“A lot of alcoholics talk about how they look back and can see that they never knew, never really could predict, when they’d get too drunk, when they’d cross the line from what felt like normal heavy drinking into raging, out-of-control drinking.”
~Caroline Knapp, Drinking: A Love Story
Alcohol is the most-used intoxicating substance in the world— 86% of US adults have taken a drink at some point in their lives. For many, drinking is a harmless social activity, when done in moderation.
But for others – approximately 15.8 MILLION Americans— uncontrollable drinking is a symptom of their disease of addiction. But where is “the line”? When does a person who ENJOYS DRINKING become a person with a DRINKING PROBLEM?
Alcoholism, like all substance abuse disorders, is a progressive disease with multiple stages of severity. Unfortunately, too many people don’t recognize their drinking problem during the early stages and instead live in denial until it’s almost too late.
It STARTS with How Much You Drink
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines “heavy” or “increased risk” drinking as:
- Binge-drinking 5 or more times during the past month.
Men: 5+ drinks within a two-hour period
Women: 4+ drinks within a two-hour period
- Daily/Weekly drinking
Men: More than 4 drinks on any single day or 14 drinks per week
Women: More than 3 drinks on any single day or 7 drinks per week
Only 2% of people who drink within these guidelines develop an Alcohol Use Disorder. If your drinking habits put you in either the “heavy” or “increased risk” categories, you are on a slippery slope.
Lasting Recovery is one of the most-trusted outpatient alcohol rehab programs in San Diego. If you need help for an Alcohol Use Disorder, Lasting Recovery offers evidence-based and wellness-focused treatment protocols that can help restore sobriety and sanity to your life.
Lasting Recovery – “Where Wellness Begins…”
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