Self-Assessment Tools: Are You Addicted?

Have you ever wondered whether your relationship with alcohol or other drugs has crossed a line into some form of dependence or addiction? With a significant percentage of Americans grappling with addiction in some form or another, many are actively contemplating if they have a problem — or one in the making.

Sometimes indicators begin to emerge in the form of consequences, such as difficulties in relationships, job problems, or legal troubles. These are quite common when alcohol or other drugs begin to take center stage in a person’s life. But they aren’t always convincing enough for people who are clinging tightly to such substances.

For this reason, many self-assessment tests have been developed and made available to the general public. Some of these, while not as thorough as an assessment in a clinical setting, can help people (who are honest with themselves) discover if it’s time to take action.

Self-assessments are good for starters. However, more thorough tests can help determine the degree of the problem — whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe.  In other words, self-assessments are limited but serve the useful objective of initial self-discovery.

One popular self-assessment (designed specifically for alcohol) is the CAGE test — a short, four-question test. Wondering? Then ask yourself these basic questions:

• C – Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
• A- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• G – Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
• E – Eye-opener: Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

Two “yes” answers indicate problems with alcohol. The extent of these problems, however, are best discovered through a clinical assessment.

A longer-form assessment tool is AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Accurate up to 94% of the time, it has 10 multiple choice questions and is scored on a point system. A score over 8 indicates an alcohol problem. It takes more time and is more difficult to score than the shorter tests.

Another popular assessment tool is MAST (Michigan Alcohol Screening Test). This test has 22 yes or no questions. 6 positive responses indicate a drinking problem.

These self-assessment tools are great starting points for people who are sincerely seeking answers. But none of these can replace an assessment in a clinical setting like Kolmac.

Genuinely wondering? We invite you to call 888-684-0336 or contact us here.