Alcohol Addiction
Monday, April 24, 2006

In the 60 second housecall,  Dr. Ken Davis asks three questions that may tell if you have an alcohol addiction.
 

How do you know if you are drinking too much?

-  Men – more than 14 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks per occasion

-  Women and anyone over 65 – more than 7 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks per occasion
 

Has your drinking become a habit?

The answer is yes, if you drink to:

• Relax, relieve anxiety or go to sleep
• Be more comfortable in social situations
• Avoid thinking about sad or unpleasant things, or
• Socialize with other regular drinkers

   Has drinking alcohol become a problem for you?

The answer is yes, if you:

• Have tried to stop drinking for a week, but only quit for a few days
• Fail to do what you should at work or at home because of drinking
• Feel guilty after drinking
• Other people make comments to you about your drinking
• Have a drink in the morning to get yourself going, or 
• Can't remember what happened while you were drinking

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.