The question of whether a person is an alcoholic has no easy, clear cut answer. There are a variety of clinical tests, assessments and evaluations which can help determine if a persons drinking behavior has crossed the fine line between heavy drinking and alcoholism. According to Alcoholics Anonymous, only the individual can decide for themselves if they are an alcoholic, or not. Medically speaking, the disease of alcoholism is defined by a type of allergy to alcohol. The allergic reaction is triggered by drinking even a small amount of alcohol, which causes the person to then consume a far greater amount of alcohol than they initially intended. The other criteria are the consequences the person has suffered as a result of their drinking behavior. If drinking has resulted in the loss or damage in some area of their life, it is very likely they are well on their way to being alcoholic.