The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services, in their report “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025,” talk about the per day recommended alcohol consumption for adults at legal drinking age. It should be two drinks for men and one drink for women.
This is considered moderate drinking. And if you are a moderate drinker, you may want to join an AA meeting to encourage the habit of moderation among heavy drinkers.
Moderate drinkers may also find it easier to stop drinking or do away without a drink for a day or days.
According to doctors, this type of drinking is relatively safer for health and presents a lesser chance of addiction.
However, at the same time, doctors also recommend going alcohol-free once or twice a week to prevent forming a habit.
A habit can, sooner or later, turn into an addiction.
In AA meetings in Virginia Beach, West Virginia, several members talk about how their innocent habit of having a drink or two daily turned into an addiction. They just couldn’t do without a drink.
This is what we need to be cautious about. Do not let the feeling, “I can’t do without this” engulf you. If you find yourselves uttering these words, you are on the road to addiction, be it alcohol or any other.
Binge drinking
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), when a man consumes 5 or more drinks and when a woman consumes 4 or more drinks within 2 hours, it is called binge drinking. This brings your BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) to 0.08 grams alcohol per deciliter (0.08 percent) or more.
For binge drinkers, local AA meetings can be helpful in moderating their drinking habits. The prerequisite of joining a meeting is the desire to stop drinking.
Heavy drinking
According to NIAAA, when a man consumes 4 or more drinks in one day or 14 or more drinks in one week, or a woman consumes 3 or more drinks in one day or 7 or more drinks in one week, they are said to be drinking heavily.
One of the problems with heavy drinkers is that they think they don’t drink heavily and need no AA meetings! For them, this is normal. But, when you crave alcohol every day and can’t stop your hands from reaching out to that bottle, you are on the road to addiction.
Otherwise, why can’t you go without a drink for a day?
A thing to ponder.
For heavy drinkers, it is a challenge to stay away from alcohol even for a day. However, there are drinkers who want to go sober for a day or a few days. But not all manage to do it. The Sobriety Calculator can help you in your sobriety journey.
Talking of sobriety, do you want to kick your alcoholic habit? Whether you can or can is not the question here, but whether you want to. If you want, you have hope at www.aa-meetings.com, which presents itself as a silver lining in the dark clouds of alcoholism. Visit the site and find a meeting near you.