Excessive Drinking How to Know When Someone Needs Professional Help
Many people drink excessively but how to define when a drinker has reached the point that they need an intervention or professional help is a more difficult decision to make. Experts are no longer categorizing alcoholics just by the fact that they drink so much alcohol that it affects their lives but now alcoholism can be divided into varying degrees of alcoholism. Experts are now defining alcohol use by the level of harm the alcohol is causing. Alcohol is a drug that affects a persons mind, body, and spirit. Although, alcohol is a legal drug, addiction is a common problem and carries with it a multitude of social and psychological issues. Using these new categories, it is possible to get help for the alcoholics at earlier stages. For definition purposes the term "one drink" is referring to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 90-proof liquor.

Moderate Drinking:
Moderate drinking particularly red wine appears to offer health benefits. Moderate drinking is defined as equal to or less than two drinks a day for men and equal to or less than one drink a day for women.

Hazardous (Heavy) Drinking:
Hazardous drinking puts people at risk for adverse health effects. People who are heavy drinkers generally consume the following:
* More than 14 drinks per week or 4-5 drinks at one sitting for men.
* More than seven drinks per week or three drinks at one sitting for women.
* Frequent intoxication in either men or women.

Harmful Drinking:
Drinking is considered harmful when alcohol consumption has actually caused physical or psychological harm. This is determined by the following:
* There is clear evidence that alcohol is responsible for harm to the person.
* The nature of the harm can be identified.
* Alcohol consumption has been persistent for at least a month and has occurred regularly for at least a year.
* The person is not alcohol dependent.

Many times once a person is drinking to the point of needing professional help he or she does not realize the place they are in and it is up to family and close friends to recognize the signs. Once the drinking comes to the point that it begins to cause problems at work such as absenteeism or loss of productivity that can be a sign that the drinking is out of control. Tolerance is another sign that the person is drinking too much. After a period of time it takes more and more alcohol for the person get the same level of intoxication and this tolerance will eventually lead to addiction. Some other signs to look for include the person drinking alone, making excuses to drink, showing signs of withdrawal, and drinking more than they had planned. An alcoholic will black out once they reach a level of alcohol in their body that cannot be processed fast enough. Typically once a person drinks to the point of blacking out on a regular basis they can be correctly identified as an alcoholic.

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