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in
advance.
    _____ 15. I spent money on alcohol/drugs that
was needed for other things.
    _____ 16. I have had difficulty staying
sober, even when I really wanted to.
     
    -The scoring for this self-test is as follows:
    0-4 - Some problems with drug/alcohol use
    5-9 - Early stage of addiction
    10-14 – Middle stage of addiction
    15+ - Late stage of addiction
     
    When is it time to get help? The answer is, the
sooner we get help, the sooner our lives can improve. As our
addictions progress, the damage they cause to our self-esteem, our
physical health, our emotional well-being, our relationships, our
career, our spirituality, our values, our morals, and every other
area of our lives continues to increase.
     
    -Some of the ways we can work to become
healthy include:
    1. Letting the people who care about us back
into our lives.
    2. Becoming honest with others and ourselves
about our addiction.
    3. Making amends to those we have harmed in
the past with our behavior.
    4. Attending AA/NA/Celebrate Recovery
meetings every week so we can ask for help and receive support from
other recovering alcoholics/addicts.
    5. Forgiving ourselves for not being
perfect.
    6. Making a commitment to getting our lives
in order – legally, financially, personally, and in
relationships.
    7. Reconnecting with our goals for the
future.
    8. Taking care of ourselves physically,
emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
    9. Trying to see the good in all things.
    10. Being open to the wisdom of others and
applying that wisdom to our lives.
    11. Learning to respect others and
ourselves.
    12. Accepting our feelings and allowing
ourselves to feel both the good and the bad.
    13. Exercising to help us feel more stable
and release feelings of anger or frustration.
    14. Becoming more organized so we can get
more of what we want out of life.
    15. Becoming active instead of passively
waiting for things to happen to us.
    16. Supporting others in recovery and giving
something back.
     
    Process Questions
    How have my chemical or behavioral addictions
affected my life? (Alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, eating,
gambling, etc…)
     
     
     
    How do I feel about the ways my chemical or
behavioral addictions have affected my life?
     
     
     
    How would it benefit me to overcome my
addictions?
     
     
     
    What might prevent me from seeking help for
my addictions?
     
     
     
    What are the steps I can take to overcome my
addictions? (Going to AA/NA/Celebrate Recovery meetings, reading
books on addiction recovery, checking myself into a
drug/alcohol/addiction rehabilitation center, working with a
counselor, etc…)
     
     
     
     
    Stepping Stones to Health
    Chemical Addiction
    -Try to identify where you are in the
stepping-stones to health, and the next step or steps you need to
take.
    _____ 1. I use alcohol or drugs regularly,
but I do not feel that I have a problem.
    _____ 2. My alcohol or drug use is beginning
to have some negative effects on my relationships, financial
well-being, family, career, or self-care, but I do not feel that I
have a problem.
    _____ 3. My alcohol or drug use has led to
legal problems (DUI, possession of illegal drugs, minor in
consumption) or I have been incarcerated, but I still do not feel
that I have a problem.
    _____ 4. I am beginning to recognize that my
alcohol/drug use is causing problems in my life, but I do not want
to quit.
    _____ 5. My situation keeps getting worse. My
family, friends, or significant other tells me I have a problem and
I know that I do, but I don’t want to quit.
    _____ 6. I am beginning to experience health
problems (kidney pain, ulcers or stomach cramps, cirrhosis of the
liver, weight loss or weight gain, loss of hair, loss of teeth,
etc…) but I still do not want to quit and I don’t really care what
happens to my body.
    _____ 7. I realize that if I don’t quit my
addiction to alcohol/drugs, I will die, and I want to live.
    _____ 8. I have decided to work on my
addiction or addictions but I don’t know