Honest questions

Am I drinking too much?

Updated 2026-07-11 · Grounded in: WHO AUDIT manual (2001) · NICE guidance on alcohol-use disorders

If you're asking the question, that's already meaningful information — most people who drink lightly never wonder. The honest answer: "too much" isn't one number. Clinicians look at three things — how much and how often, whether drinking is starting to run itself (harder to stop, needed to relax, mornings), and what it's costing you in sleep, mood, money, or people. If any of those three has been moving in the wrong direction over months, the question deserves a real answer rather than reassurance. The most reliable way to get one is the same short screen doctors use — the AUDIT — which takes about three minutes and can be done privately, without a name or an account.

Signs worth noticing

These are the kinds of things clinicians use screening questions to explore — not a checklist to diagnose yourself with. Drinking more, or more often, than you intended. Needing more for the same effect. Six or more drinks landing on one occasion more than rarely. Guilt or a flat mood the next day. People close to you commenting, even lightly. Evenings that are hard to imagine without a drink.

One sign on its own means little — patterns mean more. What matters is direction over months: easing, holding, or building.

A private way to check

The check-in here uses the AUDIT — the World Health Organization's alcohol screen, the same ten questions used across primary care. Three minutes, no name, no account. You get a plain-words result: where the pattern sits, and one small step that fits it. If the honest answer is "this deserves professional support", it says exactly that — this is support and education alongside care, never a replacement for it.

Honest limits

A screening tool estimates how risky a pattern looks — it cannot diagnose anyone. Only a qualified clinician can do that, with a real conversation.
Scores describe the recent past you reported. They don't define you, and they change when the pattern changes.
An honest result needs honest answers, and it's normal for the first attempt to soften things. The tool works best as a private conversation with yourself.

A private way to check where you stand

Three minutes, the same validated screening questions clinicians use, no name and no account. You get a plain-words result and one first step — and crisis support stays free either way.

Start the free check-in

Common questions

How many drinks a day is too much?

There's no universally safe line, and guidelines differ by country. Broadly, risk climbs with amount and with heavy occasions — six or more drinks at once — and any daily pattern deserves an honest look. A three-minute screen weighs it more reliably than a single number can.

Am I an alcoholic if I drink every day?

Daily drinking isn't a diagnosis, and 'alcoholic' isn't a label the screen deals in. What matters is amount, control, and cost. Risky drinking runs on a spectrum, and catching a pattern early — whatever you'd call it — is what changes the story.

Can I check without anyone knowing?

Yes. The check-in needs no name and no account, isn't shared with anyone, and can be deleted whenever you want. It exists precisely for the moment when you want honesty before visibility.

What if I'm scared of the answer?

That fear is common and worth respecting — it usually means the answer matters. The result is written without judgment: where things stand and one small next step. Knowing tends to feel lighter than wondering.

What happens after the check-in?

You see your result immediately, in plain words, with a first step for this week — free. If you want to keep going, a paid plan tracks your trend week by week. And if the screen suggests professional care, it says so plainly and points you to real options.

The Mansio is a private wellness, education, and behaviour-change support tool. It is not a medical device, not therapy, and not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care. If you're in crisis, call your local emergency number — crisis help is always free and never requires an account.