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Risk Indicators

Managing Risk

Dependency

The Progression of Alcohol Use
One of the first step in understanding your level of risk is to determine where you when it comes to your alcohol use. Alcohol use follows a specific progression from social use to hramful use, to alcohol dependency. By answering the questions below you can get an idea where you are.

Social Use: "Low-Risk" Zone

1. I experiment using alcohol in a variety of situations, using alcohol to relax and have fun.
2. I have discovered that alcohol makes me feel good.
3. The change in mood when drinking is always a positive experience.
4. Alcohol use usually does not affect my health, school, and work responsibilities, or outside interests.

Harmful Use: "Medium-Risk" Zone

1. I count on alcohol to relieve stress or to cope with unforeseen crisis.
2. I feel that I need for to drink in some social situations.
3. I use alcohol to affect how I feel.
4. Among my friends, alcohol use is socially acceptable to deal with unpleasant events or enhance an already good mood.

Harmful Dependence: "High-Risk” Zone

1. My tolerance has increases 50% or more since I began using alcohol.
2. I keep using at the same or increasing levels, despite some negative consequences.
3. I have made life-style changes as more and more activities revolve around alcohol.
4. I do not have any self-imposed rules for when and how much to drink, or these rules are regularly broken.
5. Relationships and friendships are sometimes adversely affected by my alcohol use.
6. I now spend more time drinking, and cannot meet some responsibilities consistently.
7. I experience periodic losses of control over my alcohol use, drinking more than I intended or spending more time drinking than I intended.

Alcohol Dependency: "Very High-Risk” Zone

1. Blackouts have been occurring more frequently over the last six months.
2. I have experienced a growing anticipation and preoccupation with drinking.
3. Others who comment on my drinking habits don’t know what they are talking about.
4. Others have commented that I have mood swings or that my personality has changed because of drinking.
5. I have trouble limiting my consumption.
6. Promises to quit or cut back have failed.