Table 1.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnostic criteria.
| Category | Criteria | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impaired control | C1 | Drinking more than intended |
| C2 | Unable to cut down or stop drinking | |
| C3 | Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from drinking | |
| C4 | Wanting a drink so badly you can’t think of anything else (craving) | |
| Social impairment | C5 | Drinking interferes with home, family, job, or school |
| C6 | Drinking even though it causes trouble with friends or family | |
| C7 | Giving up on important activities to drink instead | |
| Risky use | C8 | Drinking and getting into situations that increase chances of getting hurt |
| C9 | Continuing to drink despite becoming anxious, depressed, or experiencing memory blackout | |
| Pharmacological indicators | C10 | Needing to drink more to feel the same effect (tolerance) |
| C11 | Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, nausea, seizures, and hallucinations |
The 11 criteria used to characterize AUD can be divided into four categories—impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological indicators. Severity of AUD is defined by the number of symptoms present (2–3: mild, 4–5: moderate, 6 or more: severe) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).