Bisa ga DSM-IV, ganewar asali na shan barasa shine: "amfani da barasa mara kyau tare da raunin da ya shafi asibiti kamar yadda aka nuna ta akalla uku daga cikin wadannan a cikin kowane lokaci na shekara guda: haƙuri; janyewa; dauka a cikin mafi girma ko kuma tsawon lokaci fiye da yadda aka yi niyya; sha'awar ko ƙoƙarin da ba a yi nasara ba don yankewa ko sarrafawa; babban lokaci da aka samu, yin amfani da shi, ko dawowa daga amfani; zamantakewa, sana'a, ko ayyukan nishaɗi ko kuma ragewa; ci gaba da amfani da shi duk da ilimin ilimin jiki ko na tunani. "
an yi gyara a kai a kai