How much is too much? Let's look at it plainly.
Maybe it's a couple of drinks every night that became the routine. Maybe it's the weekends. Maybe someone else raised it and you've been thinking ever since. This assessment looks at your drinking plainly, without a lecture.
What is an alcohol assessment?
A structured look at how much and how often you drink, and whether drinking is causing problems or feels hard to control. You don't need to think you have a "problem" to ask the question.
This assessment helps you see
- ✓ How much and how often you drink, set against what's considered lower-risk
- ✓ Whether you can stop once you've started
- ✓ What it's costing you: health, work, family, memory
- ✓ What it's doing for you, because that matters too
Secure, confidential scheduling
The questionnaires we use
I choose from these depending on what you tell me.
- AUDIT. Ten questions about the past year: how often and how much you drink, being unable to stop, drinking in the morning, guilt, blackouts, injuries, and whether others have worried. Alcohol only. One drink is roughly a 330 ml beer, a 140 ml glass of wine or a 40 ml measure of spirits. You fill it in at home.
- Broad check (DSM-5 Level 1). Includes one question about heavy drinking, alongside mood, sleep and anxiety, which often come with it.
- If other drugs are involved. We use a separate short form for those (the DAST-10).
How it works
The AUDIT comes first, at home. In session we go through it line by line, and I ask about the pattern behind it: when you drink, why, what you reach for it to do. We then talk about what you'd like to happen, which could be nothing yet.
Questions people ask
Do I have to want to stop?
No. The assessment is to see where you are. What you do next is your decision.
Can I come because someone else is worried?
Yes. It tends to work best if you're at least curious about the answer.
Is this only for people who are "addicted"?
No. You don't need a label. Many people simply want to know whether their drinking is within safe limits.
What if I drink every day and want to stop?
Please don't stop suddenly on your own. Stopping abruptly after heavy daily drinking can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor first, and I'll help you plan for that.
For ongoing support, see the De-addiction Therapy page, or call the de-addiction helpline on 14446 (toll-free).