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When you are drinking too much - tips for cutting back

Alcohol - drinking too much; Alcohol use disorder - drinking too much; Alcohol abuse - drinking too much; Risky drinking - cutting back

I Would Like to Learn About:

What is Unsafe Drinking?

Health care providers consider you to be drinking more than is medically safe when you:

Are a healthy man of legal drinking age and drink:

Are a healthy woman of legal drinking age and drink:

Ways to Cut Back

Watch your drinking patterns more closely and plan ahead. This can help you cut back on your alcohol use. Keep track of how much you drink and set goals.

When you are drinking:

To control how much you drink:

Getting Help From Others

Make an appointment with your provider to talk about your drinking. You and your provider can make a plan for you to either stop or cut back on your drinking. Your provider will:

Ask for support from people who may be willing to listen and help, such as a spouse or significant other, or non-drinking friends.

Your place of work may have an employee assistance program (EAP) where you can seek help without needing to tell anyone at work about your drinking.

More information and support for people with alcohol problems and their families can be found at:

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Alcohol use and your health. www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about-alcohol-use/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm. Updated May 15, 2024. Accessed June 19, 2024.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. How to start drinking less. www.cdc.gov/drinklessbeyourbest/drinkingless.html. Updated December 22, 2023. Accessed February 15, 2024.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website. Alcohol's effects on the body. www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body. Accessed February 14, 2024.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website. Understanding alcohol use disorder. www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder. Updated January 2024. Accessed February 14, 2024.

O'Connor PG. Alcohol use disorders. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 364.

US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and behavioral counseling interventions to reduce unhealthy alcohol use in adolescents and adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2018;320(18):1899-1909. PMID: 30422199 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30422199/.

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Review Date: 2/8/2024  

Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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