| No one ever sets out to become an alcoholic. It is an | | | | keep drinking. |
| insidious problem, that sneaks in the back door when | | | | 3. You might try just not drinking. That doesn't work for |
| you're not looking. What some people consider | | | | most people if they are very far along in the |
| "normal" drinking is actually the early stages of | | | | progression of their addiction. A few people have |
| alcoholism. Much of what you might find as socially | | | | successfully quit on their own, however, and you may |
| acceptable drinking is actually in the range of addictive | | | | be one of these. |
| behavior. Understanding the early warning signs can | | | | 4. Some people have successfully shifted from |
| help you to prevent the advance of this devastating | | | | excessive drinking to moderation, although this is also |
| problem in yourself and/or your loved ones. | | | | quite rare. You will know if you have successfully |
| The early stages and warning signs of alcoholism are: | | | | made the transition from excessive to moderate |
| 1. Your drinking has become a concern to you. You | | | | drinking when none of the above "early warning signs" |
| find yourself worrying about it and wondering if it's a | | | | apply to you any more, and that continues for a few |
| bigger problem than you think. You probably don't dwell | | | | years. |
| on these thoughts, but they crop up from time to time. | | | | 5. If none of the above work for you, or if you think |
| 2. Your drinking is a concern to one or more people | | | | you need something more intensive, you may want to |
| who know you. You are aware that others have | | | | check out some of the treatment centers such as |
| noticed your drinking patterns, and they may or may | | | | The Meadows or Sierra Tucson. |
| not have said something to you about it. (This would | | | | Some things to be aware of: |
| include encounters with law enforcement officials | | | | -If the early warning signs apply to you, and you don't |
| related to alcohol consumption). | | | | take any of the above actions, you are deciding to let |
| 3. When you drink, there is a mood change. You find | | | | your disease progress. Alcoholism is a progressive |
| yourself feeling different emotions after drinking. You | | | | disease. You cannot stay at the same level, unless |
| may get happier, or you may become depressed, | | | | your drinking is healthy (meaning none of the above |
| irritable or even aggressive when you have had a few | | | | warning signs apply to you). Even if your job and your |
| drinks. | | | | relationships don't suffer, excessive alcohol use can be |
| 4. You experience a change in your behavior when | | | | detrimental to your health. |
| you've been drinking. There are things you do while | | | | -There is a difference between being "dry" and being |
| intoxicated that you otherwise don't do. | | | | sober, in other words a difference between not |
| 5. You drink to excess (beyond legal limits) on a regular | | | | drinking and being in recovery from alcoholism. AA has |
| or repetitive basis. While this may only happen | | | | a term "dry drunk," that applies to someone who has |
| occasionally, it is still an early warning sign because of | | | | quit drinking and is not in recovery. What this means is |
| the fact that it continues to occur-even sporadically, as | | | | that the person is alcohol free, but is still behaving in all |
| in the case of "binge drinking." | | | | of the same ways as they did when they were |
| As you can see from this list, there are a lot of people | | | | drinking. Joining AA is the best way to insure that you |
| who meet one or more of these criteria, who do not | | | | are in full recovery. Another option would be to stop |
| consider themselves to be alcoholic. Again, the | | | | drinking or shift to moderation, and get counseling to |
| alcoholic does not see the disease coming until it is in | | | | address the issues underlying your addictive patterns. |
| full force. For example, when your marriage is falling | | | | -Alcoholism (or any addiction) basically arrests |
| apart, you've been arrested twice, and you can't | | | | emotional growth and development from the point of |
| imagine going through a day without a drink, there is no | | | | beginning the addictive pattern. Therefore, counseling is |
| question that you're an alcoholic. (Amazingly, some | | | | quite often needed for someone in recovery, so that |
| people will deny the problem even under these | | | | they can take care of the emotional issues that were |
| extreme circumstances). The beauty of knowing the | | | | masked and suppressed by the alcoholism. |
| above warning signs is that you can be proactive and | | | | -You have an addict inside you, meaning you have |
| preventive, before it's too late. | | | | cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns that |
| What you can do if you meet these criteria: | | | | support your addiction. If you can claim responsibility for |
| 1. Go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Just go. Be | | | | that addict, give it a face and recognize that it only |
| aware that the addict in you won't like this at all. You | | | | wants one thing-to drink, you can manage your |
| may have an addiction, but there is more to you than | | | | addictive behavior much more effectively. If you don't |
| that. Don't let your inner addict run the show. AA is the | | | | claim your addict, it is all too easy for your inner addict |
| single most effective way to get into and stay in | | | | to claim you. |
| recovery from alcoholism. | | | | You have every reason to be optimistic. Millions of |
| 2. Visit with a counselor or addictions specialist. Getting | | | | people all over the world are in full recovery from |
| professional assistance will sometimes help you to put | | | | alcoholism and leading healthy, fulfilling, successful lives. |
| things in perspective and see what lies ahead if you | | | | You can do this too! |