If you're worried that you might be drinking too much or developing a drug addiction, please don't ignore your concerns. Start by taking a confidential, one-minute assessment to determine whether you meet the clinical definition of having a substance use disorder:
Hopefully you'll be comforted to learn that you don't have a substance use disorder. However, addiction is a progressive disease, so you're wise to to take steps now to reduce how frequently you drink or take drugs and the amount you use each time.
If you find it is hard to do this, reach out to a friend in long-term recovery, search for appropriate recovery support groups or consider joining one of the many "Sober Curious" communities springing up around the country.
And if the assessment indicated that you do have an alcohol or substance use disorder, please don’t ignore it. Talk to your doctor or other medical health expert, and don’t hesitate to go to residential or outpatient treatment if you can’t stop drinking on your own. Also be aware that very heavy drinkers may experience life-threatening symptoms when they stop drinking, which is why many individuals start by attending a 3- to 7-day medically-supervised detox program.
To find rehabs and detox programs in your area, you can search online or use Conquer Addiction’s free directory to find programs with the best independently-validated success rates.