How Do I Know If I Have A Problem?

It’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of problematic substance/alcohol use. How many of the signs listed below do you have?

• You’re neglecting your responsibilities at work and/or home because of your use.
• You’re drinking or using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while high, such as driving while drunk, using dirty needles, or having risky sex.
• Your use is causing problems in your relationships, such as fights with your partner or family members, boss, work mates, or friends.
• You’ve built up a tolerance. You need to drink or use more of the drug to experience the same effects that you used to get with smaller amounts.
• You’ve lost control over your use. You often drink or use drugs more than you planned, even though you told yourself you wouldn’t. You may want to stop, but you feel powerless.
• Your life revolves around your use. You spend a lot of time using and thinking about drinking/using, figuring out how to get them, and recovering from the effects.
• You’ve abandoned activities you used to enjoy, such as hobbies, sports, and socializing, because of your use.
• You continue to drink/use drugs, despite knowing it’s hurting you. It’s causing major problems in your life—blackouts, infections, mood swings, depression, paranoia—but you do it anyway.

If you recognize any of these signs in yourself, it’s time to cut the bullshit and own the problem. Trying to hide the problem is only fooling yourself, no one around you is being fooled. The good news is that there is help out there. The hardest, but most important part it to reach out for a hand.