Does My Parent Really Have a Problem?
The answer is so simple it almost sounds silly. If someone else’s drinking or drug use is causing you a problem, that’s too much. Some questions to ask yourself. If you’re not sure there is a problem, check out the questions below:
Modified CAST – 6 (Children of Alcoholics Screening Test – 6 items)
These questions are a subsample of questions appearing on the CAST, developed by Jones and Pilat, and have also been rigorously tested.
- Have you ever thought that one of your parents had a drinking problem?
- Did you ever encourage one of your parents to quit drinking?
- Did you ever argue or fight with a parent when he or she was drinking?
- Have you ever heard your parents fight when one of them was drunk?
- Did you ever feel like hiding or emptying your parent’s alcohol?
- Did you ever wish that a parent would stop drinking?
Al-Anon Questionnaire
- Does your parent or relative’s drinking or drug use upset you?
- Do you cover up your feelings pretending that you don’t care?
- Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking or drug use?
- Do you tell lies to cover up for someone’s drinking or drug abuse or to hide what’s happening in your home?
- Do you stay out of the house as much as possible because you hate it there?
- Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a drinking or drug use bout?
- Do you feel no one really loves you or cares about you?
- Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring your friends home?
- Do you think the addicted person’s behavior is caused by you, other members of your family, or rotten breaks in life?
- Do you make threats such as “If you don’t stop drinking, using drugs, or fighting, I’ll run away”?
- Do you make promises about behavior, such as getting better school grades, oing to church, or keeping your room clean in exchange for a promise that the fighting, using, and drinking will stop?
- Do you feel that if your mom or dad loved you, she or he would stop drinking or using drugs?
- Do you ever threaten or actually hurt yourself to scare your parents into saying “I’m sorry” or “I love you”?
- Do you believe no one could possibly understand how you feel?
- Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking or drug abuse?
- Are meal times frequently delayed because of the drinker or drug abuser?
- Have you considered calling the police because of the drinker’s or drug abuser’s abusive behavior?
- Have you ever refused to go out with friends because of fear or anxiety?
- Do you think your problems would be solved if the drinking or drug abuse stopped?
- Do you ever treat people (teachers, siblings, friends, teammates etc) unjustly because you are angry at someone else for drinking or using drugs?
Adapted from Al-Anon