What to do when your drinking becomes a problem

Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 2:33 am, Thu Mar 28, 2013.

(BPT) - There's no denying that drinking is a widely accepted element of social life in America. Cocktail parties, evenings out, formal functions, and even a drink or two with dinner are customary practices. However, alcohol abuse is a major problem in this country and, on a different level, many "social drinkers" probably don't even know that they have a drinking problem.

So how much alcohol is too much? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, at-risk drinking, for men, is more than four drinks in any one day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, it is more than three drinks in a day or more than seven drinks per week. However, for some individuals, any drinking can be problematic: Women who are pregnant, people with certain health conditions or on particular medications, or those with a family history of alcohol abuse.