Yeah. I remember doing that back when I was addicted. Gave myself a 5. Goes to show how much denial there is, I'd now probably assess my former self at an 8.

I'd now give myself... maybe a 2? #1 is definitely a yes. #2 maybe, there were times when I decided not to have any for a period and then resumed earlier than I'd intended, but I also took a bunch of time off drinking, so I think "couldn't" is a bit strong. No to the rest.

I feel like question 11 is badly phrased btw, the withdrawal symptoms they list are also symptoms of a simple hangover. If they intend to include hangovers that's fine, but I feel like they're asking about actual withdrawal.

One of my favorite speakers, a guy named Steve Lee, talks about doing one of those alcoholic checklists, and how they're asking for yes/no answers to what are CLEARLY essay questions.

Are they clearly essay questions, or are they essay questions for people who are trying to justify their yes answers? With nearly a dozen questions and answering a conditional yes to over 50% of them, that's probably a large enough sample to indicate a potential problem, no?

Yes, that's the joke. Better delivered verbally in a room full of alcoholics.

The Cliffs version is CAGE, which I feel like we learned in high school:

Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

2+ means investigate further

what does 4/4 mean

Thanks for all the posts. I like having the perspective, and the knowledge to try to be able to look out for danger signs.

After reading all of that I actually don't feel like quite an addict at this point (definitely can see how it could progressively happen though).

For a few reasons, we are going to cut back for the main reason of trying to get our tolerances down. I feel like that could be a positive step regardless of whether there is a potential problem in the future or the simple fact that less alcohol = healthier body.

My thinking is that an extended period of no drinking would lower the tolerance more than drinking less on days I normally would drink.

Any thoughts?

I got a 12 on that questionnaire, that can't be great.

In all seriousness, I knew I had a problem when I was an honest 6. I ignored it and you aren't going to lower your score by ignoring it.

TheNonPareil, I think cutting down is a good idea. It should tell you a lot. Is it hard? Do you feel like you are missing out? Do you "cheat" on what you have decided you would drink?

I think one of the biggest warning signs is when you start rationalizing things. "Yea I said I would never drink and drive, but ive only had 4 beers and its just 5 minutes". "Yea I missed that thing this morning cause I was hungover, but last night was Friday and I had a hard week." That kind of stuff.

Went through the questions in both the tests. Looks I quit while there still was time. Did collect some serious points.

I have kissed alcohol goodbye. No reason to let it back in. Alcohol must be one of the biggest delusions in society. In the end, you just find other things to do. Better and more rewarding things.

I quit drinking one year ago today.

If I could draw a graph on getting over it, it might look like good MTT player's results: something with a lot of jagged edges, with a line that only becomes smoother when you zoom out a good distance from it, but also something with an undeniable upward trend.

I've read a fair amount of--testimony, I guess--from fellow abstainers who've made it to this point or further; about how quitting has been the best thing that's ever happened to them, how it's brought the greatest joy and hope to their lives, and I am incredibly happy for them. I am so proud of them. It brings tears to my eyes.

But I'm not one of those people, so I'm going to instead address my fellow melancholics and depressives out there who may be reading this, and who may be thinking about quitting. Look, man, if you're like me, even after a year, you're probably not going to be bouncing from one burst of joy and happiness to the next.

It's still worth it. It's never not worth it.

Picking up a drinking habit was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Putting a stop to to the worst thing that ever happened to you is always worth it, because you're worth it. I may not be a ray of sunshine every day, but I have taken control of my life in this aspect, and importantly I've taken control of my life in other ways.

Once you've persistently taken an active role in something as important as managing an addiction, life starts to be less of a thing that happens to you, and more of a thing on which you can impose yourself and your actions, more of thing that you can control. And when you recognize that you're doing these things for yourself--action verbs--and that they're helping, it's a good feeling, even for a grump like me.

Anyways, I'm thankful for this thread, and especially for all the very kind and indulgent regs and posters here. Keep it up man. Today's another day and we're sober. Let's get on it.

Good post. That makes me think of this really powerful woman who is a big figure here in the Bay Area AA community and she always says, “I’m not happy all the time but the purpose of life isn’t to be happy all the time. The purpose of life is to matter.”

I just love that. Today I am a good person, a good friend, a good family member, a good employee, a good man. I’m honest and hardworking and people in my life look up to me and listen to me. I might have had some of those qualities but I was none of those things to any great degree before I stopped drinking.

I was so self-involved without realizing it that I can look back and say no wonder I wasn’t happy. Who can be happy when you are thinking about yourself all of the time? Life doesn’t work like that; humans aren’t happy all the time and I believe that we have it all wrong when we base our lives on happiness. Now I try to help others out whenever I can and just focus on being a good person and being present and there for the people in my life. Sometimes I’m amazed at how much easier it is. I know it’s a cliche, but quitting drugs (alcohol was the main drug for me) brought me so many things. I had heard that in meetings for years “that sobriety gave me so many things”....but I never knew that it would give me these types of priceless things, things like answers to how to live and have a good life and be in a good mood day in and day out. It was a real b*tch but my alcoholism and subsequent recovery was the best thing that ever happened to me. I would have never found peace without it.

This is very well said. I was the son of an alcoholic and I always felt there was a great person underneath, but it was washed away by his drinking. Happiness comes and goes and I agree that its not meant to be felt 24/7. But props to you for discovering your true self, and delivering that person to the people who like you and love you. I have no doubt they are happy about that.

@kioshk: well done, sir, keep it up.

Thanks, Howard!

Despite being 11/11, I've definitely tried to talk myself down into the 5-6 range with huge rationalization/ lying. And that's still severe!

About swept the board. I ****ing love booze though.



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3.5 months. Somehow life without alcohol is becoming not only second nature, but first. Seems so unnecessary now. The sometimes flickering thoughts in that direction are lame. Fortunately.

I used to be a problem drinker but not anymore. I would drink every other night, usually between 8 and 10 cheap beers. Now I will have very rarely a few beers at a bar playing free bar poker. In the past 6 months I have drink 3 times at home, 1 pint of vodka, so like 3 or 4 mixed drinks in one night. Not bad, but not nearly as bad as it used to be.

What made you change the way you drink and how did you do it?

When you have a few beers at a bar does it take effort to not have more?

I had a suicide attempt last summer, I have schizo affective disorder. I just quit cold turkey.

It's not that hard for me to only have two beers at a bar, just did it last night.

I recommend you to seek support. Alcohol can also be a minor problem. Anyhow it blurs our judgement.

Why is this thread sleeping?

Great time for this thread to be bumped, I followed it but forgot all about it.

So my friend just went on a 7 day bender estimating he drank about 750mL of hard liquor everyday and it's his third day sober now. We're just doing some programming together and he's completely alert and looks 100% sober.

Except he just told me he has audio hallucinations. He says random heating vents and such are playing full songs and at first he was confused but realized he was hallucinating. Do I need to bring him to detox tomorrow 100%? All the quick googling I've done seems like I do.

Yeah, don't mess around with withdrawal symptoms. Get him checked out. Symptoms tend to maximise around 3-5 days fwiw. What's his drinking history other than this 7 day period?