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According to the CDC, excessive drinking can be defined as 56 standard drinks and 32 drinks per month for women. While this does not necessarily make you an alcoholic, it can play a huge role in developing an alcohol use disorder. Finding treatment for alcohol use disorder as soon as possible is crucial as long-term, sometimes irreversible health problems can develop from extended alcohol abuse such as heart disease or liver damage. An important thing to remember is that alcohol’s harms will always outweigh its pleasurable benefits. According to data reported on by the Washington Post, about 30 percent of American adults do not drink alcohol at all, and another 30 percent consume less than one drink per week. But 10 percent of American adults consume about 74 drinks per week, or more than 10 drinks per day.
If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder. However, even a mild disorder can escalate and lead to serious problems, so early treatment is important. For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week is considered https://curiousmindmagazine.com/selecting-the-most-suitable-sober-house-for-addiction-recovery/ heavy alcoholic intake. For women, consuming 3 drinks on any day or 7 drinks per week can lead to heavy alcoholism risk. You can have symptoms of being drunk at blood alcohol levels below the legal definition of being drunk. Also, people who drink alcohol frequently may not have symptoms until a higher blood alcohol level is reached.
How Much Alcohol Per Week Does an Alcoholic Consume?
But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions. Alcohol detox isn’t easy and not everyone can do it on their own. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals.
By keeping you from looking honestly at your behavior and its negative effects, denial also exacerbates alcohol-related problems with work, finances, and relationships. Alcoholism is more about how the alcohol is negatively impacting your life and not how many drinks you have. If you are struggling to limit your alcohol intake, you may have developed an alcohol dependency and should stop drinking altogether before the addiction can progress into an alcohol use disorder. The act of drinking socially is considered an integral part of American society, but it’s been part of human civilization for millennia. Even if you’re not planning a night where you’re going to get drunk, it’s considered socially acceptable to have a beer or two or a glass of wine with dinner when you’re hanging out with friends. But long-term and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver inflammation (liver hepatitis).
Why a ‘Dry January’ Is Good for Your Health
For men, that means consuming five or more drinks within about two hours, and for women, four or more drinks within a similar period. These levels can be easy to hit if you sink shots, play drinking games, drink cocktails containing multiple servings of alcohol, or otherwise lose track of your intake. According to the CDC, having any more than 14 drinks for men and eight drinks for women per week is considered heavy drinking, so it is recommended to keep below that amount. With that being said, even if you are drinking that much alcohol per week, that does not automatically make you an alcoholic.
