If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol use disorder or is showing signs of using alcohol increasingly, you should know that you're not alone. An alcohol use statistic from verywellhealth, Among people 18 years or older, an estimated 86.3% reported they had consumed alcohol at some point during their lives; 70% said they had a drink within the past 12 months, and 55.3% said they drank alcohol within the past 30 days.
The bottom line, alcohol use disorder is an all too human condition and there is help.
Alcoholism – also known as alcohol use disorder, alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence – is defined as the inability to control one’s drinking and alcohol consumption due to a physical and/or emotional dependence on alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and even life threatening if not done under medical supervision.
According to Healthline.com some 70 percent of Americans don’t realize their drinking habits could contribute to their cancer risk, according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Check out this article from Huffington Post for a first hand account of how someone who tried to go cold turkey ended up in the hospital.
TEN SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR WITH ALCOHOL USE DISORDER.
- You drink more, or longer, than you originally planned to
- Cannot stop drinking on your own
- Cannot stop thinking about drinking throughout the day
- The drinking takes a toll your relationships
- You plan your day or social activities around drinking
- After drinking, you find yourself having withdrawal symptoms such as: trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, or in extreme cases, a seizure, or hallucinating, example: seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren't there.
- Drinking in private away from friends and family
- Making friends with others that drink as much as you do
- Find yourself feeling depressed without alcohol
- Trying to solve emotional qualms using alcohol as an escape from reality.
What is the recommended amount of drinking?
According to the CDC,
To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans External icon recommends that adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men or 1 drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed. The Guidelines also do not recommend that individuals who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason and that if adults of legal drinking age choose to drink alcoholic beverages, drinking less is better for health than drinking more. Two in three adult drinkers report drinking above moderate levels at least once a month.
Although many factors can contribute to one's alcohol tolerance, these are the general numbers.
12 ounces of regular beer
8-9 ounces of malt liquor
5 ounces of wine
3-4 ounces of fortified wine (such as sherry or port)
2-3 ounces of cordial, liqueur, or aperitif
1.5 ounces of brandy, cognac, or 80-proof distilled spirits
TREATMENTS:
******* Do not try to self-detox, severe alcohol withdrawals can lead to seizures and in some cases, death. **********
Call us for help, Mitchell Medical P.C. we will help you on the road to recovery using medical assistant treatments (MAT) to safely detox you from alcohol
Detoxification
Let Us Help you Get Your Life Back, Without Judgement, With 24/7 Support
We, at Mitchell Medical, specialize in at home-detoxes instead of inpatient rehabilitation or outpatient. After the detoxification, we prescribe appropriate medication to combat alcohol use disorder. Our at-home detox method is a more personalized approach than going to a rehabilitation center. With our help, patients can start on the road to recovery comfortably, taking the first steps toward an addiction-free life.
MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENTS (MAT)
We tailor each treatment to the patient – from at-home detoxes to medically assisted treatments such as VIVITROL, DISULFIRAM (ANTABUSE) and NALTREXONE– to ensure the patient can manage their alcohol use in the long term. We will determine which medication is right for you.
Give us a call to find out which program would be best for you. The first step is through the door and we can help with the rest.
