Imbibing Too Much? Signs You May Be An Alcoholic

Recent studies have shown that 53 percent of adults in the U.S. think that one or more than one of their relatives has a drinking problem. Are you part of that statistic?

Alcoholism is a chronic and often progressive disease that causes you to drink too much alcohol and affects your ability to live a normal and healthy life.

Excessive alcohol use can cause immediate and long-term health related risks, including car accidents, alcohol poisoning, neurological problems, cancer, liver disease and in some cases, death.

How do you know if you have a problem?

If your drinking gets in the way of your job, causes problems with any relationship, spurs legal problems or if your body goes through withdrawal, you may have a problem.

There are also other signs that you might be a binge alcoholic, which is a pattern that brings your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This happens when you consume copious amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. This is considered as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women.

You might have heard that having a glass of red wine every night has health benefits; but be aware that typically that is just one to one-and-half glasses... not the whole bottle.

Is there anything you can do to cut back?

There are ways to do it alone, simply by decreasing the amount you drink. But if you think you have a serious problem, it is advised to seek professional help.

Chief Medical Officer of Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Gregory Teas, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share signs that you might be an alcoholic, as well as what to do if you think you or a loved one has a drinking problem.