Signs of Alcohol Addiction: A Plain-Language Checklist

There’s no set number of drinks that defines a problem. This checklist uses plain language instead of clinical jargon, so you can read it and recognize yourself in it, not just rule yourself in or out based on how much you drink.

Behavioral Signs

Are you drinking more than you intended to?

Do you often drink more than you planned to? Telling yourself “I’ll just have a drink or two” and then having several more is a common early sign.

Have you tried to cut back and found you couldn’t?

Trying to cut back and finding you couldn’t can look a few different ways:

• Saying you’ll stop or cut back, and not following through
• Drinking less for a while, then returning to your previous level
• Setting limits for yourself that you don’t keep
• Feeling withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back
• Telling other people you’re cutting back without actually changing your habits
• Believing you could stop any time, but never actually doing it

Is a lot of your time spent drinking or recovering?

Reflect on how much of your day ends up built around alcohol:

• Planning your schedule around when and where you’ll drink
• Spending mental energy thinking about getting or having alcohol
• Losing mornings or whole days to recovering from drinking
• Missing responsibilities or plans because of drinking or recovering from it

Do you feel a strong urge to drink that’s hard to ignore?

Strong urges to drink are also called cravings. They can show up as a persistent pull toward alcohol that’s hard to talk yourself out of, even when you don’t want to give in to it.

Has drinking affected your work, home life, or responsibilities?

Does alcohol affect your responsibilities at work, at home, at school, or in other important parts of your life? That can look like missed deadlines, forgotten commitments, or just being less present.

Are you still drinking even though it’s causing problems with people you care about?

Alcohol can create real problems in relationships. If drinking keeps causing friction with people you care about and you’re still drinking anyway, that’s worth paying attention to.

Have you stopped doing things you used to enjoy?

Have you pulled back from hobbies or activities that don’t involve alcohol, in favor of ones that do?

Physical Signs

Does it take more alcohol than it used to to feel an effect?

This is tolerance: needing more alcohol than you used to in order to feel the same effect.

Do you feel unwell when you go without alcohol?

If you start to feel sick within 6–24 hours of your last drink, that’s a sign of physical dependence.

Have you noticed shaking, sweating, or nausea when you haven’t had a drink?

Shaking, sweating, nausea, anxiety, headaches, and trouble sleeping are common early symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

The Signs That Are Easiest to Miss

Some signs of a drinking problem are easy to miss, especially if you’re high-functioning. Even if you work, go to school, or manage other responsibilities, you may still find yourself drinking to manage anxiety or sleep, planning events around whether alcohol will be available, or feeling defensive when someone mentions your drinking. Many people with substance use disorders also have a co-occurring mental health condition, and turn to alcohol in part to cope with it.

If you’re asking yourself “am I a high-functioning alcoholic,” don’t overlook the signs of alcohol use disorder just because you’re able to function in daily life in spite of them. That’s often exactly why people go untreated, and why alcohol use disorder tends to get worse over time rather than better on its own.

A lot of high-functioning drinkers put off getting help for a different reason too: a fear of losing who they are without alcohol. That fear is common, and it’s worth taking seriously, but it isn’t a reason to stay stuck.

What If You Recognized Several of These?

So what do you do if you recognize a few of these signs in yourself? Maybe you’re thinking, “well, it’s just three or four.”

The checklist providers use to diagnose alcohol use disorder has a clinical purpose: you only need 2 signs within 12 months to meet the threshold for mild AUD. That’s it. You don’t need to check every box.

That doesn’t mean anything is certain. It means there’s enough going on with your relationship with alcohol to be worth a conversation with someone who can help you think it through, and worth talking to a professional about what it means for you and what your next step should be.

Not everyone who recognizes several of these needs inpatient treatment. The right response depends on severity and your circumstances. People who get help early are often able to address it through options like outpatient treatment that meets for a few hours, a few days a week.

Talk to Someone at GBAC

Greater Boston Addiction Centers offers confidential, commitment-free phone calls. If you think you may be experiencing the signs of alcohol use disorder, getting an assessment is a risk-free next step — it can help you make sense of what you’re going through and, if it points to needing treatment, catch it early. Call us at (877) 920-6583. We’re here to answer your questions or verify your insurance for free, today.

Frequently asked questions