Signs You Have a Drinking Problem
According to the American Addiction Center, you have a drinking problem if you show up intoxicated at places, you shouldn’t react aggressively to criticism, have experienced legal troubles because of alcohol, and—more importantly—if you feel like you need to cut back on drinking.
Behavioral signs of alcohol addiction include verbal, physical, or sexual abuse of others, yo-yoing (quitting and developing drinking habits in a loop), and illegal activities such as stealing.
| Standard | Men | Women |
| Sign of Alcoholism | 14+ drinks per week | 7+ drinks per week |
| Healthy Drinking | 7 (or less) per week | 4 (or less) per week |
How to Take an Alcohol Self-Assessment Test
NHS has a 3-question alcohol questionnaire that helps identify drinking problems. One way to see if you drink too much is by taking the same test at home. Here are the questions:
- How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
- How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
- How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
Based on the NHS questionnaire, you have a drinking problem if you drink 4 or more times per week, have more than 10 drinks in a row, and consume 6 or more drinks almost daily.
11 Symptoms of Having AUD (Alcohol Use Disorder)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) describes drinking problems as Alcohol Use Disorder, refusing to use the outdated term “alcoholism.” According to this manual, the signs of having AUD or drinking problem are as follows:
- You usually drink more than you intended.
- You have failed to quit drinking multiple times.
- You spend a lot of time drinking—or thinking about it.
- You feel a strong, undeniable desire to drink.
- You fail to fulfill your social roles because of drinking.
- You continue drinking despite it hurting your relationships.
- You isolate yourself just to be able to drink.
- You drink before hazardous activities such as driving.
- You ignore alarming health issues.
- Your alcohol tolerance has increased.
- You experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking.
Based on DSM-5’s symptoms, you have a mild drinking problem if you have 2 to 3 of the above symptoms. If you have 4 to 5 of them, however, your drinking problem is moderate. And if you have 6 or more of these symptoms, you’re addicted to alcohol.
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America’s Drinking Problem Explained
Unlike popular belief, the United States is not among the top countries with high alcoholism rates. In fact, the US is the 46th country with drinking problems among 182 nations. Only 5.48% of American guys drink too much—and less than 1.92% of American women struggle with alcohol addiction.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that drinking problems are not a big deal in the US. If you think about it, the numbers suggest that 2,4568,000 Americans drink too much alcohol—which is concerning.
Fun fact, recent studies show that 47% of Americans admit to being addicted to their phones, which is 156,040,000 people!
Take This Online Test to See If You’re an Alcoholic
Do you still ask yourself, “Am I addicted to alcohol?” If yes, take our DSM-5-inspired drinking problem quiz for an accurate assessment. We’ve analyzed all the symptoms of alcoholism to create a reliable test with a trustworthy diagnosis.
Answer the following questions about your drinking habits to see if you’re a heavy drinker or if your alcohol consumption is healthy.
