Alcohol Abuse Test

jimgoose wrote: »

The Mayflower went thataway.

That's exactly what I mean

We have a major problem with alcohol abuse in this country and it's not just about people falling about pissed in the streets. But hey, we're Irish, we're fun when we drink. It's part of our culture so it's harmless :rolleyes:

I got a 3...

/hardass drunk I am

Ben D Bus wrote: »

That's exactly what I mean

We have a major problem with alcohol abuse in this country and it's not just about people falling about pissed in the streets. But hey, we're Irish, we're fun when we drink. It's part of our culture so it's harmless :rolleyes:

You have a point that there is an issue with alcohol in Ireland but puritanical, religious based nonsense like this test achieve nothing other than reinforcing religious dogmas for rightwing American loonies, scaring the credulous into thinking they're alcoholics for taking 1 pint a month and making the rest scoff at and write off all such tests because of the transparent, agenda driven stupidity of its questions.

Go look around the internet and you'll find sites from similar types proclaiming condoms to be "80 per cent effective" and other such nonsense that makes people either ignore it, become sexually dysfunctional through irrational fear or, if they're particularly stupid (which many people are) just decide condoms aren't worth using at all.

The deliberate spread of puritanically inspired misinformation does more harm than good and is certainly no way to begin to address any serious issues, of which a few drinks at the weekend is not one.

grundie wrote: »

It's a load of nonsense. Everybody handles alcohol differently, an online test can't account for that. Plus NCADD appears to be quite anti-alcohol in its view and not just anti-alcohol abuse.

Questions are nonsense anyway - do you feel guilty about drinking. I've noticed a lot of the more assholey alcoholic types feel no guilt whatsoever. Addicts in general and assholes in particular tend to be like that!

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Are you serious? Are you a real vet?
Being addicted to anything is bad. Plus excessive alcohol consumption doesn't make for healthy living in the long term. Look at gaza in the papers today - he's 47 ffs he looks about 147!

Paul Gascoigne. Although I take your point about Gaza - if the middle east were on two or three bottles of vodka a day it might be a solution. Bit noisy in the morning but calming down towards the evening.

I do have a drink problem. I knew it before I took the silly test. A lot of alcoholics do not have blackouts. Most are intelligent enough not to drive drunk for a variety of reasons. Vodka on the cornflakes gets you fired therefore removing money for drink. Making it to 5 PM sober is not an issue for a lot of people.
So rest easy. The real verdict on your level of drinking (and more importantly the affect it has on you) is when you discover your clothes on the footpath and the locks changed.

Am I Alcoholic?

Your Self-Test Score: 7

Understanding Your Score:

A "no" is scored 0, and a "yes" is scored 1. The score above reflects the total number of questions that were answered “yes”. A score of 2 or more indicates that you may be at greater risk for alcoholism.


If you answered “yes” to between 2 and 8 questions, you should consider arranging a personal meeting with a professional who has experience in the evaluation of alcohol problems. You should consider contacting the NCADD affiliate office nearest to you. A representative will be happy to assist you in the scheduling of a professional evaluation.

If you answered “yes” to more than 8 questions, you may have a serious level of alcohol-related problems requiring immediate attention and possible treatment. You should seek professional guidance. You should consider contacting the NCADD affiliate office nearest to you. A representative will be happy to assist you in the scheduling of a professional evaluation.

To learn more or to seek immediate help, click on Find an NCADD Affiliate to locate the NCADD organization nearest to you.


Disclaimer: Although these questions incorporate many of the common symptoms of alcoholism, the NCADD Self-Test is intended to be used for educational purposes only and should not be understood to constitute a diagnosis of alcoholism.


Test Result Summary:

1. Do you drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel
with someone? No
2. Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink? No
3. Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though
your friends say you didn’t pass out? No
4. When drinking with other people, do you try to have a few extra drinks when others
won’t know about it? No
5. Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available? No
6. Are you more in a hurry to get your first drink of the day than you used to be? No
7. Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking? No
8. Has a family member or close friend express concern or complained about your drinking? Yes
9. Have you been having more memory “blackouts” recently? No
10. Do you often want to continue drinking after your friends say they’ve had enough? No
11. Do you usually have a reason for the occasions when you drink heavily? Yes
12. When you’re sober, do you sometimes regret things you did or said while drinking? No
13. Have you tried switching brands or drinks, or following different plans to control your
drinking? Yes
14. Have you sometimes failed to keep promises you made to yourself about controlling or
cutting down on your drinking? No
15. Have you ever had a DWI (driving while intoxicated) or DUI (driving under the influence
of alcohol) violation, or any other legal problem related to your drinking? No
16. Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking? No
17. Are you having more financial, work, school, and/or family problems as a result of
your drinking? No
18. Has your physician ever advised you to cut down on your drinking? No
19. Do you eat very little or irregularly during the periods when you are drinking? Yes
20. Do you sometimes have the “shakes” in the morning and find that it helps to have a
“little” drink, tranquilizer or medication of some kind? Yes
21. Have you recently noticed that you can’t drink as much as you used to? Yes
22. Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time? No
23. After periods of drinking do you sometimes see or hear things that aren’t there? No
24. Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking? No
25. Do you ever feel depressed or anxious before, during or after periods of heavy drinking? No
26. Have any of your blood relatives ever had a problem with alcohol? Yes

Nice essay on the issue - http://howtoplayalone.wordpress.com/hitchens-on-booze - I like the summing up:


"But something in the Puritan soul is committed to making and keeping people miserable, even when it is *not* for their own good. Some of us have at least an inkling of the pursuit of happiness, as well as of happiness as a pursuit."