It’s a good question to ask – and it’s especially timely as we celebrate Alcohol Awareness Month, started by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) in 1987 to reduce stigma and spread awareness about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery.
Drinking too much alcohol – at one time, too often, or both – can lead to a host of health troubles, including an increased risk of:
- Liver disease
- Heart disease
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
- Stroke
- Bleeding from the stomach
- Sexually transmitted infections from unsafe sex
- Several types of cancer
- Alcohol use disorder
The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) “Rethinking Drinking” site offers several tools to help you identify any risky patterns along with tips on how to reduce your risks.
Let’s start with the basics: What counts as a drink? According to NIH, a standard drink in the U.S. is any drink that contains 0.6 fluid ounces (14 grams) of “pure alcohol.” So this can include a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine and a 1.5-fluid ounce shot of 80-proof distilled spirits.
For women, “low risk” drinking is generally defined as having no more than three drinks on any day and no more than seven per week; for men, it’s no more than four drinks on any day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Only about 2 in 100 people in these “low risk” groups have an alcohol use disorder, according to the NIH. Women experience alcohol-related problems at lower drinking levels than men, which is why the numbers differ.
Still “low risk” isn’t the same as “no risk,” notes NIH. This is because of factors like drinking too quickly as well as other health problems. For example, your best bet is to not drink at all if you are:
- Taking any medications that could interact with alcohol
- Managing a chronic medical condition, like addiction or diabetes, that could be aggravated or made worse by drinking
- Pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- Under the age of 21
What’s more, if you can’t cut back or control your drinking and/or if your drinking causes distress or harm to your personal, professional, financial or social life, it’s time to take steps to get help.
Help for Alcohol Addiction
If you or someone you love has an alcohol abuse problem, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. At Complete Harmony, we have helped hundreds of patients detox and restore their whole body using holistic therapies for symptom management and improved wellbeing. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.
