bot Los enlaces tienen que ser siempre en la página If someone loses control over their drinking and has an excessive desire to drink, it’s known as dependent drinking (alcoholism).
Dependent drinking usually affects a person’s quality of life and relationships, but they may not always find it easy to see or accept this.
Severely dependent drinkers are often able to tolerate very high levels of alcohol in amounts that would dangerously affect or even kill some people.
A dependent drinker usually experiences physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly cut down or stop drinking, including:
- hand tremors – “the shakes”
- seeing things that aren’t real (visual hallucinations)
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
This often leads to “relief drinking” to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Read more about the risks of alcohol misuse.
Am I drinking too much alcohol?
You could be misusing alcohol if:
- you feel you should cut down on your drinking
- other people have been criticising your drinking
- you feel guilty or bad about your drinking
- you need a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of ahangover
Someone you know may be misusing alcohol if:
- they regularly exceed the lower-risk daily limit for alcohol
- they’re sometimes unable to remember what happened the night before because of their drinking
- they fail to do what was expected of them as a result of their drinking – for example, missing an appointment or work because of being drunk or hungover
If you’re concerned about your drinking or someone else’s, a good first step is to visit your GP. They’ll be able to discuss the services and treatments available.
Your alcohol intake may be assessed using tests, such as:
- the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (PDF, 224kb) – a widely used screening test that can help determine whether you need to change your drinking habits
- the Fast Alcohol Screening Test – a simpler test to check whether your drinking has reached dangerous levels
- the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire – this helps identify how severely dependent on alcohol you may be
As well as the NHS, there are a number of charities and support groups across the UK that provide support and advice for people with an alcohol misuse problem.
For example, you may want to contact:
- Alcohol Concern – runs the national drink helpline, Drinkline on 0300 123 1110
- Alcoholics Anonymous – helpline 0845 769 7555
- Al-Anon Family Groups – helpline 020 7403 0888
For a full list of charities and support groups, see our page on alcohol support.
Treating alcohol misuse
How alcohol misuse is treated depends on how much alcohol a person is drinking. Treatment options include:
- counselling – including self-help groups and talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- detoxification – this involves a nurse or doctor supporting you to safely stop drinking; this can be done by helping you slowly cut down over time or by giving you medicines to prevent withdrawal symptoms
There are two main types of medicines to help people stop drinking. The first is to help stop withdrawal symptoms, and is given in reducing doses over a short period of time. The most common of these medicines is chlordiazapoxide (Librium).
The second is a medication to reduce any urge you may have to drink. The most common medications used for this are acamprosate and naltrexone. These are both given at a fixed dose, and you’ll usually be on them for 6 to 12 months.
Read more about the treatment options for alcohol misuse.
- alcohol units
- caring for an alcoholic
- social drinking: the hidden risks
- the risks of drinking too much
- tips for cutting down on your drinking
Alcohol and pregnancy
The Department of Health recommends pregnant women and women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, and the risk increases the more you drink.
The Chief Medical Officers for the UK recommend that if you’re pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcoh