Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drinking a Problem?

Determine if your drinking is a problem, develop strategies for curbing your intake, and measure your progress with this practical, engaging guide to taking care of yourself.

Every day, millions of people drink a beer or two while watching a game, shake a cocktail at a party with friends, or enjoy a glass of wine with a good meal. For more than 30 percent of these drinkers, alcohol has begun to have a negative impact on their everyday lives. Yet, only a small number are true alcoholics--people who have completely lost control over their drinking and who need alcohol to function. The great majority are what Dr. Doyle and Dr. Nowinski call "Almost Alcoholics," a growing number of people whose excessive drinking contributes to a variety of problems in their lives.

In Almost Alcoholic, Dr. Doyle and Dr. Nowinski give the facts and guidance needed to address this often unrecognized and devastating condition. They provide the tools to: identify and assess your patterns of alcohol use; evaluate its impact on your relationships, work, and personal well-being; develop strategies and goals for changing the amount and frequency of alcohol use; measure the results of applying these strategies; and make informed decisions about your next steps.

A nationally recognized expert on alcoholism, Robert Doyle, MD, is a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is on the medical staff at Harvard’s prestigious teaching hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital.

Clinical psychologist Joseph Nowinski, PhD, was assistant professor of Psychiatry at the University of California–San Francisco and associate adjunct professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is currently a columnist for the Huffington Post and works in private practice.

ISBN: 9781616491598
Format: Paperback
Pages: 250
Publisher: Hazelden Publishing
Published: February 22, 2012

"The stories in Almost Alcoholic are so powerful. I just loved this book!"
--Jeanne Segal, PhD, psychologist and founder of HelpGuide.org

"Insightful and self-reflective, Almost Alcoholic provides readers with an important opportunity to look within and consider the nature of their own relationship with alcohol."
--Ryan M. Travia, M.Ed., Harvard University Health Services

"A stunning achievement. Almost Alcoholic shines light on behavior that has thus far largely escaped scrutiny--namely drinking that is definitely causing problems even though it doesn't rise to a diagnostic level--and not only helps individuals understand the costs of their drinking but goes further, offering practical advice and solutions for those so afflicted."
--J.Wesley Boyd, MD, PhD, Staff Psychiatrist, Cambridge Health Alliance and Children's Hospital Boston Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

"The Almost Effect Series of books captures the fundamentally human experiences and helps readers interpret what the symptoms might mean--both for themselves and others. The Almost Effect collection should be required reading for those interested in psychology and human behavior."
--Howard J. Shaffer, PhD, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Division on Addiction at the Cambridge Health Alliance, co-author: Change Your Gambling, Change Your Life