t effective either.
Not true at all. I know people with over forty years of sobriety.
I’m guessing that Juice Man answered yes to more than two of those questions. A family member of mine works as a nurse at a correctional facility and told me that of all of the addicts that have come through there the ones with alcoholism are the worst/scariest to see. Alcoholism is the only addiction that when you get to a certain point your physical dependency is so severe you can actually die from quiting!!! Alcoholism is NOT overrated!!! If you have 2-3 drinks twice a week and drinks a beer in the morning for the hangover every week then you WILL develop an addiction!!! Maybe not the first two weeks but it will develop.
Firstly one will not develop an addiction if they have a couple of drinks a few times a week. And, if we are being truthful here, no one gets a hang over from 2 or 3 drinks unless they have other more serious health issues. Everything in moderation is the key and a person who drinks 2 or 3 times a week is a moderate drinker. The fact is a few drinks A DAY is considered healthy depending on the type of drink consumed (such as red wine or beer). If you look at programs like Alcoholics Anonymous they consider one drink a week excessive which is completely fanatical. Moderation, moderation, moderation.
It is being debated by doctors that men who have 2 drinks and women who have 1 drink a day actually have health benefits due to drinking, but anymore than that isn’t healthy. Alcohol affects every part of the human body, and in my opinion (and many others), it is the worst drug out there. I say worst because like cigarettes, since it’s legal, many people think it’s okay to drink or better to drink than, say, smoking weed (weed does indeed have its own set of problems, but that’s another debate). And, of course, alcohol is one of 2 drugs out there that causes death during withdrawal (if it is severe enough of an addiction). Moderation is key to this drug. If you can stop after only having a drink (for women) or 2 (for men), then more power to you. Many can’t stop, which is why AA discourages drinking at all. One or 2 can open up a ‘can of worms’ or whatever that expression is. For alcoholics, one is too many and a thousand is never enough. If you know what I mean by that, seek out a local AA meeting.
AA only considers one drink too much for those people who have admitted to themselves that they can’t control how much they drink or how long (days/weeks) they will drink until the binge is over, so the only safe alternative is just not to take that first drink. For these people, they have lost their ability to drink in moderation. I am one of those people. I drank for years before alcoholism progressed to the point where I had to quit drinking or I was going to lose everything I ever loved and worked for. Even though I have been sober for over a year now, it is still a daily battle to not take that first drink. AA’s recommendation is for people like ME. If you can control your alcohol intake, then cheers! I wish I could control mine too, but I can’t. If at some point in the future you find you can’t too, I’ll be one of the first people to greet you at the door to one of our meetings.
tom j: so you think 2-3 drinks a week will equate to a drinking problem?
This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard. So you are basically saying that every single college student will end up with a drinking problem? I personally probably drank 30-40 beers a week in college and I am now three years displaced and I don’t have a drinking problem and probably drink one night a week on average. Am I the exception or are you just an idiot?
beer is good
oh yeah
i agree with belly
yup
Juice Man: Who gets a hangover from 2-3 drinks in a night?
tom j: There is so much misinformation in your post. First off, there are several physically addictive substances that can be extremely dangerous (possibly deadly) to quit. Most hard drugs fall into this category. Even nicotine qualifies. Second, having 2-3 drinks twice a week, and then having a drink in the morning to clear the hangover (what hangover?) does not, in and of itself, qualify one as an alcoholic. Nor will it necessarily (or even likely) cause one to develop an addiction. Come off it.
drinking in the morning (after a night of drinking)is the fastest way to become an alcoholic since your body associates it with functioning. and some people may not get a ‘hangover’ after a few drinks, but may very likely feel ‘off’ the next day. i have a very sensitive body so this happens to me. having a drink the next morning may help some, but only for a short period of time, then you’re right back to where you were
I just have to say that last night I drank a margarita, a jack and coke, and then a bud light which is only 3 drinks and I feel hungover right now… i do drink at least every weekend, so I have a good tolerance, but yes a couple of drinks can give you a hangover
While I certainly do not want to downplay alcoholism as not being a serious problem–because I think it is VERY serious, damaging, and tragic for those suffering as well as for those who love them–I have to agree with Juice Man as I believe that we in the US have given in to a real sense of hysteria over it and tend to jump to the frezied “alcoholic!!” label a wee bit too quickly.
