DRINKING PROBLEM?
Do You Need Help and Advice?
If you think you have a drinking problem - take a few minutes to answer the questions below
Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking- stop telling you what to do?
Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
Have you had to have a drink in the morning during the past year?
Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Do you ever try to get 'extra' drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
Have you missed days of work because of drinking?
Do you have blackouts?
Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
Have you answered yes to some or all of these questions?
Then you probably have a problem with alcohol.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE AN ALCOHOLIC?
Below is how we answered the questions and what we found out about our drinking
Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. and A.A. said: "Just try not to drink today." (If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.)
Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking- stop telling you what to do?
In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.
Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink spirits. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.
Have you had to have a drink in the morning during the past year?
Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking socially.
Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.
Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse - never better. Eventually, you will die, or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.
Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere.
Do you ever try to get 'extra' drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Most of us used to have a 'few' before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. If drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.
Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came to A.A., we found out that once we started to drink, we couldn't stop.
Have you missed days of work because of drinking?
Many of us admit now that we called in sick lots of times when the truth was that we were hung over or on a drunk.
Do you have blackouts?
A blackout is when there are drinking hours or days we cannot remember. When we came into A.A., we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.
Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into A.A., we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.
WHAT DO I DO NOW, HOW DO I GET HELP?
Phone the Helpline
The telephone responder will be able to answer any questions you have, give advice and information. You can phone at any time for an informal chat - the lines are open 24 hours a day.
Telephone 01202 296000 (Local Helpline) or 0800 9177 650 (National Helpline)
If you like the telephone responder will organise for you to meet with members of the fellowship - please see below.
Attend a Meeting
There are several meetings in the Poole and District area every week during the day and in the evenings. You can find the meetings near you on this website. Alternatively you could phone the helpline and the telephone responder can organise someone to meet you and take you to the meeting.
Ask Us to Meet You
If you like, a telephone responder will organise for you to meet with a member of the fellowship. This can be done completely anonymously at a convenient place or even at your home.
E-mail Alcoholics Anonymous
help@aamail.org (National)
ecomm.poole@aamail.org (Poole and District AA)
Below is some literature which may answer any questions you may have.
Click on the leaflet icons to view online.
All leaflets are available at meetings
Please Note : The Helpline Number for all leaflets is now 0800 9177 650
Yes, You can phone the Alcoholics Anonymous Helpline which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week manned by recovering alcoholics.
The telephone responder can give you more information and help you make a decision about whether you an alcoholic (although only you can decide this).
The responder will give you information about meetings and answer any questions you may have. Remember we have all been where you are now and we will understand what you are going through.
National Helpline - 0800 9177 650
Local Helpline - 01202 296000
Can I talk to someone in confidence about my drinking?
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I an alcoholic?
If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, or if you get into trouble when you drink you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in A.A. will tell you whether you are or not.
What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?
Seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.
What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
We are a Fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various sorts of trouble as a result of drink. We attempt - most of us successfully - to create a satisfactory way of life without alcohol. For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in A.A.
If I go to an A.A. meeting, does that commit me to anything?
No. A.A. keeps no membership files, or attendance records. You need disclose nothing about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t want to come back.
What happens if I meet people I know in A.A?
They will be there for the same reason you are there. They will not disclose your identity to outsiders. At A.A. you retain as much anonymity as you wish. That is one of the reasons we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.
What happens at an A.A. meeting?
An A.A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drink did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to deal with this, and how they are living their lives today.
How can this help me with my drink problem?
We in A.A. know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol, and to be unable to keep promises made to others and ourselves that we will stop drinking. We are not professional therapists. Our only qualification for helping others to recover from alcoholism is that we have recovered ourselves. Problem drinkers coming to us know that recovery is possible because they see people who have done it.
Why do A.A.s keep on going to meetings after they are cured?
We in the fellowship of A.A. believe there is no such thing as a cure for alcoholism. We can never return to normal drinking, and our ability to stay away from alcohol depends on maintaining our physical, mental, and spiritual health. This we can achieve by going to meetings regularly and putting into practice what we learn there. In addition, we find it helps us to stay sober if we help other alcoholics.
How do I join A.A.?
You are an A.A. member if and when you say so. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking, and many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first approached A.A.
How much does A.A. membership cost?
There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. An A.A. group will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover running expenses, such as rent, coffee, etc., and to this all members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish.
Is A.A. a religious organisation?
No. Nor is it allied to any religious organisation.
There’s a lot of talk about God, though, isn’t there?
The majority of A.A. members believe that we have found the solution to our drinking problem not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than ourselves. However, everyone defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God, others think it is the collective therapy of A.A, still others don’t believe in it at all. There is room in A.A. for people of all shades of belief and non-belief.
Can I bring my family to an A.A. meeting?
Family members or close friends are welcome at 'Open' A.A. meetings. Discuss this with your local contact.
What advice do you give new members?
In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. are those who:
(1) stay away from the first drink;
(2) attend A.A. meetings regularly;
(3) seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober for some time;
(4) try to put into practice the A.A. program of recovery.
How can I contact A.A.?
You can call us in complete confidence on 0800 9177 650 or email us at help@aamail.org
Alcoholism is a progressive illness.
Take it seriously, even if you think you are at an early stage of the illness.
Alcoholism is a killer disease.
If you are an alcoholic and if you continue to drink, in time you will get worse.