ALCOHOL FAQS

What is considered a standard drink in America?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a standard drink contains around 14 grams or 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of alcohol is found in 5 ounces of wine with 12% alcohol content. This same amount of alcohol is also found in 8 ounces of malt liquor with 7% alcohol content, 12 ounces of beer with 5% alcohol content, and 1.5 ounces or a shot of 80 proof with 40% alcohol content. Most people are surprised to learn what is considered a standard drink in American. The amount of liquid that is in your glass, can, or bottle does not match to how much alcohol is in your drink. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 – 2020, moderate drinking is up to one drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings the blood alcohol content to 0.08 g/dL. When this happens, it is usually after four standard drinks for women and five standard drinks for men within two hours.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines binge drinking as five or more alcoholic drinks for males and four or more alcoholic drinks for females on the same occasion. Heavy alcohol use is defined as binge drinking five or more days in the past month. Low-risk drinking for women is defined as no more than three drinks on any single day and more than seven drinks per week. Low-risk drinking for men is defined as no more than four drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Certain people should avoid drinking altogether, and these include people who plan to operate a vehicle. Anyone who is taking medication such as pain medication should not be drinking alcohol. If you have a medical condition that alcohol can aggravate or are pregnant, you should not be drinking.

Alcohol Addiction Family Intervention and Alcohol Rehabilitation

There is a big difference between drinking alcohol socially and excessive drinking or binge drinking. Most health officials never recommend going beyond what is considered a standard drink and what is recommended with dietary guidelines for Americans concerning alcohol. However, countless addictions with alcohol begin with binge drinking or excessive drinking. These problems occur within every age group and become some of the most difficult problems to intervene with. Someone who is drinking excessively or binge drinking may still be holding down a job and their family life. The family may have tried to intervene, but unsuccessfully. The best way to organize a family intervention under these circumstances is by hiring a professional interventionist.

Across the nation are intervention groups that travel performing interventions and helping families save the life of their loved one. Alcohol addiction is a devastating problem that becomes progressively worse as time goes on. Alcohol intervention works, and it does help families take control and finally get their loved ones the help they need. The intervention process begins with hiring an interventionist who will then spend a significant amount of time working with the family before the intervention. Some of the issues that the interventionist helps the family overcome include enabling, codependency, and other barriers that prevent a person addicted to alcohol from asking for help.

Family intervention is also helpful when it comes time to locate the best possible alcohol addiction treatment program. Professional interventionists work with numerous treatment centers and will recommend programs based on the needs of the addict and his or her family. Problems with binge drinking or excessive drinking tend to always lead to alcohol addiction. Treatment is essential, and there are a variety of rehabilitation options available. Typically, the first step with alcohol addiction treatment is detox. The severity of alcohol addiction and withdrawal symptoms determine what method of detox is required.

Most severe alcohol addictions require a medically supervised detox, which is the process of withdrawal management and other techniques used to control withdrawal cravings and symptoms. Some alcohol addictions involve other drugs like prescription drugs, which would create even worse withdrawal symptoms. The length of time needed for detox is different for each person, and most medical detox programs last a few days or upwards of one week or more. However, detox is essential before counseling and relapse prevention.

Long-term alcohol inpatient programs are excellent options because it offers more counseling and therapy that what a short-term residential facility is capable of providing. The rehabilitation should be well rounded and help a person physically, mentally, and even spiritually if the program is faith-based. Recovering from alcohol addiction is not easy, but with the right help and support, it is not impossible. There are numerous alcohol addiction treatment resources across the United States and excellent programs for the family to consider.

Works Cited
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/what-standard-drink

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