A free confidential alcohol screening test for men based on the WHO Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. 10 questions. Scored results in under 3 minutes.
Based on the WHO AUDIT 100% Confidential Clinically Validated
Understanding Problem Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder
Most men who develop a problem with alcohol did not see it coming. Drinking starts as something social, something to unwind, something to manage the pressure of work or relationships. Over time the amount creeps up. The occasions multiply. Stopping starts to feel harder than it should.
Alcohol use disorder exists on a spectrum. You do not have to be drinking every day or losing everything to have a real problem. This assessment is designed to help you see where you actually are on that spectrum, not where you think you might be.
About this assessment: The questions below are taken from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), developed by the World Health Organization. The AUDIT is the most widely validated alcohol screening tool in the world, used in over 40 countries and translated into approximately 50 languages. It was designed for self-administration and is scored across four clinically meaningful tiers. This is a screening tool, not a clinical diagnosis. Your results are completely private and not stored.
AUDIT Alcohol Screening
Question 1 of 10
Question 1
Result
Recommended next steps
What the AUDIT Measures
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was developed by the World Health Organization across a six-country study involving nearly 2,000 patients. It covers three core areas of alcohol use: how much and how often you drink, signs of dependence, and the consequences alcohol has caused in your life. Together these give a picture that is far more clinically meaningful than frequency or quantity alone.
0 to 7
Low Risk
Drinking within lower risk limits
8 to 15
Hazardous
Pattern likely to cause harm
16 to 19
Harmful
Causing significant harm
20 plus
Dependence
Likely alcohol dependence
Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder in Men
Alcohol use disorder in men often looks different than people expect. It is not always the person who cannot hold a job or drinks from a bottle in a paper bag. It is often the high-functioning man who drinks heavily at night to decompress, who cannot get through a social event without several drinks, or who has tried repeatedly to cut back and found he simply could not.
Drinking more than you intended to on most occasions
Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control drinking
Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from drinking
Strong cravings or urges to drink
Drinking affecting work, family, or responsibilities
Continuing to drink despite relationship problems it causes
Needing more alcohol to feel the same effect
Withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
Am I an Alcoholic or Just a Heavy Drinker?
This is one of the most common questions men ask and one of the most important. The distinction matters clinically. Heavy drinking refers to quantity. A man who regularly drinks more than 14 drinks per week or more than 4 drinks on any single day is drinking at a level that puts him at risk for health consequences.
Alcohol use disorder goes further. It is characterized by loss of control, continued drinking despite consequences, and physical or psychological dependence. The AUDIT is designed to assess both patterns and help you understand where your drinking sits on that spectrum. A score does not define you. It gives you information that is worth having.
Why Men Are Less Likely to Seek Help for Alcohol Problems
Research consistently shows that men with alcohol use disorder wait longer to seek help than women and are less likely to reach out at all. The reasons are well documented: stigma, the normalization of heavy drinking in male social culture, and a tendency to minimize consequences until they become undeniable.
At Prescott House we treat men exclusively. Our program is built around the reality that men process addiction, shame, and recovery differently. That is not a generalization. It is the clinical foundation of everything we do. If your score today gives you something to think about, the next step does not have to be a big one. It can start with a single confidential call.
Alcohol and Co-Occurring Disorders
Alcohol use disorder rarely exists in isolation. Depression, anxiety, trauma, and other addictive behaviors frequently accompany problem drinking. Men who drink heavily often report using alcohol to manage difficult emotions rather than for pleasure. When alcohol is treating an underlying condition, stopping the drinking without addressing what it was managing is one of the most common reasons relapse occurs. At Prescott House, our residential program treats the whole picture, not just the drinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was developed by the World Health Organization and is the most widely validated alcohol screening tool available. It has been used in clinical settings across more than 40 countries and translated into approximately 50 languages. It covers drinking frequency, quantity, dependence symptoms, and alcohol-related consequences, giving a more complete picture than any single-question screen. Its sensitivity for identifying hazardous and harmful drinking is 92 percent, making it one of the most reliable self-assessment tools in addiction medicine.
Hazardous drinking refers to a pattern of alcohol use that increases the risk of harm but has not yet caused significant damage. It is a warning zone rather than a diagnosis. Alcohol use disorder, by contrast, involves loss of control over drinking, continued use despite negative consequences, and often physical dependence. The AUDIT is designed to identify both patterns. A score in the hazardous range is meaningful because it indicates a trajectory that, without change, typically leads to more serious problems over time.
Frequency alone does not determine whether someone has an alcohol use disorder. A person who drinks only on weekends but consistently drinks to the point of intoxication, experiences negative consequences, and finds it difficult to stop once they start may have a significant problem despite not drinking daily. The AUDIT focuses on patterns and consequences rather than a simple count of drinking days, which is why it gives a more accurate picture than frequency-based screening alone.
A score of 8 or above on the AUDIT indicates hazardous or harmful drinking according to WHO clinical guidelines. This means your pattern of drinking is associated with a meaningfully elevated risk of physical and psychological harm. It does not mean you are beyond help or that your situation is hopeless. It means professional support is a worthwhile and appropriate step. Many men with scores in this range have made lasting changes with the right treatment and support in place.
Alcohol withdrawal can be medically serious and in some cases life-threatening. Unlike most other substances, alcohol withdrawal carries a risk of seizures and other complications that require medical monitoring. If you have been drinking heavily and regularly, a medically supervised detox may be a necessary first step before residential treatment. Our admissions team will help you figure out whether detox is needed and can connect you with trusted medical detox partners before coming to Prescott House. Do not try to stop drinking abruptly without speaking to a medical professional first.
Prescott House offers men's residential treatment for alcohol use disorder as part of our broader drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Treatment typically runs 90 days or longer and includes individual therapy, group counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma work, family involvement, and a structured aftercare plan. We treat co-occurring conditions including depression, anxiety, and trauma alongside the alcohol use itself. Our staff includes alumni of our own program, which means the people guiding your recovery have walked this path themselves.
Important: This screening tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a medical diagnosis. Results are private and not stored. Alcohol withdrawal can be medically serious. If you are currently drinking heavily, please speak with a medical professional before attempting to stop. For immediate support call our admissions team at (866) 425-2470 or reach SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357.
