the addiction domains (i.e., (a) a compulsion to seek and/or take alcohol, (b) loss of control over alcohol consumption, and (c) emergence of a negative emotional state) captured by the symptoms. Not surprising, recent studies and recommendations which arose out of the Substance Related Disorders Working Group of the DSM-5 taskforce suggested that diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder (AUD) be based on 11 symptoms derived from the integration of the DSM-IV dependence symptoms with three of the DSM-IV abuse criteria (i.e., less ‘recurrent legal problems’) and an alcohol craving criterion. Notably, a continuum should be used to describe AUDs (i.e., unaffected = endorsing 0–1 out of 11 symptoms; mild = endorsing 2–3 out of 11 symptoms; moderate = endorsing 4–5 symptoms out of 11 symptoms, and severe = endorsing 6 or more out of 11 symptoms).
