Take the check
The CAGE-AID is a four-question screen covering both alcohol and drugs. Answer for your life as a whole, not just the last week, and answer honestly — there's nobody here to impress.
Free de-addiction self-check
4 questions · under 2 minutes · no sign-up, nothing stored
What your score means
Each yes scores one point, out of four.
- 0 — none. No current flags on this screen. Worth re-checking if use changes.
- 1 — one flag. Not nothing. If use is touching your sleep, mood, money, studies or relationships, it's worth a conversation.
- 2 or more — worth exploring. On the CAGE-AID, two or more yes answers is the usual signal to talk to a professional. It is not proof of addiction, but it is a reason to look properly.
What actually helps
None of this replaces support, but all of it is worth doing while you decide:
- Track it honestly for a week. Just note what, when and why — most people underestimate by a lot, and the honest number is the thing that shifts motivation.
- Change the cue, not just the habit. Use usually hangs on a time, place, feeling or person. Remove or swap the trigger and the urge has less to grab onto.
- Name the job it's doing. Almost no one uses for no reason — it's numbing stress, boredom, sleep trouble or pain. Treat that job directly and the pull drops.
- Tell one person. Secrecy is the fuel. One honest conversation with someone safe changes the odds more than any single technique.
- Don't quit alcohol or benzodiazepines cold turkey if you're heavily dependent. Withdrawal from those can be medically dangerous. Get a doctor's guidance on tapering safely.
When self-help isn't enough
Self-help works while use is still a choice you can mostly steer. It works less well once stopping brings on withdrawal, once you've tried to cut down and couldn't, or once use is running the day. That's the point where talking to someone qualified stops being an overreaction and becomes the faster route out — not because you're broken, but because dependence is very hard to see straight from the inside.
Talking to someone about it
A Lume Live session is a confidential 1:1 conversation with Sachin Bajaj, who holds an M.Sc in Clinical Psychology (Gurugram University) and a PGDGC from Jamia Millia Islamia. Sessions are ₹499 for 45 minutes, with your first at ₹249 using code FIRST50 — priced so that finding out whether it helps doesn't require asking anyone for money.
Nothing is shared with your parents, school, college or employer, and you can book using a first name only. For most people that matters more than the price.
Book a first session — ₹249
One 45-minute conversation. Pick your own slot and get the invite immediately. No package, no commitment to a course of treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Is this test free and private?
Completely. No sign-up, no email, no payment. Your answers aren't stored, sent or seen by anyone — they stay in your browser for the length of the check and are gone when you close the tab.
Does this diagnose an addiction?
No. The CAGE-AID is a brief screen, not a diagnostic tool. It tells you whether a fuller conversation is worth having — only a qualified professional can assess dependence properly.
What is the CAGE-AID?
The CAGE-AID (CAGE Adapted to Include Drugs) is a widely used four-item screen covering Cutting down, Annoyance at criticism, Guilt, and Eye-opener use. Two or more yes answers is the usual threshold for further assessment.
Is it anonymous?
Yes. No name, email or phone number to take it, and nothing recorded. If you later book a session, a first name is enough.
I think I'm dependent. What now?
A good next step is one confidential conversation to work out what would actually help — and, if you're physically dependent on alcohol or sedatives, to plan a safe taper with a doctor. If you're in immediate distress, call Tele-MANAS on 14416.