Self- Assessment: Is Your Alcohol Use Excessive?

When does “partying” become a real problem?  When are a few drinks with friends skidding into dangerous territory? When are you crossing the line that separates social use of alcohol and severe alcohol abuse?

If you or someone you know is drinking frequently or binge drinking when they do drink, you might want to take a look at several online self-assessment tools that are available. These tools can give you feedback to see if you need to seek treatment. These tools are NOT meant to take the place of a face-to-face assessment with a trained professional.

Two terrific resources that offer both assessment and on-line feedback are www.smartrecovery.org and www.alcoholics-anonymous.org. These two web-sites give users the chance to seek information, support, and resources if the assessment indicates they may have a problem with their alcohol consumption.

For high school or college students, there is www.e-chug.com which allows students to complete questionnaires to evaluate their alcohol habits and compare them with their peers.

At www.drinkerscheckup.com,  you’ll find a tool to evaluate alcohol consumption patterns with national averages and norms. It also offers a section for users to evaluate if they have any problems as a result of their drinking.

Remember, these self-assessments only work if the person taking the assessment is being honest, and dishonesty is a major characteristic of people who have an alcohol problem.  Abusers lie, especially to themselves. 

However, they are a good starting point.  If nothing else, they may leave some lingering prints in their minds - reminding them of these “signs” and beginning the process where they question themselves and may start to see their own problem.

Its never too late to ask for help.