Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits

After more analysis of the research, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In general, a healthy diet and physical activity have much greater health benefits than alcohol and have been more extensively studied. In the United States, moderate drinking for healthy adults is different for men and women. It means on days when a person does drink, women do not have more than one drink and men do not have more than two drinks. Medications can make detoxification safe while avoiding the worst symptoms of withdrawal. And medications and behavioral therapies can help people with AUD reduce alcohol intake or abstain from alcohol altogether.

Behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking. Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). This level of treatment often provides the same types of programming as inpatient facilities but is relatively less time intensive.

1. Binge drinking, one of these patterns, involves consuming several drinks in a short period of time.
2. Alcoholism is a disease that can affect both children and adults, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.
3. Although there is no single risk factor that is dominant, the more vulnerabilities a person has, the more likely the person is to develop alcohol-related problems as a result of alcohol consumption.
4. However, experts encourage people who choose to drink alcohol to do so in moderation.
5. This subtype of alcoholics is generally in their mid-20s and started drinking young.

If you or someone you know is showing traits of alcohol use disorder, contact your healthcare provider. Treatment for alcohol use disorder varies depending on the severity of your symptoms and how long the condition has persisted. The most common treatment options for people with the condition include the following listed below. While how much does the average american spend on alcohol many people may use the term “alcoholic” to describe someone who has an alcohol addiction, the term is offensive and outdated. It’s more appropriate to say “a person with alcohol use disorder” or “substance use disorder.” Following a description of the term “alcoholic,” this article will use the more appropriate terminology.

Early episodes of binge and heavy drinking (binge drinking on five or more days in the same month) can elevate the risk for struggling with alcohol-related issues later in life. NIAAA reports on a national survey that found that 60 percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 22 drank the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous alcohol in the past month, and nearly two out of every three of these students binge drank during that month. Binge drinking is a pattern of excessive alcohol use that increases the risk for developing tolerance and then physical dependence on alcohol that can then lead to addiction.

Risks of heavy alcohol use

Less than 10 percent of adults in the United States who struggled with alcoholism in 2015 received professional treatment for the disease, NIAAA further reports. Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that leads to dangerous situations and failure to meet social obligations. Alcohol dependence is the physical and mental inability to quit drinking. There are gender differences in alcohol-related mortality and morbidity, as well as levels and patterns of alcohol consumption.

Signs of Alcoholism

If you want to cut back on your drinking — or quit drinking alcohol altogether — you have plenty of options. As you might have noticed, none of these criteria specify an amount of alcohol. For example, any amount of drinking increases the risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. With the use of appropriate medications and behavioral therapies, people can recover from AUD.

(3)”Visibly intoxicated” means an individual displayed visible signs and symptomsof intoxication that would have been obvious to a reasonable person. Drunk driving, drinking before or while at work, or drinking against doctor’s orders are clear indications of alcoholism. These kinds of reckless behaviors indicate that alcohol has taken top priority and almost always has serious consequences. Sometimes, alcoholics consume too much alcohol that they black out. This means that they have no memory of the things that happened while they were drunk.

What Are the Types of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcoholism is a disease that can affect both children and adults, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. For some people, just one drink can result in intoxication, while for others, many more drinks are necessary to create the same effect. Of distilled spirits, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals. Discovering you aren’t just a casual drinker and are facing an alcohol problem can be shocking.

Alcohol use disorder

That said, certain patterns of alcohol use do pose some cause for concern. Alcohol consumption by an expectant mother may cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and pre-term birth complications. The criteria include having a pattern of consumption that leads to considerable impairment or distress. Alcohol dependence can take from a few years to several decades to develop.

Heavy regular drinking can seriously affect a person’s ability to coordinate their muscles and speak properly. To learn more about alcohol treatment options and search for quality care near you, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. While it may seem difficult or impossible, quitting drinking is achievable. Along with regaining control of your life, there are financial benefits to abstinence that can help you save more money daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. By Toketemu OhwovorioleToketemu has been multimedia storyteller for the last four years.