Part I. General Addictive Behavior Checklist

Choose an activity or a behavior in your life that you feel may be developing into an addiction. Ask yourself the following questions about it, and select Yes or No.

Activity/behavior: 

Yes No	1.	Do you engage in the activity on a regular basis?
Yes No	2.	Have you engaged in the activity over a long period of time?
Yes No	3.	Do you currently engage in this activity more than you used to?
Yes No	4.	Do you find it difficult to stop or to avoid the activity?
Yes No	5.	Have you tried and failed to cut down on the amount of time you spend on the activity?
Yes No	6.	Do you turn down or skip social/recreational events in order to engage in the activity?
Yes No	7.	Does your participation in the activity interfere with your attendance and/or performance at school and/or work?
Yes No	8.	Have friends or family members spoken to you about the activity and indicated they think you have a problem?
Yes No	9.	Has your participation in the activity affected your reputation?
Yes No	10.	Have you lied to friends or family members about the amount of time, money, and other resources that you put into the activity?
Yes No	11.	Do you feel guilty about the resources that you put into the activity?
Yes No	12.	Do you engage in the activity when you are worried, frustrated, or stressed or when you have other painful feelings?
Yes No	13.	Do you feel better when you engage in the activity?
Yes No	14.	Do you often spend more time engaged in the activity than you plan to?
Yes No	15.	Do you have a strong urge to participate in the activity when you are away from it?
Yes No	16.	Do you spend a lot of time planning for your next opportunities to engage in the activity?
Yes No	17.	Are you often irritable and restless when you are away from the activity?
Yes No	18.	Do you use the activity as a reward for all other accomplishments?

Part II. Checklist for Drug Dependency

If you wonder whether you are becoming dependent on a drug, ask yourself the following questions. Select Yes or No.

Yes No	1.	Do you take the drug regularly?
Yes No	2.	Have you been taking the drug for a long time?
Yes No	3.	Do you always take the drug in certain situations or when you're with certain people?
Yes No	4.	Do you find it difficult to stop using the drug? Do you feel powerless to quit?
Yes No	5.	Have you tried repeatedly to cut down or control your use of the drug?
Yes No	6.	Do you need to take a larger dose of the drug in order to get the same high you're used to?
Yes No	7.	Do you feel specific symptoms if you cut back or stop using the drug?
Yes No	8.	Do you frequently take another psychoactive substance to relieve withdrawal symptoms?
Yes No	9.	Do you take the drug to feel "normal"?
Yes No	10.	Do you go to extreme lengths or put yourself in dangerous situations to get the drug?
Yes No	11.	Do you hide your drug use from others? Have you ever lied about what you're using or how much you use?
Yes No	12.	Do people close to you ask you about your drug use?
Yes No	13.	Are you spending more and more time with people who use the same drug as you?
Yes No	14.	Do you think about the drug when you're not high, figuring out ways to get it?
Yes No	15.	If you stop taking the drug, do you feel bad until you can take it again?
Yes No	16.	Does the drug interfere with your ability to study, work, or socialize?
Yes No	17.	Do you skip important school, work, social, or recreational activities in order to obtain or use the drug?
Yes No	18.	Do you continue to use the drug despite a physical or mental disorder or despite a significant problem that you know is worsened by drug use?
Yes No	19.	Have you developed a mental or physical condition or disorder because of prolonged drug use?
Yes No	20.	Have you done something dangerous or that you regret while under the influence of the drug?

Evaluation
On each of these checklists, the more times you answer yes, the more likely it is that you are developing an addiction. If your answers suggest abuse or dependency, talk to someone at your school health clinic or to your physician about taking care of the problem before it gets worse.

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