Are you an alcoholic?

CEBU, Philippines - If you have drinking problem or not, you can now find some easy answers. AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) in Cebu is these days distributing a blue painted pamphlet holder with the AA name painted in white atthe front.

In the pamphlet, printed in English and Cebuano, you find 12 simple questions to answer. AA in Cebu, are placing the pamphlets in strategic places, such as medical centers, medical laboratories, police stations, churches, etc. Printed inside you also find the telephone number to AAs 24 hours help line, as well as addresses to their meetings.

Alcoholism is a rough word to deal with, yet nobody is too young or too old to have trouble with booze. That's because alcoholism is an illness. It can hit anyone; young, old, rich, poor. It doesn't matter how long you've been drinking or what you've been drinking. It's what drinking does to you that counts. To help you decide whether you might have a problem with your own drinking, AA hascarefully prepared these12 questions. The answers are nobody's business but your own. Even if you only answer yes to any one of these questions, maybe it's time you took a serious look at what your drinking might be doing to you. If you do need help or if you'd just like to talk to someone about your drinking,members in A.A. are always available for information.

Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves - the hard way. But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject.

"We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism."

A.A. does not promise to solve your life's problems. But they can show you how to live without drinking "one day at a time." Together they stay away from that "first drink." If there is no first one, there cannot be a second or a tenth one. When they got rid of alcohol, their life became much more manageable.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; they are self-supporting through own contributions.

Through AA´s helpline in Cebu, where you can speak in Cebuano or English, you get information about meetings and you can talk about alcohol related problems, on a 24 hours basis: (032)-406-1637 or 0917-3090 118. All help from Alcoholics Anonymous is free.

If you are a professional (health, clergy, police, etc.) and interested to have AA pamphlets and holder, please call (032)-406-1637 or 0917-3090 118. (FREEMAN)