What is alcohol abuse?

Alcohol abuse, also called alcohol misuse is a serious problem. It is a pattern of drinking too much alcohol too often. It interferes with your daily life. You may be suffering from alcohol abuse if you drink too much alcohol at one time or too often throughout the week. It also is a problem if you can’t stop drinking and it harms your relationships. It can cause you to be unable to function at work and in other areas of your life.

Alcohol abuse can lead to physical dependency on alcohol, or alcoholism. Too much alcohol at one time also can lead to alcohol poisoning. One alcoholic drink is defined as a 12-ounce bottle of beer; a 5-ounce glass of wine; or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof 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 have more than 7 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks per occasion (for men and women older than 65).

• Consuming these amounts of alcohol harms your health, relationships, work, and/or causes legal problems.

Behavioral approaches help engage people in drug abuse treatment, provide incentives for them to remain abstinent, modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug abuse, and increase their life skills to handle stressful circumstances and environmental cues that may trigger intense craving for drugs and prompt another cycle of compulsive abuse. Learn more about how Counseling Speaks can help by booking an appointment for more information.