Low-Risk Drinking Advice
To keep your risk of alcohol-related harm low:
- Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis.
- If you drink as much as 14 units a week, it’s best to spread this evenly over 3 or more days.
- If you’re trying to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it’s a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week
- If you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant, the safest approach is to not drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum
Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most days and weeks. The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis.
Am I drinking too much alcohol?
You could be misusing alcohol if:
- You feel you should cut down on your drinking
- Other people have been criticising your drinking
- You feel guilty or bad about your drinking
- You need a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover
Someone you know may be misusing alcohol if:
- They regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week
- They’re sometimes unable to remember what happened the night before because of their drinking
- They fail to do what was expected of them as a result of their drinking (for example, missing an appointment or work because they’re drunk or hungover)
Alcohol misuse
Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first big step to getting help
Risks of alcohol misuse
Short-Term
The short-term risks of alcohol misuse include:
- Accidents and injuries requiring hospital treatment, such as a head injury
- Violent behaviour and being a victim of violence
- Loss of personal possessions, such as wallets, keys or mobile phones
- Alcohol poisoning – this may lead to vomiting, fits (seizures) and falling unconscious
- Unprotected sex that could potentially lead to unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
People who binge drink (drink heavily over a short period of time) are more likely to behave recklessly and are at greater risk of being in an accident.
Long-Term
Persistent alcohol misuse increases your risk of serious health conditions, including:
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Liver Disease
- Liver Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Pancreatitis
- Bowel Cancer
- Mouth Cancer
As well as causing serious health problems, long-term alcohol misuse can lead to social problems for some people, such as unemployment, divorce, domestic abuse and homelessness.
If someone loses control over their drinking and has an excessive desire to drink, it’s known as dependent drinking (alcoholism).
Dependent drinking usually affects a person’s quality of life and relationships, but they may not always find it easy to see or accept this. Severely dependent drinkers are often able to tolerate very high levels of alcohol in amounts that would dangerously affect or even kill some people.
A dependent drinker usually experiences physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly cut down or stop drinking, including:
- Hand tremors – “the shakes”
- Sweating
- Seeing things that are not real (visual hallucinations)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
This often leads to “relief drinking” to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Getting Help
You may need help if:
- You often feel the need to have a drink
- You get into trouble because of your drinking
- Other people warn you about how much you’re drinking
- You think your drinking is causing you problems
If you’re concerned about your drinking or someone else’s, a good first step is to see a GP. They’ll be able to discuss the services and treatments available.
Your alcohol intake may be assessed using tests such as the two below
Alcohol use disorders identification test (.pdf)
A widely used screening test that can help determine whether you need to change your drinking habits
As well as the NHS, there are a number of charities and support groups across the UK that provide support and advice for people with an alcohol misuse problem. For example, you may want to contact:
- Alcohol Change UK
- Drinkline national alcohol helpline on 0300 123 1110
- Alcoholics Anonymous helpline on 0800 9177 650
- Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 0800 0086 811
See a full list of alcohol charities and support groups
Treating alcohol misuse
How alcohol misuse is treated depends on how much alcohol a person is drinking. Treatment options include:
- Counselling – including self-help groups and talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Medicines
- Detoxification – this involves a nurse or doctor supporting you to safely stop drinking; this can be done by helping you slowly cut down over time or by giving you medicines to prevent withdrawal symptoms
There are 2 main types of medicines to help people stop drinking. The first is to help stop withdrawal symptoms and is given in reducing doses over a short period of time. The most common of these medicines is chlordiazapoxide (Librium). The second is a medicine to reduce any urge you may have to drink. The most common medicines used for this are acamprosate and naltrexone.
These are both given at a fixed dose, and you’ll usually be on them for 6 to 12 months.
Content provided by NHS.uk
Find information and advice on health conditions, symptoms, healthy living, medicines and how to get help.
Published on Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:38:16 GMT
Modified on Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:38:16 GMT
Content provided by NHS.uk
Find information and advice on health conditions, symptoms, healthy living, medicines and how to get help.
Published on Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:37:30 GMT
Modified on Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:48:13 GMT