Women and Men with Alcohol Problems Begin their Healing In Sorrento Mesa

How can you tell if you have a problem with alcohol?  After all, it seems as if alcohol is served everywhere in La Jolla, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, and Mission Hills, even at the spa and beauty salons.  Alcohol is served at parties to celebrate your local soccor, basketball, football, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Indian Princess activities. Co-workers and business associates in Sorrento Valley, La Jolla and Downtown San Diego,  attorneys throughout San Diego County, get together for dinner and drinks, create events such as wine clubs and wine tasting parties for fundraising or social events.  Opportunities to drink alcohol are scattered throughout communities in San Diego.

If you are questioning your drinking and if you work or do not work, are a parent or not, here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

• Do I want to go to the activity because alcohol is going to be served, or because it usually becomes a big drinking event for me?
• Do I have a rule for myself about drinking and driving with my children or their friends in the car?  Have I ever broken that rule, or thought about breaking it, just one time?
• Am I isolating with my alcohol or prescription drugs in my room, while my family is being together and doing homework, talking or watching TV?
• Am I isolating with my alcohol or drugs and not returning phone calls, avoiding friends and family because I would rather come home from work, get comfortable and drink my alcohol, alone, with no one bothering me, except the cat?
  
• Do I wonder if my alcohol and drugs are really more important to me than my partner/spouse/chidren, even though I hate to think like this?
• Do I hide bottles in trash cans that belong to my neighbor  or drop them off in different neighborhoods so I will not be discovered?
  
• Do I go to different liquor stores so the clerks will not ask me why I was just here buying alcohol yesterday, or earlier today?
• Do I usually defend my alcohol purchase by saying that I am getting ready for a big party - usually with myself, however I do not say that.
• Do I think I might have some physical pain this weekend, so I call the doctor and lie about my current level of pain so I can get a refill from the pharmacy for my favorite prescription medication?
• Have I ever gone to see doctors including than my primary or family physician, trying to get a prescription for tranquillizers or opiate pain medication, knowing I would drink alcohol with the pills? 
• Have I ever thouight maybe I was addicted to alcohol or to the prescription drugs?  

If you would like to do an online assessment, go to our home page and find alcohol and drug assessments. Or call our office at 858-453-4315.

Only you can decide if your drinking or drug use has moved from social use, to early or middle stage addiction.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS