The start of a new year often comes with a fresh reset, and for many people that means trying Dry January, a month-long break from alcohol after the holiday season. The challenge has been around for more than a decade and plenty of participants say they feel clear-headed, sleep better, or simply like proving to themselves they can do it. Still, the annual buzz around going alcohol-free also raises an uncomfortable question. How do you know if you are just joining a trend, or if your drinking habits have quietly become a problem.
One quick way to check in with yourself is a screening tool called the CAGE questionnaire, which LADbible highlighted as a simple starting point. UK Addiction Treatment Centres notes that it is not a diagnostic test, but rather a prompt that can signal when it might be worth seeking extra support or having an honest conversation with a professional. It is designed to be short on purpose, so it can cut through the excuses and the comparisons we make with other people’s drinking. The idea is not to label anyone, but to spot patterns that are easy to dismiss.
The questionnaire includes four yes-or-no questions. Have you ever thought about cutting down on alcohol. Have other people’s comments about your drinking annoyed you. Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking habits. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady yourself, ease a hangover, or function normally.
The name comes from the first letters of the key ideas behind those questions. Cut down, annoyance, guilt, and eye-opener, which refers to morning drinking. Oxford Academic explains that answering yes to two or more questions can point to possible problem drinking or alcohol misuse, even though the result on its own does not confirm a diagnosis. In other words, it is a signal, not a verdict. If the questions feel uncomfortably familiar, that discomfort is useful information.
It is also worth remembering that struggling with Dry January does not automatically mean someone is dependent on alcohol. General practitioner and author Dr Philippa Kaye has stressed that the challenge is not a reliable test of addiction. She notes that roughly a third of adults try Dry January each year, and only some people make it through the full month. For many, the difficulty simply shows how ingrained alcohol can be in social routines, stress relief, and everyday habits.
If you are doing a reset this month, consider using it as a chance to observe your patterns with curiosity rather than judgment. Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us what helps you rethink your relationship with drinking, whether you are cutting back, taking a break, or staying alcohol-free long term.
