Alcohol misuse can bring great harm to a person or family. Like other drugs, alcohol affects the brain. Addiction to alcohol occurs most often when used before the age of 18, when using too much, when used too often, and when used for long periods of time.
Alcohol misuse and addiction is a disease like diabetes or heart disease, and it can be treated. Also, like other diseases, knowing the signs of a problem can help people get help early, before it gets worse. Doctors help people with alcohol misuse when the drinking causes stress or harm to a person or family. Signs of a problem can include; family or others saying they are worried, you wanting to stop or cut down but cannot, having “black outs” where you do not remember anything that happened, having legal problems due to drinking, or having physical signs of withdrawal like shaking or trouble sleeping.
A Recovery Coach is available to support you. The role of the Recovery Coach is to provide compassionate and active listening, linkage to resources and help with referrals. Talk to an addiction coach to assess your patterns of use to find hope in treatment.
Does your drinking pattern put you at risk? How much is risky?
For healthy adults in general, drinking more than these single-day or weekly limits is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking.
| Low-risk drinking limits |
Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Per DAY | No more than 4 drinks per day | No more than 3 drinks per day |
| Per WEEK | No more than 14 drinks per week | No more than 7 drinks per week |
To stay low risk, keep within both the single-day and weekly limits.
