Now that you know this much about the disease, how can you go about determining whether someone you care about is suffering from it? Needless to say, this isn't something that should be taken lightly. Suspecting that someone is chemically dependent, and saying so to the person's face, are two very different matters!

Some people believe you can't label another person an alcoholic, that this must come from the person himself or herself. But as we'll see, the chemically dependent person is often the last to recognize (or admit)that he has a problem. So it may be up to you to observe the signs and draw the conclusions.

The following test, while not a diagnostice tool, can help you determine if your suspicions are well founded. Answer each question with a yes or no. (Remember that although we use "he" for brevity's sake, it could just as well be "she").

1. Is the person drinking or using any other drug more now than in the past?

2. Are you afraid to be around the person when he's drinking or using other drugs--because of the possibility of verbal or physical abuse?

3. Has the person ever forgotten or denied things that happened during a drinkig or using episode?

4. Do you worry about the person's drinking or other drug use?

5. Does the person refuse to discuss his drinking or other drug use--or even to discuss the possibility that he might have a problem with it?

6. Has the person broken promises to control or stop his drinking or other drug use?

7. Has the person ever lied about his drinking or using, or tried to hide it from you?

8. Have you ever been embarrassed by the person's drinking or other drug use?

9. Have you ever lied to anyone else about the person's drinking or other drug use?

10. Have you ever made excuses for the way the person behaved while drinking or using?

11. Are many of the person's friends heavy drinkers, or do they use other drugs?

12. Does the person make excuses for, or try to justify, his drinking or using?

13. Do you feel guilty about the person's drinking or other drug use?

14. Are holidays and social functions often unpleasant for you because of the person's drinking or other drug use?

15. Do you feel anxious or tense around the person because of his drinking or other drug use?

16. Have you ever helped the person to "cover up" for a drinking or using episode--for example, by calling his employer or by telling others he's sick?

17. Does the person deny he has a drinking problem because he drinks only beer or wine? Or deny he has a drug problem because use is "limited" to a few lines of "coke", marijuana, diet pills, or some other supposedly "harmless" substance?

18. Does the person's behavior change noticeably when he's drinking or using? (For example: a normally quiet person might become loud and talkative, or a normally mild-mannered person might become quick to anger).

19. Does the person avoid social functions where alcohol or other drugs won't be available?

20. Does the person insist on going only to restaurants that serve alcohol?

21. To your knowledge, has the person ever driven a car while drunk or under the influence of other drugs?

22. Has the person ever received a DWI (driving while intoxicated) or DUI (driving under the influence)?

23. Are you afraid to ride with the person after he's been drinking or using?

24. Has anyone else talked to you about the person's drinking or using?

25. Has the person ever expresse remorse for his behavior during a drinking or using episode?

26. If you're married to the person and have children, are the children afraid of the person while he's drinking or using?

27. Does the person seem to have a low self-image?

28. Have you ever found alcohol or other drugs the person has hidden?

29. Is the person having financial difficulties that seem to be related to his drinking or other drug use?

30. Does the person look forward to times when he can drink or can use other drugs?

If you answered yes to any three of these questions, there's a good chance that the person you care about has a drinking or other drug problem. If you answered yes to any five, the chance is even greater. And if you answered yes to seven or more, you can safely assume the person defintely has a problem with chemical dependence.

Here's the rule of thumb that lets you know whether someone is chemically dependent: If the use of alcohol or other drugs is causing any continuing disruption in a person's physical, emotional, mental, social, oreconomic life, but the person doesn 't stop using, he or she is chemically dependent.

The refusal to stop drinking or using--even when it's clearly having an impact on the individual's life--signals a pathological attachment to the chemical and is one of the surest signs of harmful dependence.

The chemically dependent person will keep using alcohol or other drugs even though it causes continuing problems in any or all the relationships that are important to him. By these actions, he's saying, "Drinking or using is more important to me than family, friends, self-respect, health, and job". This means he's attaching immense emotional importance to an inert substance--an obviously abnormal response, and one that indicates the disease of chemical dependence.