How to Assess Alcohol Dependency

Assess Alcohol Dependence (Psychological Dependence)

There are two hallmarks to assess alcohol dependence:

Tolerance: a need for markedly increased amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxication or desired effect, or markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of alcohol.

Withdrawal: the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance (refer to DSM-IV for further details) or the same (or a closely-related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Questions to ask your patient (The "CAGE" Questions):

C	Have you ever felt you should Cut Down on your drinking or drug use?
A	Have people Annoyed you by criticizing or complaining about your drinking or drug use?
G	Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking or drug use?
E	Have you ever had a drink or drug in the morning (Eye Opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

Resources available for download:

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) - PDF Version