When is it Addiction?

While substance dependence may not look like a disease to many people, addiction is a serious chronic medical condition that can be diagnosed and treated, just like any other disease.

A very simple, but accurate way of screening for addiction is the CAGE1 questionnaire, an internationally recognized assessment for identifying alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire asks these four questions:

Please note: This test will only be scored correctly if you answer each one of the questions.

CAGE Questionnaire Answer Your answers to this alcohol screening test suggest that you are in the normal range and are at low risk of problem drinking. CAGE Questionnaire Answer Your answers to this alcohol screening test suggest that you are at risk of problem drinking or alcoholism. We recommend that you contact your healthcare provider about your drinking.

Yes   No    Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? Yes   No    Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Yes   No    Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking? Yes   No    Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye-opener)?

* This assessment is not a diagnosis and should not be used as such. Only you can determine if you have an addiction to alcohol and drugs.

To score your CAGE response, score 0 for each no answer and 1 for eachyes answer. A total score of two or more is considered clinically significant and suggests that you have an 85% chance of addiction. If you do score 2 or more, we recommend that you contact us now to learn how to take back control of your life.

It is important to note that you can have an addiction illness and still have a CAGE score of less than two. So, if you suspect you may have a problem, or have any doubts or concerns, click here to speak with our expert staff and set up a private, discreet clinical consultation.