I’m currently living in Belgium, admittedly the country with the highest beer-drinking volume per capita in the whole of Europe, but drinking is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture here. Nearly EVERYONE drinks MINIMALLY 2-3 drinks 2x per week, starting in their early teens. I would say that is actually a very low estimate. And sure, alcoholics exist here as well, but there is no way you could say the whole country is on the brink of spiralling into one gigantic alcoholic abyss!
The US needs to quit it with the hysterics already, and start focusing its energy on people who really DO have a real, tragic problem rather than wasting money and time trying to worry those who don’t have a problem into thinking that they do. Slapping labels of serious ‘diseases’ on people who are perfectly fine but just live a festive and sociable lifestyle can really damage those being mis-labelled.
But MOST importantly, it belittles the real pain and tragedy lived out every day by those who truly suffer from Alcoholism or love someone who does.
Shaun, I won’t disagree with you that most 12 step programs don’t work. I will also not disagree with you that AA is not effective. I do not think either of these programs are successful for everyone, though some people do find help.
I had a serious drinking problem for a number of years, in my early 20’s. Far too young to have such troubles. I did seek in-patient treatment, during which I discovered an alternate group, commonly referred to as SOS. I have been sober over three years now, and can sincerely say that I have no risk of relapse.
Given my history, I am sure some would find it difficult that I don’t see a relapse at any point in my future. However, the choice is mine. SOS does not follow the AA program at all. This particular group focuses on accepting responsibility for one’s actions one’s self, as opposed to “turning everything over to one’s ‘Higher Power’”. I have been to AA groups in the past, and trying as hard as I can to not be negative, I’ll go ahead and say it’s just not for me. If you have a problem, YOU deal with it, you don’t push it off on a religious belief and hope for a cure. Fix the problem. If YOU picked up the drink, YOU have to put it down (I don’t use the word “you” directly towards you, specifically, Shaun). I guess I mention this just in case you or a loved one has an addiction issue. The moral of the story is that the help is out there, but the addict must find it. MOST IMPORTANTLY, before looking, the addict must make the CONSCIOUS DECISION to make a difference in his life. By giving yourself the power to make a change, you actively seek it. When you do find the help you need, you apply it, because you want it. And then it’s up to you to continue. Take care, everyone.
:)
I totally agree with Karen. It is absolutely irresponsible to include a link to Moderation Management. The founder did kill 2 people while DWI. I also tried the program about 10 years ago, but guess what? Apparently I’m an alcoholic. Who else would try to jump through all of the hoops of the Moderation Management program but an alcoholic desperate to keep on drinking. I am in AA now and hopeful for a sober future.
The question of how many drinks or when you drink is not so much the issue, in my opinion, but whether you can see a resounding effect on your life based on your drinking habits. 12 step programs do work, but they tend to over-dramatize the situation rather than provide a real, resounding solution. They are also a haven for predators of a completely different nature, but that is off-topic.
I know nothing of Moderation Management, but I am sure there’re plenty of people who it has worked for, just like Rational Recovery or Aversion Therapy. It depends on the individual working the program.
Bottom line is, find a limit that suits you, but if you find your self risking your lives or the lives of others, get some help. Otherwise, life will be nasty, brutish, and drawn out to the point of madness.
Juiceman having 2-3 drinks twice a week does not require a beer in the morning to resolve a hangover. Now double (or so) that amount and I would think you’re beginning to go into hangover territory.
The founder had left Moderation Management before she killed the people. She realized she could not drink moderately and was working toward abstinence when she caused the accident.
Self-awareness is at the root of both abstinence and moderation programs.
Do not use her crime and her addiction to judge MM.
I may be an alcoholic (or not); I don’t drink to excess, I don’t drive after a drink, I don’t drink before 4pm. However, alcoholism runs in my family; an aunt died from cirrhosis of the liver at 41, and uncle at 59. I drink every day, usually Merlot, 3 or 4 glasses. Occasionally I will drink a light beer or two. I answered “yes” to 2 or the questions but the real reason I would stop drinking is to lose some weight.
3-4 glasses =’s a bottle and a half and every day is not healthy. Im not judging and i repect you for not driving even after on drink, however consider this if it takes 3- 4 glasses for a desired effect such as relaxation, you may be at risk for becoming dependant on alcohol, and thats doubled because of your family history. I have seen it all my life too, and I can answer yes to 3 of the questions. I can go months without a drink, but I cant stop at one.
