Patient education: Alcohol use – When is drinking a problem? (The Basics)

Am I drinking too much? — 

If alcohol is having a negative effect on your life, you are probably drinking too much. Answer these questions honestly:

●Have you lost control of your drinking? For example, do you sometimes drink more than you meant to?

●Do you need to drink larger and larger amounts to get the effect you want?

●Do you get sick or feel physically uncomfortable if you reduce your drinking?

●Have you lost your job, gotten in trouble with the law, or had problems with your friends or family because of alcohol?

If you said yes to any of these questions, or if you just think you have a problem, tell your doctor or nurse. They can help you find out if you do have a drinking problem. Do not be embarrassed to talk to them. Alcohol problems are common. And there are treatments that can help you quit drinking.

What happens if I keep drinking too much? — 

People who drink too much can get serious liver and heart disease. Drinking too much can damage the pancreas and the brain. Heavy drinking also increases the risk of certain types of cancer. Plus, people who drink too much are more likely than people who do not to:

●Have car accidents

●Kill themselves

●Drown

●Get seriously hurt

What is alcohol use disorder? — 

This is the medical term for alcoholism or alcohol addiction. People who have alcohol use disorder have 2 or more of the following problems. The more of these they have, the more severe their disorder:

●They drink more than they planned to or for a longer time than they planned to.

●They wish they could drink less, but they can't.

●They spend a lot of time trying to get alcohol, getting drunk, or recovering from being drunk.

●They crave or have a strong desire or urge to drink.

●Because of their alcohol use, they often don't do things that are expected of them, such as go to work or school, remember family events, and clean their home.

●They keep drinking even if it causes or worsens problems in their relationships or interactions with other people.

●They stop or cut back on important social, work, or fun activities they used to do.

●They keep drinking even in situations where it is dangerous (like while driving).

●They keep drinking even when they know they have a physical or mental problem that was probably caused or made worse by their drinking.

●They need to drink more and more to get the same effects they used to get with less. Or they get less effect from using the amount that used to get them drunk. This is called "tolerance."

●They have "withdrawal symptoms" if they stop drinking after drinking for a long time. Withdrawal symptoms can include:

•Sweating or a racing heart

•Trembling hands

•Insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep)

•Nausea or vomiting

•Seeing, feeling, or hearing things that aren't really there (called "hallucinations")

•Being restless

•Anxiety

•Seizures (these can be serious, even life-threatening)

What treatments can help? — 

People who have problems with alcohol can:

●See a counselor (such as a psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist)

●Take medicines

●Participate in a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous ("AA")

All these treatments can help, and they can be combined.

There are a few different medicines that can help treat alcohol problems. They work in different ways. They can:

●Change the way your brain responds to alcohol so it is less fun

●Reduce your cravings for alcohol

●Make you feel sick if you drink

●Help you feel less sick when you stop drinking

Can I stop drinking on my own? — 

Many people can improve their drinking problem on their own. But people who have been drinking multiple drinks at a time, several days a week for weeks in a row, should not try to cut down without the help of a doctor or nurse. People who drink that much can get sick or die if they stop or cut down drinking too quickly.

More on this topic

Patient education: Alcohol use disorder – Discharge instructions (The Basics)
Patient education: Alcohol withdrawal (The Basics)
Patient education: Alcohol poisoning (The Basics)
Patient education: Alcohol and your health (The Basics)
Patient education: Alcohol and drug use in pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Fetal alcohol syndrome (The Basics)
Patient education: Blood ethanol concentration (The Basics)
Patient education: Substance use disorder (The Basics)

Patient education: Alcohol use — when is drinking a problem? (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Risks and benefits of alcohol (Beyond the Basics)