What is alcohol abuse?
Alcohol abuse, also known as alcohol abuse, is a serious problem. It’s a pattern of drinking too much alcohol too often. It interferes with your daily life. You can suffer from alcohol abuse if you drink too much at once or too often throughout the week. It is also a problem if drinking harms your relationships. It can keep you from functioning at work and in other areas of your life.
Alcohol abuse can lead to alcoholism—a physical dependence on alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol at once can also lead to alcohol poisoning. An alcoholic drink is defined as a 12-ounce bottle of beer; a 5-ounce glass of wine; or 1.5 ounces of 80-degree distilled spirits (such as whiskey, rum, or tequila).
You are abusing alcohol when:
- You drink 7 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks per occasion (for women).
- You drink more than 14 drinks per week or more than 4 drinks per occasion (for men).
- You drink more than 7 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks per occasion (for men and women over 65).
- Consuming these amounts of alcohol harms your health, relationships, work and/or causes legal problems.
Symptoms of alcohol abuse
You can abuse alcohol if:
- You’ve been trying to stop using alcohol for a week or more but can’t get past a few days.
- You can’t stop drinking once you start.
- You realize that you need to stop or cut back.
- You cannot perform at work or at home while you are drinking.
- You feel guilty after drinking.
- Others are telling you that you have a problem.
- You feel annoyed by criticism about your drinking.
- You drink a glass in the morning to regain your spirits after drinking too much the night before.
- You have hurt others or yourself after drinking too much. This can be due to accident or violence.
- You hide your drinking or alcohol.
- You experience amnesia and memory loss after drinking too much.
- You are depressed.
- You are being fined for traffic or driving while under the influence of alcohol.
- Your drinking is interfering with your relationships.
- Your hands are shaking.
Alcohol also affects your health in other ways. It can cause cirrhosis, a liver disease. It is a significant cause of accidental death and injury. It can harm your baby’s health if you drink alcohol while pregnant. It can cause bleeding ulcers and irritate the lining of your stomach. Alcohol can also make you gain weight, feel nauseous or dizzy, give you bad breath, and cause skin breakouts.
What causes alcohol abuse?
People abuse alcohol for many reasons. It could be due to social pressures, a desire to relax, coping mechanisms for anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, self-doubt or unhappiness, or a family history of alcohol abuse.
How is alcohol abuse diagnosed?
Many people who abuse alcohol will hear from family and friends that they have a problem. In general, doctors believe a person is abusing alcohol when:
- Drinking interferes with your responsibilities at work, at home, or at school.
- Drinking alcohol puts you or others in physical danger (driving, operating machinery, mixing alcohol with drugs, drinking while pregnant).
- It leads to legal problems.
- It harms your relationships.
Can alcohol abuse be prevented or avoided?
If you have a family history of alcoholism or alcohol abuse, you may have to work harder to resist or limit alcohol. Other ways to reduce your alcohol consumption:
- Limit one drink when alone or with friends.
- Seek treatment for underlying mental health conditions.
- Avoid spending time with people who abuse alcohol.
- Talk to your doctor.
- Consider joining a support group that includes others facing similar challenges.
Your doctor can screen for alcohol abuse. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends screening adults 18 years of age and older for alcohol abuse. Additionally, the AAFP recommends teaching teens 12 to 17 to avoid alcohol.
Alcohol abuse treatment
If you are an alcohol abuser, the first step is to recognize that you need help. Many studies show that people who are struggling with alcohol abuse can benefit from some form of treatment. However, everyone is different. Not all treatments work the same for everyone. The sooner a person seeks treatment, the better the outcome.
Behavioral therapy can be used to treat alcohol abuse. It can take the form of support groups, counseling, or a combination of both. Some prescription drugs can treat alcohol abuse by helping people stop or reduce drinking. As with all medicines, some can cause side effects.
Once you’ve found a treatment that works for you, it’s important to stick to it. Also, it’s helpful to avoid situations that involve a lot of alcohol.
Living with alcohol abuse
Living with alcohol abuse means recognizing the triggers that make you want to drink. For example, socializing with other drinkers will make it difficult for you. You may be experiencing stress or unhappiness in your life and don’t have a mentor or friend to talk to. This can lead you to turn to alcohol to help you cope.
Living with alcohol abuse will continue to be a struggle if you don’t realize you need help. You will continue to jeopardize your safety, your job or school, and your relationships.