3 – 4 glasses does not equal a bottle and a half. Mabe, if each serving is large it would equal one bottle. I would agree thought that a bottle of wine per night for one person is pretty excessive.
BTW – I may have as many as three glasses of wine in a night and still have just a little less than half of the bottle still left. If your pour is only about 6 OZ each, that would be about right.
$10 says Buffy will live a longer and healthier life than any of the folks who consider Alcoholism a disease. You control your mind – saying booze problems are hereditary just enables you to feel like you need more booze. It’s not a disease, it’s a choice. Cancer is a disease. If you think it’s a problem, then make a change in your life – you are in control.
Oh shucks, I guess since I gamble twice a week I need to go to gamblers anonymous. I have a disease!
The CAGE (quiz above) is used for signs of “alcoholism” (I put in quotes since the definition is not empirically-based), not physical health. Studies show that women should have fewer than 1 drink a day to lower risk of breast cancer, regardless of answers to above quiz. Studies also show that for SOME moderation management works.
Deciding whether you’re alcoholic or simply drink too much is complicated–perhaps too complicated to be determined in four questions. However, it seems to me that if you’re wondering whether you’re an alcoholic, you have SOME problem. Normal drinkers don’t usually wonder whether they’re alcoholics. I also agree that supplying a link to Moderation Management with no mention of any other approach (such as Alcoholics Anonymous) is extremely irresponsible. Frankly, I was stunned because I find this website to be informative and responsible. The topic of alcoholism is one of life and death—just ask any family member or friend who has watched someone die from it. I am not touting any particular method, but Moderation Management seems to me a flabby choice.
“I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy” – Tom Waits
“If I am not wasted, the day is!”-Anonymous
“If you don’t start in the morning, you can’t drink all day.” anon.
Those four questions really don’t cut it in my opinion. You think you might be an alcoholic? Let me differentiate: Have you ever woke up on the side of the road in a different part of the country, clutching a half dressed Barbie doll? THAT would be an indication.
Going out the the bar and spending $80.00 on sugar laced drinks or dinks with little umbrellas? That’s not an indication, that’s stupidity.
Who is most likely to have the hangover? You guessed it. All that sugar will come back and haunt you.
I have at least 1 drink every night – bourbon and coke. Let me tell you. I feel BETTER after I have it. Do I have a problem? No.
The key is moderation. If you can’t drink responsibly, then don’t. Go try heroin. We’d all rather you die in your bed from an overdose then to be out driving a car because you have drank yourself sober and take some of us with you.
The questionaire is flawed. It is designed so that any one who drinks at all and answers it honestly will be accused of having a drinking problem. The true scale is the effect on you and those around you. This questionaire is designed more to get people to the Moderation Management website than for any other purpose. Remember, most advertisers pay by the number of hits……
TJ – You hit the nail on the head!
Also, I find it funny how many people on here are willing to throw out the blanket statement, “AA / 12 step programs do not work.” Please, someone back that statement up with facts.
NO it does not work for everyone. NO it is not full proof (even AAers will tell you the program works only if you work it… it’s not JUST about turning things over to a higher power as one poster said… yes that is a principle of the program but in NO WAY does it mean not taking personal accountability).
No program out there helps EVERYONE. That is not a flaw in AA and that is not a flaw in the people it does not help. Just like taking a Motrin for a headache is not going to help everyone…
But AA and programs modeled off of AA have helped thousands upon thousands of people turn their lives around.
12 Steps and 12 Traditions can work for every alcoholic. The problem is the alcoholic working it a day at a time. I am an alcoholic in recovery and I am also an LPC-MHSP (Licensed Professional Counselor with a Mental Health Service Provider Designation) and a LADAC (Licensed Alcohol Drug Addictions Counselor) with a Masters in Clinical Psychology and I am working on my post-graduate fellowship in Psychology Doctoral Program at Vanderbilt University. I hear people say everyday that 12 steps don’t work. I’m telling you from my own personal experience and from tens of thousands of hours of counseling others that it does. The problem why recovery does not work is that people don’t really work the steps, the first of which is understanding one’s powerlessness over the disease of addiction. I have also seen thousands of people in recovery for 5 years or more who KNOW RECOVERY WORKS.
