Chances are if you are reading this, you may have asked yourself that very same question, and I know it’s not an easy one to answer. You are not alone, it’s a common question asked by many problem drinkers and people with alcohol addictions.

How much work or school have you missed during the past month due to alcohol consumption? If the answer is more than one day, then you should seek help for alcohol addiction.

I once heard a man at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting say the following: “I used to have a few drinks after work. I found it to be so much fun, I started to have a few drinks before work as well. After awhile, I started having a few drinks during work. After I was fired, I started having a few drinks instead of work.” Of course no one should let things get this far, but missing work could be a sign of alcohol addiction.

Do I hide my drinking from my family? If the answer is yes, you may need alcohol addiction treatment. Going to a bar and telling your spouse you are working overtime is one way of hiding your drinking habit. Another way is to wait until your spouse goes to sleep before you start to drink.

Has my drinking gotten me into trouble with the law? There are many different legal problems which drinking can get you into – there are DWI charges, domestic violence and the like. If you’ve gotten into any kind of legal trouble as a result of your drinking, it is definitely time to seek help for alcohol addiction.

Acknowledging that you have a problem with alcohol is the first step to recovering from alcohol addiction. This is something you can’t do alone – but you don’t have to! There is plenty of support out there which can help get you into recovery.

Alcohol addiction is a lifelong disease for which there is no cure, but it can be treated. The success rate of recovery is generally higher if alcohol treatment starts early and deals not just with managing the habit, but also uncovers the root cause of the alcohol abuse problem.