by MJ Guyton

Created on: October 02, 2008

Maybe you are wondering if you have an alcohol problem. Maybe someone in your family is pressuring or nagging you to quit. Maybe it's your boss. Maybe you just have that feeling inside that you need to stop drinking. If you are experiencing these strong signals, it may be time for you to give up alcohol completely.

Alcohol is a drug. Sure, having that beer or whisky on the rocks might taste good and make you feel good, but it doesn't take much for the drug to take over and pretty soon you find you're having trouble controlling when and how much you drink. You see, when you drink too much, you are giving your body and your mind over to the alcohol; it takes control and you can end up doing some embarrassing and regrettable things.

How you answer the following questions can help you decide if you have control or alcohol or if it has control over you:

1. Do you have blackouts where you can't remember what happened when you were drinking?

2. Do loved ones nag you about your drinking?

3. Do you get in arguments with others about your drinking?

4. Have you ever gotten into a physical altercation when you were drinking?

5. Do you find yourself thinking often about your next alcoholic drink?

6. Are you a "regular" at your local liquor store and as soon as you walk in the clerk reaches for your favorite bottle?

7. Do you misplace/lose your wallet, purse, keys, etc. and then end up finding them in unusual places?

8. Do you have physical symptoms of advanced liver disease like the whites of your eyes turning yellow, abdominal bloating or pain?

9. Have you pretty much alienated all your family and loved ones to the point that they just don't care anymore?

10. Do you hide alcohol so you can have a "quick drink" when no one is around?

These are all signs of a drinking problem and even full-blown alcoholism. Nobody expects it to go this far when the start drinking but it is an easy pit to fall into. If you can answer "yes" to even one of these questions, it's probably time to stop drinking alcohol. The consequences of continued alcoholic consumption past these points are broken relationships, shattered finances, wrecked health and possibly death from overdose, liver failure, heart attack or an accidental fall.

It's never too late to quit. There are many resources out there, from AA to rehab clinics, that can help you. If you're reading this, maybe it's time. Think about it.

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