Alcohol Use Disorder Criteria: The 11 DSM-5 Symptoms, Severity Levels and Codes

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is diagnosed using 11 criteria from the DSM-5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health and substance use conditions. How many criteria a person meets in a year decides whether the disorder is mild, moderate or severe.

This guide lists the criteria in plain language, explains how severity is counted and covers the diagnosis codes. It is a reference, not a diagnosis. Only a clinician can diagnose AUD.

What is alcohol use disorder?

Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition in which a person has trouble stopping or controlling their drinking despite harm to their health, work or relationships. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says AUD includes what people used to call alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction and alcoholism.

NIAAA describes AUD as a brain disorder that can be mild, moderate or severe. It also notes that evidence-based treatment can help people recover no matter how severe the problem seems.

What are the 11 DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder?

The 11 criteria describe loss of control, harm to daily life, risky use and physical dependence. NIAAA phrases them as questions a health care provider might ask. In the past year, have you:

1. Ended up drinking more, or longer, than you intended?
2. More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
3. Spent a lot of time drinking, being sick from drinking, or getting over the aftereffects?
4. Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?
5. Found that drinking, or being sick from drinking, interfered with your home, family, job or school?
6. Kept drinking even though it was causing trouble with family or friends?
7. Given up or cut back on activities you found important or enjoyable so you could drink?
8. More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that raised your chance of getting hurt, such as driving, swimming or unsafe sex?
9. Kept drinking even though it made you feel depressed or anxious, added to another health problem, or after a memory blackout?
10. Had to drink much more than before to get the effect you want, or found your usual amount had much less effect?
11. Had withdrawal symptoms as the alcohol wore off, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart or a seizure, or sensed things that were not there?

How is alcohol use disorder severity measured?

Severity depends on how many of the 11 criteria a person meets. According to NIAAA:

• Mild2 to 3 criteria
• Moderate4 to 5 criteria
• Severe6 or more criteria

NIAAA adds that any of these symptoms may be cause for concern, and that the more symptoms there are, the more urgent the need for change.

What are the ICD-10-CM codes for alcohol use disorder?

The DSM-5 maps each severity level to an ICD-10-CM code. The American Psychiatric Association’s coding table lists:

• F10.10alcohol use disorder, mild
• F10.20alcohol use disorder, moderate
• F10.20alcohol use disorder, severe
• F10.11mild, in early or sustained remission
• F10.21moderate or severe, in early or sustained remission

Moderate and severe share the same code, so the code alone does not show which severity was diagnosed. When alcohol intoxication, withdrawal or another alcohol-induced condition is also present, coding works differently, which is one more reason the diagnosis belongs with a clinician.

What changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5?

DSM-5 combined two older diagnoses into one. NIAAA notes that AUD covers what were once called alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Instead of two separate labels, there is now a single disorder measured on a scale from mild to severe.

What should I do if I meet some of the criteria?

Talk to a health care provider or a treatment professional. Meeting two or more criteria in a year is the threshold for a mild AUD, and a clinician can confirm whether you meet it and how severe it is.

If you want a private place to start, Nova’s confidential alcohol self-assessment walks through questions based on these criteria. It is not a diagnosis, but it can help you decide whether to talk to someone. Our guide on how to talk to your doctor about drinking can help with that conversation.

Is it safe to stop drinking on my own?

Not always, especially with severe AUD. NIAAA warns that people with severe AUD may need medical help to avoid alcohol withdrawal, which it describes as potentially life-threatening when someone who has been drinking heavily for a long time suddenly stops. Our guide to alcohol withdrawal and medical detox explains the warning signs.

How is alcohol use disorder treated?

AUD is treated with behavioral therapy, medications, mutual-support groups or a combination. NIAAA says three medications are approved by the FDA to help people stop or reduce drinking: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram. All three are nonaddictive.

The right level of care depends on severity and health:

• Medical detox, with 24-hour care, when stopping needs medical support
• Residential treatment, with 30-, 45-, 60- and 90-day stays on Nova’s campus outside Austin
• Intensive outpatient (IOP) and online IOP, for structured care while you live at home

When you are ready to talk

Nova’s admissions team answers 24 hours a day. The first conversation is free and confidential, and the team can help you understand which level of care fits. You can also verify your insurance online in a few minutes.

Common Questions