• Are you having difficulty "saying no" when drugs and/or alcohol are offered to you? And after you use despite knowing you shouldn’t, do you feel guilty or do you feel remorseful?
  
  
• Are you unable to keep promises you make to yourself about using drugs or alcohol? For example, are you unable to follow through on commitments to not use for a specific period of time? Are you able to stop after one drink or after one hit? Are you drinking or using drugs more or longer than you had intended? Have you tried to cut down or stop using drugs or alcohol and failed?
  
  
• Are you building a tolerance to the amount of drugs or alcohol you are using? For example, do you need more of the drug or alcohol you are using to get the same desired affect?
  
  
• Do you continue to use drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences resulting from your use? For example, family discord at home with spouse or partner? Do you continue to use despite frequent absent days from work, conflicts with co-workers and with your boss? Do you continue to use despite legal problems like DUI’s, testing positive for a drug test, and/or arrests for disorderly conduct? Do you continue to use despite financial hardships that in all likelihood have resulted in your inability to stop using?
  
  
• Are you experiencing any psychological problems such as depression or anxiety? Are you feeling hopeless and desperate? Are you having difficulty sleeping and/or are you waking up in the middle of the night? Are you irritable, easily angered and have a low threshold for tolerance?
  
  
• Are you hiding drugs or alcohol from your family and friends? Are you lying to your family and friends about using? Are you lying to yourself?
  
  
• Are you needing to use drugs or alcohol in social settings? Do you feel uncomfortable at parties or social gatherings unless you are high? Do you feel more confident about yourself when you are high? Do you feel you are able to relate to people better when you are high? Do you need to get high to feel normal?
  
  
• Are you choosing to use drugs or alcohol instead of participating in family, social, recreational or work activities? Is the drug or alcohol becoming your best friend?
  
  
• Are you spending an excessive amount of time thinking about or engaging in behavior related to drugs or alcohol? Have you spent a lot of time drinking, being high or being hung-over? Do you become preoccupied with finding the drug and using again?
  
  
• Are you "binge" using with drugs or alcohol? For example, are you using continuously for extended periods of time (days or weeks) and then experiencing periods of sobriety?
  
  
• Are you experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop using? Do you experience intense cravings and urges to use after you have stopped using?
  

If you drink alcohol and you stop using, do you experience depression, anxiety, agitation and irritability? Do you experience sweating, shakes, tremors, sleeplessness and blackouts? Do you experience hallucinations and have you ever had a seizure?

If you abuse marijuana and you stop using, do you experience insomnia, restlessness, irritability, a decrease in appetite, sweating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea?

If you abuse cocaine and you stop using, do you experience depression, difficulty concentrating, increased need for sleep, fatigue, memory dysfunction, headaches?

If you abuse heroin and you stop using, do you experience depression, anxiety, flu-like symptoms (chills), sweating, achy bones and muscles, severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea, runny nose, watery eyes, restlessness and irritability?

If you abuse amphetamines or meth-amphetamines and you stop using, do you experience depression, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis such as hallucinations and auditory hallucinations, compulsive behaviors, extreme agitation, irritability, and fatigue?

If you abuse prescription medication such as Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan and Valium and you stop using, do you experience severe anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness and fatigue?

If you abuse prescription medication or "pain killers" such as, Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet, and you stop using, do you experience depression, anxiety, flu-like symptoms (chills), sweating, achy bones and muscles, severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea, restlessness and irritability?