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I Think I May Have a Problem

Alcohol abuse can be defined as any harmful use of alcohol. This can include patterns like problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems in your day-to-day life and any use that puts your health or safety at risk. Reach out to your local ASAP office for support if your pattern of drinking results in repeated distress and problems functioning at home or in the field.

Question & Answer

What Defines a Single Drink of Alcohol?

    One drink is equal to 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80–proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey).
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

    You should not exceed two drinks per day if you are a man or one drink per day if you are a woman. This is what is considered moderate drinking. Though it should be noted that alcohol affects women very differently from men.
What are the Dangers of Binge Drinking?

    Binge drinking is when you drink too much, too fast to bring your blood alcohol concentration level to 0.08 or higher. Typically, this occurs after having four drinks for women and five drinks for men within a 2-hour timeframe. Apart from significant impairment, binge drinking is a risk factor for sexual assault. Research suggests that there is an increase in the risk of rape or sexual assault when both the attacker and victim have used alcohol prior to the attack.
Does Binge Drinking Affect Women?

    Binge drinking is the consuming of an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time. For women, this is typically consuming four drinks within 2 hours.
The CDC reported that:
  • 46% of women report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days
  • 12% of women report binge drinking three times per month, with five or more drinks per binge
  • 5% of women met the diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder in the past year
How Do I Know If I Have a Problem?

    For most people, moderate drinking may be okay. However, drinking too much can cause problems for both your health and relationships. Perhaps you can start by asking yourself what kind of relationship you have with alcohol:
  1. Acquaintance: Are you occasionally drinking? Only drinking on special occasions?
  2. Friendship: Are you regularly drinking? Drinking every weekend?
  3. Committed: Are you frequently drinking? Having a drink as soon as you are done with work?
Are there Suggested Ways to Review my Drinking Habits?

    Start with asking yourself the following questions and reflect on the answers. Do you:
  • Believe alcohol is necessary to have fun?
  • Drink more or longer than you planned?
  • Cancel plans with friends or family to drink alcohol?
  • Miss work or school often because of alcohol (or its effects, like hangovers)?
  • Lie about how much you drink?
  • Have to drink more to get the “effect” that smaller amounts of alcohol used to give you?
  • Feel depressed, anxious, or on edge during or after drinking?
  • Get drunk alone regularly?
  • Have frequent hangovers?
  • Experience blackouts (periods of memory loss for events that happened while drinking)?
  • Put yourself in dangerous or harmful situations while drunk?
  • Get in trouble with the law or the military police because of something you did while drinking?

Still wondering if your drinking is a problem? Try these steps the next time you go out:

  • Keep track of how many drinks you have in a night. Make a tally in your phone or write it on your hand. When you realize just how many drinks you throw back on a typical night out (as well as the costs), you may decide it’s time to cut back.
  • Make a list of pros and cons. Weigh the pros and cons of drinking to see if cutting back might benefit you. Use this list from Rethinking Drinking to get started.
  • Take note of how drinking makes you feel. Do you get sad or angry? Do you feel sick the next day? If you are not sure, ask a friend what they notice. Maybe drunk you isn’t the best you out there.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255.

ASAP Snapshot


Additional Resources

CDC Articles and Guides
DPRR Blog, Podcasts and Webinars
Military OneSource Articles & Guides
Resilience in Focus Series

  • This series of tools and infographics cover common challenges like how to make stress work for you, become more optimistic, cultivate mindfulness and stick to your goals. Explore the offerings of the series.