Wondering About Your Own Drinking? Start With a Screening.
You don't have to identify as having an alcohol problem—or be ready to quit drinking—to take a closer look at your relationship with alcohol.
Maybe you're curious about how much you're drinking. Maybe you've noticed alcohol affecting your sleep, mood, energy, relationships, or health. Maybe you're considering cutting back. Or maybe you just want some objective information.
A brief alcohol screening can be a great place to start.
Step 1: Take a Screening
The AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption) is a brief, three-question validated alcohol screening tool. It looks at how often you drink, how much you typically drink, and the frequency of heavier-drinking occasions.
Your score is not a diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Instead, it can identify drinking patterns that may warrant a closer look or conversation with a healthcare professional.
Learn about the AUDIT-C from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/screen-and-assess-use-quick-effective-methods
Want to Explore More Than a Score?
NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking is a great resource if you're curious about your drinking but aren't necessarily looking for treatment or sobriety.
The site includes tools to help you:
See where your drinking currently stands
Understand standard drink sizes
Track how much you're drinking
Consider the pros and cons of making a change
Decide whether you want to cut back or quit
Create a change plan
Develop strategies for handling urges and social pressure
Explore Rethinking Drinking: https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
Tools, calculators and worksheets: https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools
Worksheets to evaluate your drinking: https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more
Step 2: Save Your Results
If you complete a screening or self-assessment, take a screenshot, save your results, or print them.
You can also spend a week or two tracking what you actually drink. Having concrete information can make it easier to have a productive conversation with your healthcare provider.
NIAAA offers a free alcohol consumption tracker here: https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more/alcohol-consumption-tracker
Step 3: Bring It to Your Healthcare Provider
You don't need to know exactly what your results mean before making an appointment. That's what your healthcare provider can help you understand.
Bring your screening results or drinking tracker to your primary care provider, behavioral health provider, or another healthcare professional.
You can simply say:
“I've been thinking about my drinking and took an alcohol screening on my own. Here are my results. Can we talk about what they mean for my health?”
You might ask:
Does my current drinking create any health risks for me?
Could alcohol be affecting my sleep, mood, energy, blood pressure, or other aspects of my health?
Could alcohol interact with any medications I'm taking?
Would you recommend that I drink less or stop drinking?
If I want to cut back, what would be a reasonable goal for me?
What strategies could help me reduce how much I drink?
Are counseling, medications, peer support, or other resources appropriate for me?
When should we check in again?
Your provider can consider your drinking alongside your overall health, medications, medical history, and individual circumstances and help you decide what—if anything—you'd like to change.
You Don't Have to Wait for a Crisis
Talking about alcohol isn't only for people experiencing addiction.
You might want to make a change because you're sleeping poorly. You might be training for something. You might have noticed you're drinking more than you used to. Maybe you took a month off and liked how you felt. Maybe you're interested in your long-term health.
Or maybe you're simply curious.
You don't have to “hit bottom” before evaluating your relationship with alcohol.
An Important Note About Stopping Alcohol Suddenly
If you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged period of time, don't abruptly stop drinking without talking with a healthcare professional.
Suddenly stopping after prolonged heavy alcohol use can cause withdrawal, which can be painful and, in some cases, potentially life-threatening. Symptoms can include nausea, rapid heart rate, seizures, and other serious complications.
A healthcare professional can help you determine whether you may be at risk for withdrawal and develop a safer plan for reducing or stopping alcohol.
NIAAA: Should You Cut Down or Quit?
https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/thinking-about-change/cut-down-or-quit
Start With Curiosity
Taking a screening doesn't mean you've decided to quit.
Talking to your doctor doesn't mean you're entering treatment.
Choosing a zero-proof drink doesn't mean you're sober.
Sometimes the first step is simply paying attention.
Get curious. Know where you stand. Talk with your provider. Choose what works for you.
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PLEASE NOTE: Zero Proof, For You provides education and community resources, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your individual health and alcohol use. If you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, suddenly stopping can cause serious withdrawal; seek medical guidance before stopping. Screening tools are informational and are not a diagnosis. Always check beverage labels and ABV, as some “non-alcoholic” products may contain small amounts of alcohol.
Partner & Product Disclaimer: Participation in Zero Proof, For You is a community campaign and does not constitute an endorsement of a particular business, beverage, brand, or product. Partner businesses support the campaign's goal of increasing the visibility and availability of low- and no-alcohol choices. Zero Proof, For You does not independently verify the ingredients, alcohol content, health claims, or suitability of individual products. Please refer to product labeling and manufacturers for current product information.