Alcohol remains a popular social lubricant, and with the warm summer months and its BBQs and beach days around the corner, alcohol use usually increases. But how do you know if you are just participating in some heavy drinking or if you actually have Alcohol Use Disorder? The line between being a heavy drinker and having alcohol use disorder (AUD), commonly referred to as alcoholism, can be blurry, but there are key distinctions based on behavior, control, and consequences.
Here’s how to tell the difference:
Heavy Drinker:
- Drinks more than recommended limits (more than 14 drinks/week for men, 7 for women).
- May binge on weekends but doesn’t necessarily feel compelled to drink.
- Still able to fulfill work, social, and family responsibilities.
- Doesn’t typically experience withdrawal symptoms when stopping.
- Drinking hasn’t caused significant or repeated personal, legal, or health problems.
Alcoholic / AUD:
- Drinks despite repeated negative consequences (relationships, health, job).
- Has developed tolerance and/or experiences withdrawal symptoms.
- Feels a strong compulsion to drink or finds it hard to stop once started.
- Has tried and failed to cut back or stop drinking.
- Prioritizes drinking over other activities or responsibilities.
- May hide or lie about their drinking.
A key difference is loss of control:
If drinking feels like something you have to do, or you can’t stop when you want to, it leans toward AUD. If you’re concerned that your drinking may be leaning toward AUD, then there is a checklist you can try using.
Alcohol Use Disorder Self-Checklist:
- Do you often drink more or longer than you intended?
- Have you wanted to cut down or stop drinking but couldn’t?
- Do you spend a lot of time drinking or recovering from its effects?
- Do you experience strong urges or cravings to drink?
- Has drinking interfered with responsibilities at work, school, or home?
- Do you continue to drink despite it causing relationship or social issues?
- Have you given up or reduced activities you once enjoyed because of alcohol?
- Have you found yourself in risky situations while or after drinking (e.g., driving, unsafe sex, injury)?
- Do you keep drinking despite knowing it’s causing physical or mental health problems?
- Have you developed a tolerance (needing more alcohol to feel the effects)?
- Have you experienced withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, tremors, sweating, nausea, insomnia, etc.) when the effects wear off?
If you’ve checked two or more, it’s worth having a conversation with a healthcare provider or counselor. Early intervention can make a big difference.
Copyright 2021, GoHealthier.com
