When I was in training to become a psychologist, I was taught to ask a specific series of questions to diagnose alcohol abuse: How much do you drink? What are you drinking? How often? Are you blacking out? And so on. I dumped this approach ages ago, especially with teenagers, because I felt as though I might as well be saying, “Now, lie to me about this. And now this. And also this.” Instead, I asked Camille a question that has served me very well over the years. “Are you worried about your drinking?”
