Alcohol: When is it a problem?

Your patterns of alcohol use can change over time. Deciding if your patterns of use are a problem can sometimes feel difficult. One way to assess your alcohol use is to reflect on how alcohol has impacted your life recently.  

How can you determine if your alcohol use is a problem? 

To help determine whether your alcohol use is a problem, you may want to consider what effects you’ve experienced as a result. Consider assessing your behavior by answering the following questions. 

In the past year, have you: 

• Felt guilty about how often or how much you drink? 
• Wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?  
• Done or said something while you were drinking that you later regretted? 
• Felt unable to take care of yourself or your family, job responsibilities or school responsibilities due to drinking or its effects?  
• Spent more money on alcohol than you wanted to?  
• Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else? 
• More often than once felt nauseous, got sick, had a headache, or hangover after drinking? 
• Had difficulty remembering all or part of the time when you were intoxicated?  
• Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect(s) you wanted? 
• Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms? Or sensed things that were not there? 
• Needed medical attention or treatment for alcohol-related reasons?  

If you answered yes to any of these questions, they could be a sign of problematic alcohol use. The more symptoms you’ve experienced, the more urgent it may be to seek help managing your alcohol use. 

What are treatment options for problems with alcohol use?  

Some treatment options for problems with alcohol use may include:  

• Screening and early or brief intervention services: These services help you screen and assess your risk of alcohol dependency. They also help you evaluate your relationship with substances and can help you get referred to treatment and specialty care, if needed.  
• Behavioral treatments: These treatments can provide you with longer-term care for behavior and motivation changes.  
• Psychological counseling: A psychologist can provide support for the psychological aspects of alcohol use.  
• Medically assisted treatment: A health care provider can prescribe medications to help minimize your alcohol use and cravings, manage withdrawal symptoms, and prevent relapse.  
• Mutual support groups: You can receive non-judgmental support from peers through these groups. These groups may include twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or programs that are more specific to your situation, such as Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).  
• Inpatient treatment: These treatment programs provide care in a controlled environment, such as a hospital. This treatment may begin with a period of detoxification from alcohol, which generally takes two to seven days. Inpatient treatment may be involuntary in emergency situations.  
• Intensive outpatient programming (IOP) or partial hospitalization (PHP): This form of treatment typically occurs in a health care setting multiple days a week for multiple hours per treatment day. IOP may be three to five days a week and PHP may be five to six days a week.  
• Residential treatment: This form of treatment involves longer-term live-in centers that include a structured day, access to behavioral and medically assisted treatment, and community-centered rehabilitation. Residential treatment can be voluntary.  

How can you get started with treatment for problems with alcohol use? 

To get started with treatments for problems with alcohol use, you may want to reach out to a health care provider. They can evaluate your drinking patterns, help you develop a treatment plan, and can refer you to specific treatments and medications if necessary. 

Can you use insurance to cover alcohol treatments? 

Many insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover some or all the cost of medically necessary treatments, including: 

• Screening services 
• Medications 
• Inpatient treatments 
• Outpatient treatments 
• Psychological counseling 

If you’re unsure whether your plan covers a treatment option, consider reaching out to your health insurance provider or call a treatment center to inquire about what insurances they take. 

If you don’t have insurance, there are state-funded health programs to help you pay for treatments. Different treatments may also allow payment options, including payment plans, loans, and public assistance.  

You may also find treatment options here:  

• FindTreatment.gov 
• NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator®—How to Find Quality Alcohol Treatment 
• SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator  

What else can you do to support your challenges with alcohol use? 

In addition to treatment, you may want to participate in lifestyle changes to support your recovery from alcohol use. These changes may include: 

• Updating your friends and family about your drinking situation and developing a support system of people who can support your recovery. 
• Developing healthy habits including: 
• Getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night. 
• Engaging in regular physical activity. 
• Eating a balanced diet. 
• Finding healthy ways to effectively manage your stress. 
• Discovering new hobbies and activities that aren’t centered around alcohol 

You may also enjoy adding yoga, meditation, or acupuncture to your treatment plan to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.