If you are asking this question, or if others have told you they are worried about your use of alcohol or other drugs, now is a great time to start finding answers.
The CAGE questionnaire is a 4-question screening tool that clinicians may use to help screening for addiction.
- C – Cutting Down - Do you find yourself trying to control your use, cutting back, stopping only to start again?
- A – Annoyance - Do you find yourself annoyed by other people’s comments about your use or try to hide your use from others?
- G – Guilty Feeling - Do you feel guilty about your use, try to hide it from others, feel shame because of your use?
- E – Eye-openers/Earlier use - Do you find yourself thinking about using, using earlier than you planned to use or using?
If you find that you answer yes to any of the questions, you may want to seek professional assistance by a substance use counselor.
The most reliable way to discover whether your use of substances is harming your health or putting you at risk for other problems is to have a complete assessment by a professional substance use counselor. Any licensed treatment facility will be happy to schedule an appointment for assessment or evaluation.
If you would like to get an idea of whether your use of alcohol or other drugs is safe, risky, or harmful, try the online screening tool at drugfree.org and click get personalized guidance. It is safe, private and confidential. Then, visit our resources page for substance abuse treatment, or contact us at 717.240.6300.