Indeed, heavy drinking and alcohol poisoning are among the leading causes of death worldwide. In fact, every year, more than 95000 people expire due to binge drinking. But ever thought about how much these Alcoholics Drink results in their death?
Generally, people with alcohol use disorders AUD, or alcoholism dependency, are prone to drinking more than four drinks of alcohol per day and 15 plus drinks per week. This not only passes the safe limit of BAC but also poses a workload on the liver, leading to its dysfunction.
Want to know how much alcoholics drink every day and what are its consequences? Then brace up and move to the next section to get all your queries answered!
How Much Do Alcoholics Drink? The Exact Amount
Drinking alcohol occasionally, like 2 to 3 drinks a week, is normal. Moreover, it prevents alcohol dependency.
But sipping it becomes problematic when people start to consume it beyond the safe limit, resulting in increased alcohol dependency and risks of various diseases. Generally, Alcoholics are habitual of drinking more than 14 to 15 drinks per week, where one drink equals 5 ounces of wine, and 15 drinks equals 74 ounces of wine. Indeed, such a massive amount.
As a result, not only their life interactions are affected, but their physical and mental health is also affected drastically.
What Is Excessive Alcohol Usage?
Excessive Alcohol Usage, as the term itself explains, is the overconsumption of alcohol, resulting in various health problems. A few categories that belong to Excessive Alcohol Usage are:
- Underage drinking, which includes all individuals less than 21 years
- Binge drinkers who consume more than 4 to 5 drinks at once, for women and men respectively. In fact, binge Drinking is so common that 1 in 6 adults in the U.S Binge drink.
- Heavy drinkers who are exposed to drinking more than 10 to 15 drinks in a week
- Drinking done by pregnant women
And what is more heartbreaking is that due to excessive alcohol usage, the life of individuals is shortened, and they die by an average of 26 years.
It is known to result in alcohol use disorder AUD mostly, in which the person faces a constant urge to drink and lacks control over alcohol consumption.
Symptoms Of Alcoholism
A few most frequently observed symptoms of alcoholism are:
- Blackouts
- Mood swings
- Weight gain
- Becoming distant from family and friends
- Short Term memory loss
Short Term And Long Term Effects Of Excessive Alcohol Drinking On people
Excessive Alcohol Consumption is known to induce a lot of health disorders in humans. Some of the short-term effects are:
- Violence like suicide and homicide
- More prone to road accidents
- Alcohol poisoning
- Miscarriage and stillbirths
And the long-term effects of excess alcohol consumption are:
- High blood pressure
- Heart stroke (heart failure)
- Liver diseases like fatty liver and hepatitis
- Weakened immune system
- Colon and liver cancer
- Mental disorders like alcohol dementia
- Alcohol Dependence disorders, including alcohol poisoning
Types Of Alcoholics: The Five Main Categories
According to NIAAA, Alcoholics are further subdivided into five types. These include:
- Young Adult Alcoholics are away from home for the first time and are surrounded by groups of people that encourage excessive alcohol usage.
- Young antisocial Alcoholics that start drinking in their early life and have a family history of alcoholism
- Functional Alcoholics have a steady life, are mostly educated, and fulfill all their regular obligations on a consistent basis.
- Intermediate Familial Alcoholics are middle-aged men who have a history of multi-generational alcohol families.
- Chronic severe Alcoholics start facing alcohol-related issues and problematic drinking at a very young age.
What Is The Safe Limit For Drinking Alcohol?
According to Dietary Guidelines by American, it is better to limit the alcohol intake to less than two drinks for men and one drink for women, where one standard drink of alcohol contains 14 grams of ethanol in it. This equals
- 1.5 ounce of 40% alcohol spirits like vodka
- 5 ounces of 12% ABV wine
- 8 ounces of 7% ABV malt
- 12 ounces of 5% beer
So, it is best to go 1 to 2 drinks daily at most and less than 14 drinks per week.
How To Overcome Alcohol Dependency
If you are planning to get rid of your alcohol dependency, the only way out is to opt for proper treatment. Here are a few treatments to go for:
Rehab
The first and the most preferable option to go for is a Rehab facility that offers programs and sessions to help you cut off alcohol dependency. You can go for either a residential program that involves you living within the centers and surrounded by professionals for 24 hours or for outpatient programs that offer scheduled sessions.
Detoxification Program
It involves eliminating the toxic substance from the body completely. It is one of the most challenging and painful options, but sideways, it leaves excellent results and eases recovery.
Behavioral Therapy Sessions
If you aren’t too dependent on alcohol and are in the initial stage, how about attending various behavioral therapy sessions? These include:
- Cognitive Therapy Session aims to identify the urge and feeling that leads to relapse.
- Dialectical Therapy Session that involves a philosophical approach to managing stress and preventing relapse
- Motivational Therapy Session mainly aims to motivate the person to change their perspective.
Final Verdict
Alcoholics drink around 3 to 4 drinks of alcohol daily and around 15 plus drinks per week. This excessive alcohol usage results in increased alcohol dependency and greater exposure to various health disorders and alcohol poisoning.
Therefore, it is best to abstain from drinking alcohol and opt for proper treatments to decrease their alcohol dependency.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
