Alcohol dependence self-check: the drinking habit test and how to cut down
CareOps editorial team · · 6 min read
Mental wellness information and service guidance published by CareOps.
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Read our full editorial standards →It used to be one drink a week, and somehow it has become ‘I earned this’ most evenings. You regret it the next morning, yet by evening you are thinking about it again. If you are wondering whether your drinking is at a healthy level, a short questionnaire can turn a vague worry into a clear picture of your habits and a plan to cut down.
At a glance
- Common self-checks are the WHO's 10-question AUDIT and the AUDIT-C, its three questions on how much you drink. A result is a starting point, not a diagnosis.
- Cutting down starts with tracking drinks, choosing alcohol-free days and changing situations that trigger drinking. Even brief advice can reduce drinking.
- If stopping brings withdrawal symptoms such as morning shakes or sweating, do not quit suddenly on your own. See a doctor first.
How do I check whether I am dependent on alcohol?
The most widely used tool is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), which the World Health Organization (WHO) developed for primary care. It is designed to pick up hazardous drinking, drinking that harms your body or daily life, and signs of dependence. You answer 10 questions about the past year.
- Questions 1–3: how much you drink — how often, how many drinks at a time and how often you have a lot on one occasion
- Questions 4–6: signs of dependence — whether it was hard to stop once you started, whether drinking kept you from doing what you needed to, and whether you needed a drink in the morning
- Questions 7–10: what drinking has led to — guilt after drinking, memory blackouts, you or someone else being hurt because of drinking, and people around you suggesting you cut down
For a quicker look, the AUDIT-C uses only the first three questions. In the study by Bush et al. (1998), these three questions performed about as well as the full 10-question test at identifying heavy drinking as well as alcohol abuse or dependence.
How do I read my drinking habit test result?
Scores are grouped using the ranges in the WHO manual, from lower-risk drinking up to possible dependence. The higher the score, the more likely your current drinking is putting strain on your body and daily life. This is a screening test, though, and whether you have an alcohol use disorder is assessed by a professional who looks at many things together in an interview.
| Result | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Lower range | Keep your current habits, and check again now and then to make sure drinking does not rise during stressful periods |
| Middle range | A good time to plan to drink less and less often. The six steps below can help |
| Higher range | Cutting down on your own may be hard. Making a plan with a doctor or other professional is the safer route |
A high score does not mean you are weak-willed. According to WHO, about 7% of people aged 15 and older, roughly 400 million people, live with an alcohol use disorder. It is common, and things can change with support.
Why do we end up drinking more?
There is usually a reason drinking has increased. A drink to unwind, to fall asleep or to forget anxiety or loneliness for a while can seem to work in the moment, which makes it easy to turn into a habit. But the underlying reason is still there, so when the same situation comes up you reach for a drink again, and a loop forms.
So when you cut down, look at when and why you drink, not just how much. If sleep is the reason, CBT for insomnia offers another route; if anxiety is the reason, try our anxiety coping guide.
Where do I start with cutting down?
A Cochrane review by Kaner et al. (2018) brought together studies of brief advice given in hospitals or primary care, such as feedback, guidance on ways to cut down and help making a personal plan. Across 34 studies and more than 15,000 people, those who received brief advice drank about 20 g less alcohol per week a year later than those who did not. Looking at your own drinking and making a plan can make a difference without any grand resolution. Here are things worth including in that plan.
- Keep a drinking log — note the date, the number of drinks and why you drank in one line. A single week is often enough to see a pattern.
- Choose alcohol-free days — mark the days you will not drink on your calendar first.
- Decide your limit in advance — before you go out, decide something like ‘two drinks tonight’ and drink water in between.
- Change the situations that trigger drinking — slot something else into the moments that usually lead to a drink, like the shop on the way home or evenings alone.
- Keep alcohol out of the house — when it is not within reach, an urge has time to pass.
- Tell someone — letting even one person know you are cutting down makes it easier to turn down offers.
Wanting to cut down and wanting to keep things as they are can sit side by side, and that is normal. Our article on motivational interviewing describes ways to sort through those two pulls.
See a doctor before stopping suddenly
The UK National Health Service (NHS) advises that if you are dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly can be very dangerous. If cutting down or stopping brings withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, sweating, anxiety or trouble sleeping, talk to a doctor before you stop. Withdrawal symptoms usually begin 6–12 hours after your last drink. With medical support you can cut down more safely.
If you would like somewhere to sort through your thoughts when you want a drink, or to check in on your plan each week, you can start with a conversation.
Frequently asked questions
- Is one or two drinks a day okay?
- Even small amounts every day can put strain on your body, and if days without a drink feel empty, the habit may be setting in. Use the drinking habit test to check both how often and how much you drink, and try choosing some alcohol-free days.
- What is the difference between the AUDIT and the AUDIT-C?
- The AUDIT has 10 questions covering how much you drink, signs of dependence and problems caused by drinking. The AUDIT-C uses only the first three questions about how much you drink for a quick check. Choose the AUDIT-C for a fast look and the AUDIT for more detail.
- Are blackouts a warning sign?
- Not remembering what happened while drinking is important enough that the AUDIT asks about it directly. If it happens often, it may mean the amount you drink at one time is more than your body can handle, so cut down and consider seeing a doctor.
- Is there medication that helps with stopping drinking?
- There are medicines used to help people cut down or stop, but whether you need one and which suits you is decided with a doctor. If you have withdrawal symptoms, see a doctor first rather than trying to manage it alone.
Sources
- World Health Organization (WHO), AUDIT: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test — guidelines for use in primary health care
- World Health Organization (WHO), Alcohol (fact sheet)
- Bush et al. (1998), The AUDIT Alcohol Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C): An Effective Brief Screening Test for Problem Drinking, Archives of Internal Medicine
- Kaner et al. (2018), Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- UK National Health Service (NHS), Alcohol misuse
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