I answered yes to 2 of the 4 questions, but they had to do with personal guilt, which can be caused by all sorts of things, none of which necessarily mean I’m an alcoholic. Like Buffy, the only real reason I feel like I should cut down is because I’d like to lose some weight! I drink a lot by ‘normal’ standards… 3-4 beverages a night, but I have also taken 4-5 days off every once in a while, just to make sure I can. I have 2 kids, I run 2 businesses, and have never been affected negatively by my drinking (other than wanting to lose 10 pounds!) People need to back off the alcoholism thing… BTW – if 40% of fatal crashes are caused by alcohol, (by which they mean that people involved had alcohol in their system, not necessarily that the alcohol truly contributed to the accident) that means the majority (60%) of fatal car crashes are caused by ??? Normal human error? So how many of those “alcohol related” crashes would have happened no matter whether alcohol was involved or not? And no, I’m not condoning drunk driving, so don’t get your panties in a bunch!
Horrible list.
Coming from a very strict Mormon upbringing, I have been annoyed and been made to feel guilty for having even a single drink when out to dinner. This does not mean I have a problem. Shame on you.
All I can add is there are way too many people in denial here. I am an alcoholic and AA has saved my life! If you think you have a problem, you probably do. Give AA a chance. What do you have to lose? This disease wants you dead, believe what you choose. I am saddened be these responces.
This quiz is a sham. Anyone who’s ever had too much to drink, once, will probably answer “Yes” to questions 1-3. Only question #4 gets at the sort of behaviors that separate occasional/moderate drinkers from problem drinkers. Do you regularly drink to cope with stressful situations? Do you hide your drinking from people close to you? Do you have blackouts after drinking? Are you ashamed to find out about things you did or said while you were drunk, but don’t remember? Have you missed work or other obligations because of drinking? These are signs of a problem. Feeling like you may have overdone it once or twice, is not.
I come home from work whack down a 12 pack and a pint no problem. Its the way you perceive it.
Withdrawal from alcohol is rated worse than that of any other drug (heroin included). However, the reinforcing power of alcohol is not so severe, allowing one to avert addiction if he/she is legitimately concerned about it. The problem really lies in the fact that most people don’t realize their drinking is excessive and don’t make any effort to curb it.
Am i an alcoholic? I do ask myself that question often. I wake up wanting to party, not drink a shot of Crown. Put party equals to drinking. I dont drink before 4pm, if i dont work the day, maybeee ill have a beer in the afternoon. But when i do drink i can handle about 4 shots and 5 beers, i will get drunk but not a threat. And i will do this about twice a week, and once on the weekends. My wife is always talking about me drinking to much. But i dont wake up wanting a beer. Am i an alcoholic? Hmmm, i do have a hangover from last night, so i dont want to drink today.
Beer…..It’s a breakfast drink isn’t it? I mean you got your grain and hops..etc. Mix it with a can of tomato juice, throw in a raw egg and your good to go.
I drink approx. 6 to 10 ounces of 80 proof stuff per day. I have done so for aout 30 years. I find the 2-3 drinks per week statements ridiculous in the extreme. That amount is like as close to zero as you can get. Wow, how long would a half gallon of vodka last? If that were what the average drinker consumed, the liquor compnies woul be out of business tomorrow. I might even agree my amount is sometimes a problem but anyone thinking that 2-3 dinks a week is a problem has a severe intelligence problem. Nuff said.
last night i had black and coke, 2 rums and coke, some tequila drink, beer from beer pong, some egg nog mixed with some alcohol, some other drink that that tasted like apple pie, some holiday punch that lots of different hard liquors, and fat tires seasonal beer called 2 below. i didnt puke. i didnt cause any problems. i remember everything and im not hungover today. it was the first time i drank in about a month. do i need to curb my drinking?
I have been sober now for 21 years thanks to the grace of a higher power and a 12 Step Program. Sorry, Shaun, recovery programs CAN work if you WORK THEM they way they are supposed to. And more than just me…there are way too many examples of healthy, long term recovery out there. Does it work for everyone?…no. But many more than what your comment would lead others to believe.
1. Also agree, Moderation Management does NOT lead by example from the top.
2. It is not WHAT you drink, how MUCH you drink, how OFTEN you drink but
what HAPPENS to you when you do!!
Nick, nothing may have happened to you…YET. Keep drinking like that and something will, either to you, someone else or both. Good God man, I hope you don’t get behind the wheel of a car with that much liquor in you over the course of a “night.”
