Am I an Addict?

If you or someone you know and care about shows some or all of the following characteristics, it's time to look for help.

• Preoccupation
  Spending a lot of time thinking about alcohol and/or other drugs; looking forward to using them; planning life around drinking or using or planning for specific times of abstinence.

• Using alone
  Using in private; secretive use; feeling an urgency for the first drink/drug.

• Using for effect
  To obtain a lift, feel or buzz to change thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

• Protecting supply
  Hiding the alcohol and/or other drugs to ensure a readily available supply; planning money matters carefully in order to buy drink or drugs.

• Using more than planned
  No guarantee of what will happen after the first drink or drug.

• Feelings of hurt or remorse
  Feeling bad about behaviour - the things said or done; the hurt, which may have been caused to others.

• Increased capacity
  Able to use more than others. Begin to need more to get the same effect. As the disease progresses, tolerance decreases.

• Memory blackouts
  Loss of awareness that conversations or events ever took place.

• Finding excuses to drink/drug
  My partner upset me, the boss is impossible, I have a tough life.

• Promises fail
  Breaking promises to themselves and others that they will drink and/or drug less or stop altogether.

• Geographical escape
  Believe that a new start, in a new job, in a new house, in a new country will help.

• Avoiding family and friends
  Particularly while looking for opportunities to use alcohol and/or other drugs. Progressively avoiding activities that do not include the use of alcohol and/or other drugs.

• Early morning shakes
  Needing the alcohol and/or other drugs to function.

• Tendency to cross addict
  Using other substances particularly when trying to control drug of choice.

• Continuing use
  Despite progressively damaging consequences and repeated serious concerns of others.

If three or more of these characteristics are in evidence, there is likely to be an addiction problem.

If you or someone close to you needs help, please email or call Carry Bekker on +27 (0)21 783 4230 at any time.