DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder Criteria
DSM-5 AUD criteria are the symptom checklist clinicians use when assessing alcohol use disorder. According to NIAAA, AUD is a medical condition marked by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. Severity is based on how many criteria a person meets: mild (two to three), moderate (four to five), or severe (six or more).
This page lists those criteria for information only. It is not a self-diagnosis tool, screening app, or substitute for clinical care. Recognizing familiar wording does not equal a diagnosis. People who drink heavily or daily should involve a clinician before stopping. Severe withdrawal symptoms (seizures, hallucinations, delirium tremens) are medical emergencies. For urgent help, see crisis resources.
What AUD means in plain language
NIAAA's glossary states that the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, describes AUD as a single disorder with mild, moderate, and severe subclassifications based on how many criteria are met. Older everyday labels such as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, addiction, or alcoholism sit under that broader clinical frame in NIAAA's wording.
CDC notes that most people who drink excessively do not have alcohol use disorder. Pattern thresholds and clinical criteria answer different questions. For a non-diagnostic pattern check, see am I drinking too much.
Severity table (informational)
| Severity label (if AUD is present) | Number of DSM-5 criteria met |
|---|---|
| Mild | 2 to 3 |
| Moderate | 4 to 5 |
| Severe | 6 or more |
These counts come from NIAAA's public summary of DSM-5 assessment practice. A clinician decides whether criteria are met, over what time window, and whether another condition better explains the symptoms.
The 11 symptom questions NIAAA lists
NIAAA presents the assessment as questions a health care provider might ask about the past year. Paraphrased for readability, the domains are:
- Drinking more, or for longer, than intended.
- Wanting to cut down or stop, or trying, more than once, without success.
- Spending a lot of time drinking, being sick from drinking, or recovering from aftereffects.
- Craving a drink so strongly that little else can be thought about.
- Drinking, or being sick from drinking, interfering with home, family, job, or school responsibilities.
- Continuing to drink even though it causes trouble with family or friends.
- Giving up or cutting back important, interesting, or pleasurable activities in order to drink.
- More than once getting into situations while or after drinking that raised the chance of getting hurt (examples NIAAA lists include driving, swimming, machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or unsafe sexual behavior).
- Continuing to drink even though it adds to depression, anxiety, or another health problem, or after an alcohol-related memory blackout.
- Tolerance: needing much more than before for the same effect, or finding that a usual number of drinks has much less effect.
- Withdrawal: when effects wear off, symptoms such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, racing heart, low mood, a seizure, or sensing things that are not there.
NIAAA states that any of these symptoms may be cause for concern, and that the more symptoms present, the more urgent the need for change. That urgency language still points toward professional assessment, not toward self-labeling from a webpage.
What DSM-5 AUD criteria are not
| Common mix-up | Clarification |
|---|---|
| Binge or heavy drinking thresholds | Public health pattern definitions, not the DSM-5 symptom count |
| A score you can "pass" or "fail" online | Clinical judgment requires a provider |
| Proof you do or do not "have a problem" | AUD is one clinical construct; other harms can still matter |
| A detox or treatment plan | Criteria describe symptoms; they do not prescribe care steps |
NIAAA's drinking patterns page explains that alcohol misuse, including binge drinking and heavy alcohol use, increases AUD risk over time. Risk language is not the same as meeting diagnostic criteria. For peer language and related definitions, see the sobriety glossary. For finding professional help pathways in wellness framing, see alcohol help.
Safety note for heavy or daily drinking
People with severe AUD may need medical help to avoid alcohol withdrawal if they decide to stop drinking, according to NIAAA. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening after prolonged heavy drinking stops suddenly. That is why this page repeats: people who drink heavily or daily should involve a clinician before stopping. Seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens require emergency care.
What this page will not do
- No diagnosis from symptom tallies
- No medication recommendations
- No taper or detox instructions
- No ranking of "which treatment is right for you"
Support alongside clinical care
If you are concerned about your drinking, bring specifics to a clinician: amounts, frequency, failed cut-downs, withdrawal signs, and health effects. Apps and peer tools can sit beside care. They do not replace it.
Orlyn, which we make, is an iOS app with a live sober streak, daily check-ins, craving tools, and a 24/7 AI coach clearly labeled as AI, not medical care. Use it as a complement to professional support, never as a substitute for assessment or treatment.
Frequently asked questions
How many DSM-5 criteria define alcohol use disorder?
Clinicians may diagnose AUD when two or more of the 11 DSM-5 criteria are met within a 12-month period. Severity uses symptom counts: mild (2 to 3), moderate (4 to 5), or severe (6 or more).
Can I diagnose myself with AUD using this list?
No. This page is informational only. Matching wording you recognize is not a diagnosis. Only a qualified clinician can assess alcohol use disorder.
What are the 11 DSM-5 AUD symptom areas?
NIAAA summarizes them as drinking more or longer than intended, failed cut-down attempts, time spent on alcohol, craving, role interference, social problems, reduced activities, hazardous use, continued use despite health harm, tolerance, and withdrawal.
Is AUD the same as alcoholism?
NIAAA states that AUD encompasses conditions some people call alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term alcoholism. AUD is the clinical label used with DSM-5 criteria.
What if I drink heavily and want to stop?
People who drink heavily or daily should involve a clinician before stopping. Severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, hallucinations, or delirium tremens are medical emergencies.