The New Way to Know if You Drink Too Much

Some people think that everythings OK as long as alcohol isnt affecting relationships or finances, and that isnt necessarily true, says researcher Ashley Linden-Carmichael, Ph.D., in the department of Biobehaviorial Health at Penn State University.

New thinking is that problem drinking falls along a wide spectrum, from not being able to get out of bed without a drink to hitting up way too many happy hours. For this and other reasons, scientists and addiction experts would like to abolish the term "alcoholic" and use the clumsier but more accurate alcohol use disorder now.

That's because you can have an alcohol use disorder even if youre not getting hammered every day. People who dont know that theres more than one type of overuse dont get diagnosed or do anything about their drinking until they hit rock bottom. Since the disorder is a progressive condition that easily escalates, an early ID can save you a lot of trouble.

Plus, the term "alcoholic" is not only far from being descriptive, it actually conveys the wrong description: its loaded with shame and stigma. It implies that the problem is the person, and thats not the way we view it anymore, says Andrew J. Saxon, M.D., chair of the American Psychiatric Associations Council on Addiction Psychiatry. Its like being a diabetic rather than a person with diabetes. The disorder isnt who you are, its just a brain issue thats happening to youand to almost 10 million other men in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health.

How Do You Know If You Have Trouble with Alcohol?

To know if youre on the alcohol use disorder spectrum, you can take an online quiz ( like this one from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ). Because even a combination of drinking more when you said youd have just one and needing more alcohol than you used to just to catch a buzz could indicate trouble. You dont have to wake up in bed with a stranger wondering how you got there for alcohol to have its grips on you.

If youre not into quizzes (or are afraid to see the results), try this: Take a 30-day break from drinking. (Might as well do it in Dry January , when everyone else is doing it, too.) If you cant do it, its a hint that you may want to rethink your relationship with alcohol.

You can also try signing up for an online 30-day, no-alcohol challenge, or explore a free app such as Drink Control that tracks your drinking and helps you stay low risk.