The counseling and help programs out there are all about money. Usually these programs are operated by red faced, knuckle-rubbing alcoholics who have given up the bottle for nicotine and caffeine (both legal drugs). If you need help, you need to help yourself. Just say no!!!
I don’t have a problem drinking. I can drink one most any time I want LOL
As a recovering alky, I can share a couple of things. One I agree with is that it is not one size fits all. There are different levels of trouble.You don’t have to be sleeping in the gutter to be an alky. There are lots of walking wounded who go to work everyday. The real question is “is your life worse because of your alcohol use? Hangovers, fights with the wife, a bad tummy, coming home from the bar and throwing up? You don’t need to label your self an alky to really be in quite serious trouble. Been there, done that,hopefully never ever again.
Alcoholism is not defined by HOW MUCH You drink or even how often. Does the Alcohol control your life if so than YOU are an Alcoholic? It is like ANY addiction, drugs, gambling, sex.
very sensible comment Steve – i agree that control is a factor…dya wake up wondering when you can drink agin?..dya plan your day so you can have a drink later..?..dya plan ur life around partying ?…well..its in control..not you….
I found this question list to be most amusing. The first 3 questions are so interrelated as to make it impossible to not answer only one if you are a drinker. The relevant question is the final one. If you drink in the morning to counter having too much the night before, you have a problem. There are other more helpful questions than the first 3. For instance, do you have a problem going a day without alcohol? From my experience, that is the single most important measure.
The problem with this quiz is that it switches from the past tense to the present with no qualifications. The questions say “Have you ever…?” The solution is then presented as “You should…” One could have successfully quit drinking fifty years ago, but according to the strict interpretation of this quiz if that person on just once thought about quitting drinking and felt guilty about (a half century ago) they should still run out and seek treatment.
I really dont think you should get help if you have experienced 2 of the 4 things on the list. Those are pretty broad blanket statements. You just labeled everyone in my state (Wisconsin) an alcoholic if this is true.
I doubt that so many people would be responding with such intensity if they were not concerned about their own drinking, or that of a loved one.
If it’s not your problem, move on. But for the millions who wonder whether they have a drinking problem, although I don’t think these four questions can determine that, wouldn’t it be better to check it out than to just argue about it?
And I agree with Karen that posting a link ONLY to Moderation Management was an extremely bad decision. It may be a very helpful group, but it clearly is not the answer for everyone. Why not let people talk to their doctors, try MM, AA, or any group related to alcoholism, and THEN decide what fits best.
Finally, I doubt too many people who walk into an AA meeting end up there by mistake.
You don’t have a problem? Why not read about new skin treatments rather than taking the time to hurl vitriolic statements at those people who clearly ARE concerned about their drinking?
Yes, I fit the category, and have already determined which method works for me. I won’t argue its benefits, because perhaps it’s not for you. But don’t be afraid to take that first step… and tell someone.
Small flaw in your question series. #1 and #3 are nearly the same question restated. If you answer yes, to #1, you can answer yes to #3 for the same reason — and almost everyone can answer ‘yes’ to #1.
Remove question #3 and add something different, because everyone can score with at least 2 hits on this.
Guys, it’s a screening questionnaire that physicians are supposed to use. The idea is to catch everyone with it who could potentially have a problem. If you answer yes to 2/4 questions, then it’s not a sign that you are an alcoholic, it’s a sign that more follow-up questions need to be asked.
A LOT OF THESE COMMENTS ARE FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT REALLY IS TO BE OR BE A LOVED ONE OF AN ALCOHOLIC. ALCOHOLISM IS WHEN YOU CAN’T HAVE THAT ONE DRINK DUE TO IT TURNS INTO BOTTLE AFTER BOTTLE AND DAY AFTER DAY OF NEAR CONSTANT DRINKING. YES 3 OR MORE DRINKS A NIGHT DOES PUSH TOWARD DEPENDANCE MAKING IT HARD FOR MOST AT THAT POINT TO NOT GO A DAY WITHOUT THAT 3 DRINKS. THAT IS WHEN YOU NEED TO LOOK TOWARD STOPPING OR GETTING HELP. IT IS A DISEASE AND VERY DEADLY!!!! FROM LIVER PROBLEM TO SEIZURES FROM WITHDRAWAL, THERE ARE MORE THAN A COUPLE PROBLEM FROM THIS DISEASE. SO FOR ALL WITH YOUR “OPINIONS” DON’T MAKE IT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU DON’T!!