Identifying At-Risk Drinking Behavior
Because alcohol has become a large part of our social gatherings in the United States, it may be difficult to determine what may be at-risk or heavy drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) suggests that drinking more than 4 drinks in a day (or 14 per week) for men and 3 drinks in a day (or 7 per week) for women may constitute a “risky” drinking pattern that could lead to Alcohol Use Disorder.
According to the NIAAA, “Too much + too often = too risky.” The Rethinking Drinking campaign geared toward educating the population about how much they are drinking compared to other Americans and the harm associated with at-risk or heavy drinking. Many people may not realize the dire health problems associated with Alcohol Use Disorder including the increased risk of breast cancer and liver disease.
In order to determine if your drinking pattern puts you at risk for AUD consider if you have experienced any of the following in the past year:
- Had times when you ended up drinking more, or longer, than you intended?
- More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
- More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unsafe sex)?
- Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect you want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?
Visit Rethinking Drinking: What are symptoms of alcohol use disorder? to see other risk factors and download additional resources. There are alcohol treatment options for everyone. Taking a look at your drinking habits may help to determine if you have a problem and need to seek recovery.