simple test

a simple quiz to determine if drinking is a problem.
from about.com, this was designed for pregnant
women, but found to be useful as a quick test
to distinguish between casual use and abuse,
for anyone.

The TWEAK Test

1. How many drinks does it take to make you feel high?

2. Have close friends or relatives worried or complained about your drinking in the past year?

3. Do you sometimes take a drink in the morning when you first get up?

4. Has a friend or family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?

5. Do you sometimes feel the need to cut down on your drinking?

Scoring the TWEAK Test

The maximum score on the test is seven points, with the first two
questions counting for two points each and the last three one point
each. Note about question 1: If a woman responds that it takes three or
more drinks to feel high, she scores two points. If she responds "less
than three," she scores zero on the question.

A total score of two or more on the test is an indication of harmful drinking and further evaluation is indicated.

Some may substitute the following for question 1: "How many drinks can
you hold?" If a woman responds that she can hold more than five drinks
(meaning she can drink more than five without passing out), she scores
two points; she scores zero if she reports less than five.

as with the 20 questions on the back of the aa booklet,

when i said yes to 17 out 20, there was no doubt about my dependence.

sometimes it takes some simple, basic questions in black and white,

to realize that fateful condition;

what used to turn us on, turned on us.