'But I Don't Drink That Much!' How Many Drinks Does It Take To Be An Alcoholic?

Moderate alcohol consumption can't just be fun, relaxing, and oil social interactions, it also has some health benefits. Did you know that being a social drinker and enjoying a little glass of something alcoholic preferably at mealtime, can actually reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by raising your levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol, as well as lowering your chances of developing dementia, gallstones, and the common cold? A drink now and then can raise your libido and even lengthen your life, studies reveal. Though alcohol gets a bad press, in other words, it can play a positive role in your life. 

Assessing your own drinking habits can, however, be challenging. Out of every 12 Americans, statistics show, one is an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic. Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are most at risk, but alcohol can end up playing too significant a role in the lives of people of all ages and all social backgrounds.

Booze: What's Healthy, And What Isn't?

Men can generally enjoy two drinks a day without wandering into dangerous territory, while women and elderly individuals should stick to one drink a day at most. What actually constitutes "a drink"? The guidelines are clear enough: 

• Spirits:  1.5 ounces
• Wine: 5 ounces
• Beer: 12 ounces

All of these contain 0.5 ounces of alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIAAA, defines low-risk drinking as enjoying no more than three drinks on a single day and seven drinks per week for women, and no more than four drinks a day and 14 in a whole week for men. If you or any loved-ones you're concerned about have no trouble sticking to these guidelines, you can safely stop reading right now — you have nothing to worry about. If, however, you or someone you're worried about drinks more than that, stay with us, because risky drinking comes in several forms. 

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The NIAAA defines binge drinking as drinking patterns that rise a person's blood alcohol levels to 0.08 g/dL. That tends to happen after four drinks for women and five drinks for men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration uses a different definition of binge drinking, saying that having five or more drinks on the same occasion in a single day at least once in the last 30 days qualifies you as a binge drinker.

Should you find yourself binge drinking more than once a month every month, you may have a developing problem on your hands. 

Heavy drinking, meanwhile, becomes a concern when you have more than five drinks on a single occasion five or more days a month, especially when you do it regularly. 

When Does Drinking Become A Problem?

How Does The DSM Define Alcohol Use Disorder?

The latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5, lists the following criteria for alcohol abuse disorder:

• Drinking more or longer than you planned. 
• Experiencing more than one failed attempt to stop drinking or cut down on alcohol consumption. 
• Spending a lot of time drinking or being hung over. 
• Having experienced situations in which you wanted a drink so badly that you couldn't think of anything else. 
• Finding that drinking or being hung over interferes with your daily responsibilities, including school and work, frequently. 
• Continuing drinking even in the face of alcohol-related social problems.
• Favoring drinking alcohol over other activities that were previously important to you. 
• Getting into alcohol-induced situations that put you at risk more than once: driving while intoxicated, having unsafe sex, and swimming while drunk are examples. 

• Continuing drinking despite experiencing (mental) health problems as a result.
• Building up tolerance — you need more alcohol to get the same effect as time goes on. 
• When sobering up, you experience withdrawal effects like shakiness, restlessness, sweating, sleeping difficulties, and even seizures. 

This is, I know, a long and unpleasant list. Please take your time to review it carefully and truly reflect on whether any of these points apply to you, and if so how many. Were you to consult a psychologist about your drinking, they would ask you how many of these points have applied to you over the last year.

On a more informal note, anyone who feels they need to drink to be able to relax, who feels ashamed or guilty about their drinking, who hides it from others, who drinks more than they intended, who forgets what they did or said while they were intoxicated, and whose loved-ones are worried about them need to consider the possibility that they have a drinking problem.

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While you may not technically be an alcoholic, building up tolerance to alcohol and becoming reliant on it is always a problem. Habitual drinking can cross into alcohol use disorder, and if you want to quit drinking but can't and find that booze plays a more significant role in your life than you'd like, you need to acknowledge that.

I Have A Drinking Problem — What Now?

What now? Well, that depends on the nature of your problem. Social binge drinkers may be able to quit overusing alcohol simply by not attending events where they tend to drink, and people who are believe their "night caps" are spiraling out of control may be able to cut down on their own. If you have tried and failed, though, seeking therapy is the logical first step.

Therapists can help you by assessing your alcohol use as well as the reasons behind it, and suggesting ways to cut down or stop. They can also help you get into 12-step or other alcohol cessation programs. They're there to help you. Emerging drinking problems are easier to nip in the bud than long-standing ones, and if you acknowledge that you have a problem, seeking help is both courageous and incredibly productive. With the right help, you can improve your long-term health and psychological outcome really fast.