The Behaviors (Signs) of Alcoholism

• Drinking alone, or hiding the extent of your drinking from others
• Hiding alcohol around the house
• Developing daily rituals, such as drinks before dinner, or wine with dinner
• Feeling irritated or annoyed when people question you about your drinking
• Curtailing your participation in activities that you used to enjoy to spend more time drinking
• Avoiding events or activities without alcohol
• Losing control over how much you drink
• Experiencing blackouts
• Needing ever greater amounts of alcohol to get drunk (tolerance)
• Experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms when you can’t get a drink¹

Alcoholism Self Test

This quiz is based on the American Psychological Association’s criteria for alcohol dependence (Alcoholism) - Answering yes to 3 or more of the following indicates alcoholism.

1. Do you have an alcohol tolerance?
2. Do you ever experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms (or take another substance to avoid withdrawal symptoms?
3. Do you often drink more or for longer than you’d planned on?
4. Do you try, or feel like you should try, to cut down on your drinking?
5. Do you spend a lot of time, using, procuring, procuring money for drinking or recovering from alcohol use?
6. Have you stopped or reduced your participation in important social, work related or recreational events due to your alcohol use?
7. Do you keep drinking even though you know that drinking does you physical or mental harm (for example, worsens the symptoms of your anxiety, or worsens the condition of your damaged liver)?²