Many people are underestimating alcohol consumption. In fact, ordinary people often think they drink around 33% less than they do in reality. Failing to recognize how much you drink gives a false sense of confidence in your ability to consume alcohol safely. But that alcohol that you think you’re not consuming is still negatively impacting your life. Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that requires immediate action. If you believe that you’re in need of a men’s alcohol rehab, don’t hesitate. Contact the experts at Red Oak Recovery® today to learn about your treatment options.
Signs Your Underestimating Alcohol Consumption
Ultimately, if alcohol is negatively impacting your life in any way, it’s too much. So try to answer these questions honestly.
- Have you ever been late for or forgot something important because of drinking?
- Have you ever fought over drinking with a loved one?
- Has your work/school ever suffered?
- Have you ever not had the money for something you needed because you spent it on alcohol?
These are just a few signs that you may be underestimating alcohol consumption. If this is the case, you may need to ask yourself if you are, in fact, struggling with an addiction.
How Much Is Too Much?
The CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services offer excellent guidance. According to them, you have two basic types of alcohol abuse, binge drinking, and heavy drinking.
Binge drinking is usually a weekly or monthly occasion, where you drink a lot at once. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, is spreading it out over the week. Both are harmful to your health and life.
Heavy Drinking
As a general rule, you’re heavy drinking if you drink more than the following typically:
- Two drinks a day or 15 drinks a week for a man
- One drink a day or eight glasses of alcohol a week for a woman
If you just did a doubletake at how low that number is, you’re probably underestimating alcohol consumption and how it impacts your life.
Binge Drinking
Experts consider you to be binge drinking if you exceed five drinks in two hours for a man and four for a woman. But the amount that constitutes a drink depends on what you’re drinking.
A drink is:
- 12 ounces of beer (light or regular)
- Five ounces of wine
- Eight ounces of malt liquor
- 1.5 ounces (one regular shot glass) of alcohol. But if it’s higher proof (100+), a drink is one ounce.
If you’re drinking mixed drinks, make sure you know how many shots so you’re not underestimating alcohol consumption.
The Dangers of Underestimating How Much You Drink
If you underestimate, you may fail to realize just how much alcohol defines your life. In addition to relationship damage and socio-economic impact drinking, too much increases your risk of severe illnesses like:
- Injury
- Death
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Liver failure
- Brain damage
The real danger of underestimating how much you drink is that you could be struggling with addiction, and not even know it. If this is the case, you could be setting yourself up for more problems in the future.
Getting Real with Yourself
Are you ready to get truthful? Then Red Oak Recovery®’ will support you. Our alcohol treatment programs are able to help individuals with all levels of dependence, abuse, and addiction recover. We do so through a holistic program that combines evidence-based treatments like:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Trauma care
- Mental health care
- Family therapy program
With therapeutic and self-discovery activities like:
- Gardening
- Exercise
- Wilderness/Adventure therapy
- Acupuncture
If you’re ready to get honest about how much you are drinking, it’s time to contact us at 866.457.7590 to start working a plan for a better life.
