You can check whether your drinking has reached the level clinicians call alcohol use disorder (AUD) in about ten minutes, without any app or account. Answer 11 yes-or-no questions about the past 12 months and count the yeses. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), two to three yeses indicate mild AUD, four to five indicate moderate AUD, and six or more indicate severe AUD. The count does not diagnose you, but it gives you a specific number to bring to a doctor or a treatment program.
The short version: the 11-question count used in AUD assessment sorts the past year of drinking into mild (2 to 3 yeses), moderate (4 to 5), or severe (6 or more), and the most useful next step depends on where you land. This post walks through the questions, shows how to score them honestly, and explains what to do with the result.
The 11 questions to answer yes or no
These questions follow the DSM-5 criteria that NIAAA publishes on its alcohol use disorder page. Take a pen and paper, and for each one ask: “In the past year, have I…”
- Had times when I ended up drinking more, or longer, than I intended?
- More than once wanted to cut down or stop, or tried to, but could not?
- Spent a lot of time drinking, or being sick or getting over the aftereffects?
- Wanted a drink so badly that I could not think of anything else?
- Found that drinking, or being sick from drinking, interfered with taking care of home or family, or caused job or school problems?
- Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with family or friends?
- Given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to me, in order to drink?
- More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased my chances of getting hurt?
- Continued to drink even though it was making me feel depressed or anxious, adding to another health problem, or after having had a memory blackout?
- Had to drink much more than I once did to get the effect I wanted, or found that my usual number of drinks had much less effect?
- Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, I had withdrawal symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, or a seizure, or sensed things that were not there?
What your count points to
Write down your total, then match it to the range. The thresholds below are the ones NIAAA lists, and each one suggests a different kind of next step.
0 to 1 yeses: this count does not meet the threshold for AUD, but a single yes about withdrawal symptoms or blackouts still deserves a conversation with a doctor.
2 to 3 yeses (mild): this range often responds to early outpatient support, such as a primary care visit, brief counseling, or a structured plan to cut back or stop with a clinician’s guidance.
4 to 5 yeses (moderate): this range usually calls for a formal assessment and a treatment plan, which may include counseling, medication options a prescriber can discuss with you, and regular follow-up.
6 or more yeses (severe): this range calls for a prompt clinical assessment, including a check for withdrawal risk, because the higher levels of care are designed for people at this end of the range.
Treat these as starting points rather than rules. A person with a count of three who has had a withdrawal seizure needs medical attention sooner than a person with a count of five who has never had physical withdrawal. Your count and your safety picture are two separate questions.
Why the count can mislead you
Minimizing: people often answer for their best weeks rather than the whole year, which pushes the count down. Answer for the worst stretch of the past 12 months.
Tolerance that feels like strength: needing more drinks to feel the same effect counts as a yes, even if it feels like holding your liquor well.
Functioning well on the surface: a steady job and a stable home do not cancel the other criteria, and many people with moderate or severe AUD are still meeting daily obligations.
Memory gaps: if you cannot recall parts of an evening, someone who was there can help you fill in the answer to the blackout and safety questions.
Self-judgment: a high count describes patterns, not character. AUD is a medical condition with effective treatments, and the count is just a way to describe where you are.
Do this today: a 15-minute check you can finish before dinner
Here is a concrete routine you can run today. First, answer all 11 questions on paper and write your total at the top. Second, next to each yes, write one short example from the past year, such as the date or the situation. Third, ask one person you trust to read your answers and say whether they would add or remove any. Fourth, circle the withdrawal question and the blackout question, because those two change how quickly you should be seen. Fifth, put the page in your bag or save a photo of it so it is ready for your next appointment.
An intake clinician can act on a written count with examples far more easily than on a general worry, and having the page in hand makes it harder to talk yourself out of the visit.
Turning the number into a level of care
The count helps you decide how to start, but a clinician decides the level of care after an assessment. Programs generally place people along a range from outpatient visits, through intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization, to residential and medically managed inpatient care. Our guide to how level of care is chosen explains the factors clinicians weigh, and 10 questions to ask when choosing a treatment program helps you compare options once you know the level.
If low mood or hopelessness is part of your answers, our inpatient treatment and depression quiz is the companion decision tool in this series. For help judging whether a situation needs emergency care now, read when to go to the ER for a mental health crisis.
Do not stop heavy drinking alone if you answered yes to withdrawal
If you answered yes to the withdrawal question, or you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly on your own can be dangerous. Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures in some people, and that risk is a reason to involve a medical professional before you cut back sharply. Read the signs that withdrawal needs medical detox and why quitting cold turkey at home can be dangerous before you decide how to stop.
When to see a doctor or get urgent help
Call emergency services or go to an emergency room if you have a seizure, confusion, hallucinations, severe vomiting that will not stop, chest pain, or if someone cannot be woken. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour, and call 911 if you are in immediate danger. This site is an educational resource and is not an emergency service.
See a doctor soon, rather than waiting for a crisis, if your count is four or higher, if you have had blackouts, if you drink to stop shakiness in the morning, or if you take medications that interact with alcohol. Do not assume that stress or anxiety alone explains physical symptoms such as tremor, a racing heart, or nausea when you drink regularly.
Questions to ask at your first appointment
Bring your page and ask these specific questions. What does my count suggest, and what would you recommend? Do I need a withdrawal risk check before I cut back? Which level of care fits my situation, and why? What are my options for counseling and for medication, and what should I know about them? When is my follow-up, and who do I call if symptoms get worse? Our guide on how to talk with your doctor about your drinking covers how to open that conversation.
Where to find treatment
The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator walks you through searching trusted sources, asking providers recommended questions, and comparing your options. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) runs a National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), which its helpline page describes as free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and Spanish. We confirmed both pages were live and describing these services on October 2, 2026.
If you would rather talk to someone about your options, you can call 866-644-7911 for help finding assessment and care options. Calling does not commit you to anything, and you can bring your 11-question count to the conversation.
Whatever your number is, the useful move is the same: write it down, get it in front of a clinician, and ask what to do next. If you want to talk it through now, 866-644-7911 is there.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for professional care. Self-scoring cannot diagnose alcohol use disorder. Talk with a qualified health care professional about your situation. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.
