MSU Red Cedar Message Board

How many 'Yes' answers did you give?

Damn. That test is harsh...3/20 and you're an alcoholic? I think that's bull. Some of the 'yes' answers are worse than others.

So, if you have EVER drank alone, had memory loss because of drinking, and felt remorse after drinking, it is a definite sign that your drinking patterns are harmful and possibly considered alcohol dependent or alcoholic. Mind you, I haven't had 2 of those 3 happen in years. I will still occasionally have a drink late at night alone. What a stupid test. If you have gone to college and drank (which for the majority of people means to excess), you are considered at least alcohol dependent by this test. Some temperance movement idiot with no idea what real alcoholism is about put this together. If I went to a healthcare professorial with this (per their recommendation), they would laugh their ass off.

This.

Its the "nobody should ever have more than 3 drinks in a 24 hour period" establishment. You basically described every tailgate I've attended over the past 12 years.

I answered "yes" to 4 (EVER had remorse? Yes. EVER lost memory? Yes. Ever drink to build up self confidence? Yes. Drink alone? Yes.) of them and well... I guess I'm going to have to clear my calendar this afternoon because I need to make a stop at Betty Ford.

Self-assessment is the worst test for alcoholism or any sort of addiction in general. That's the whole premise of addiction--that your decisions and judgment are clouded due to the addiction, and that leads to denial or rationalizing.

It's also generalizes way too much. If I crack open a beer or two to watch football, and then the family goes to bed and I stay up, then am I drinking alone? Or do they mean downing a fifth of jack in a dark room sitting by myself in a wooden chair?

Take that test for someone else that you know well and maybe it'd be more valid.

Q: Do you turn to inferior companions and environments when drinking?

Your score is 40%. According to the Office of Health Care Programs, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, developers of this screening quiz, if you answered as few as 3 of these questions with a Yes it is a definite sign that your drinking patterns are harmful and considered alcohol dependent or alcoholic. Since you answered more than 3 questions Yes you should seek an evaluation by a healthcare professional.

every time i go to ricks

As I'm sitting here hungover as fuck waiting to appear before the judge, this thread really depresses me.

That's my point, though...how can someone who potentially has an alcohol addiction make that determination for themselves?

"I don't have an alcohol problem because I don't beat my wife and kids. I pay my bills and make it to work every day and not get fired. So what if I drink a fifth every night, pass out on the couch and wake up in a puddle of my own urine and vomit?"

Oh yeah, and the classic, "I make that choice myself. I can quit any time I want to, I just choose not to."

so many good points here. Addiction is such a serious issue. But there are big cultural differences too. Americans drink significantly less per liter per head than most Western Countries. Is alcoholism a huge problem in the UK and the Scandinavian countries? Oh yes, but over there everyone drinks more, and only a portion of the population have a diagnosable problem.

If you're a social drinker that you or others think is an alcoholic you have to look at the social settings you're drinking in. Am I always the most drunk person in my group? If you're a solitary drinker you should look at how often you get buzzed/drunk, how solitary you are really, when you drink, and how much you drink together as factors.

Bad decision making is another. Am I the only one who thinks people drinking at home is somewhat less likely to lead to a bad outcome than drinking at the bar/house party? Why is drinking at home so bad when the danger level is much higher drinking out?

Anytime alcohol was involved in any bad decision you've got to check yourself. If you throw up, get arrested, make a bad personal decision, break/lose something, or miss work or a previous commitment it's worthwhile to work the events through in your mind to see where you erred. On the other side, saying something inappropriate is probably not within the bounds of making a mistake as it relates to alcohol--but boy isn't that the shit everybody remembers!

I answered 5 with a Yes.............However some of the questions were answered based upon events which happened approximately 20 years ago......All of the questions which were based on your CURRENT drinking activities/behavior I answered NO.....with the exception of one as to consideration of my family's welfare which I answered YES; simply because I have had 3 drinks and driven, knowing that same might put me into a compromising position if I got pulled over....maybe not impaired....maybe not intoxicated....but at a BAC level which would put the onus on me to prove the 3 drinks did not impair or impeed my ability to operate my automobile.