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DO YOU HAVE A DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEM?

Most people with a drug or alcohol problem will deny anything is wrong. Denial is a component of the illness. (Note: "Drug" refers to illegal drugs or the misuse of legally prescribed medications.) Even though the addict may accept that taking the drug/alcohol is not a healthy thing to do, a bigger part of him/her is afraid to live without it. The drug/alcohol is often used to medicate a problem. And since the addict knows no other way of dealing with that problem other than taking the drug. He or she cannot imagine stopping.

Creative habits are created to conceal the problem from the conscious part of the addict's mind. Therefore concerned friends and family have to break through the denial with a strong focus on reality and an even larger amount of compassion.

To the drug/alcohol user:

Hopefully the following Self Evaluation will assist you in looking clearly at your life and begin to help you make a change toward a healthier and happier you.

If you are a family member of an addict who is reluctant to use this test, then answer the questions yourself. The test will help you to make it clear in your own mind that something needs to be done. Also read the section on interventions at the end of this chapter.

A. HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE?

Write down on a sheet of paper how often you have used drugs or alcohol in the past week without lying to yourself. Be detailed and include the time of day and the exact amounts.

B. HOW ARE YOU FEELING WHEN DO YOU USE?

Write out how you are feeling at these times. What triggers these feelings? Your use may be an attempt to medicate yourself when times are tough, or it may have progressed beyond that point to where now you use the drug just as a habit, or you may have even progressed to the point where you NEED the drug and cannot live without it.

1. IS YOUR DRUG USE INTERFERING WITH YOUR WORK (including homemaking and child rearing) OR SCHOOL?

_____ Yes _____ No

If you are having difficulties in this area then the answer is most likely YES.

2. IS YOUR DRUG USE INTERFERING WITH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILY LIFE?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are having trouble with your relationships then the answer is most likely YES.

3. HAVE YOU EVER BECOME ABUSIVE OR LOST YOUR TEMPER WHILE USING DRUGS/ALCOHOL?

____ Yes _____ No

If you have lost control, even one time, then the answer is YES.

4. HAVE YOU GOTTEN INTO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES SINCE YOU STARTED DRINKING/USING?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are having trouble in this area then the answer is most likely YES. You may be using/drinking the drug/alcohol to try and cope with your financial problems. By spending too much money on these substances, you are only increasing your financial difficulties These are not healthy responses to a problem.

5. DO YOU USE DRUGS/ALCOHOL TO AVOID SHYNESS OR TO BUILD YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE?

____ Yes _____ No

If you feel more confident when using/drinking then the answer is YES.

6. IS YOUR DRUG USE INTERFERING WITH YOUR HEALTH?

____ Yes _____ No

If your health is failing, then the answer is most likely YES.

7. HAVE YOU EVER FACED LEGAL CONSEQUENCES AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE?

____ Yes _____ No

If you have been in trouble with the law because of your alcohol/drug use then the answer is YES.

8. DO YOU FIND THAT YOU HAVE TO USE MORE DRUG/ALCOHOL THAN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED TO GET THE SAME EFFECT?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are having to use more then the answer is YES.

9. HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO QUIT OR TRIED QUITTING?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are having trouble quitting then that is a sign that you need professional help.

10. DO YOU FIND THAT WHEN YOU PLAN TO ONLY HAVE A LITTLE DRUG/ALCOHOL, YOU END UP CONSUMING MORE THAN YOU PLANNED?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are having trouble controlling your intake then the answer is YES.

11. DOES YOUR DAY REVOLVE AROUND GETTING, USING, THINKING ABOUT, AND/OR RECUPERATING FROM YOUR LAST DRUG OR ALCOHOL BINGE?

____ Yes _____ No

If your day is revolving around alcohol and drugs, then the answer is YES.

12. DO YOU GIVE UP ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO HAVE TIME TO USE YOUR DRUG/ALCOHOL?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are giving up more and more of your life, then the answer YES.

13. DO YOU FIND THAT YOU HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS WHEN YOU STOP USING THE DRUG/ALCOHOL? AND DO YOU CONTINUE USING JUST TO STOP THESE NEGATIVE EFFECTS?

____ Yes _____ No

If you are using just to stop the negative effects, then you need to get help.

14. DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF A DRUG USE OR ALCOHOLISM?

____ Yes _____ No

If a drug use or alcoholism runs in your family then you are more likely to have trouble yourself, or to choose partners with a problem. If these issues run in your family then you are at a much higher risk.

15. DO YOUR FRIENDS HAVE A DRUG/ALCOHOL PROBLEM?

____ Yes _____ No

If you have friends that cannot stop using/drinking, then you may be picking up bad habits and you may also have a problem.

16. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF YOUR DRUG/ALCOHOL USE?

____ Yes _____ No

If you have hurt yourself or others bad enough to require going to the hospital as a result of using/drinking, then you definitely need professional help.

17. DO YOU HAVE PERIODS WHERE YOU CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED?

____ Yes _____ No

This loss of memory is called a blackout. If you are having blackouts then you definitely require assistance.

18. DO YOU NEED ALCOHOL/DRUGS TO FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING SEX?

_____ YES _____ NO

If you use drugs or alcohol in order to have sex then it is likely that you have a problem.

RESULTS:

If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you should seriously consider getting help for your alcohol/drug problem. 

* * *

WHAT IF MY FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER IS ADDICTED TO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL AND REFUSES TO GET HELP?

Do not make excuses and try to cover up for the addict. Do not make threats that you will not carry out. Do not deny the problem yourself. Do not allow unacceptable behavior to continue. And do not prevent the addict from "hitting bottom." But do get help for yourself by joining Alanon or Narcanon and consider conducting what is known as an intervention.

An intervention is a approach which helps an addicted person get into counseling. This involves bringing together all of the appropriate people with whom the addicted person interacts including; the employer, friends, family, co-workers, clergy, and anyone else who is appropriately concerned about the person's illness. The group is brought together and asked to discuss the ways that each has been affected by the addicted person's behavior and to share their common feelings. A spokesperson is selected and a dress rehearsal is conducted.

Afterward, the addicted person is asked to join the group and each person tells the addict how he or she cares about the individual and how they have witnessed the addict destroy his or her life. The idea is to be both honest and compassionate. The person is then asked to go into a chemical dependency treatment program which has been previously arranged.

Interventions are not simple, and I recommend that you read about them in great detail before trying one (There are books specifically on interventions in the library.) You should also consider having a counselor present who is experienced in interventions. Talk to your local hospital for references.

Whether you decide to conduct an intervention or not, you can at least learn to reduce your self-defeating patterns that have developed out of your concern for the alcoholic/addict. Remember that these problems are not your fault. You have the right to dignity and a decent life. A therapist trained in dealing with chemical dependency issues will be enormously helpful to you, your loved ones, and your family's situation.