The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines drinking in moderation as limiting your alcohol intake to two drinks or less in a day for men or one drink or less in a day for women.
Drinking more than this is a kind of alcohol misuse. Alcohol misuse significantly increases the risk of developing short-term and long-term health problems, including high blood pressure, digestive problems, liver disease, and cancer.
Alcohol misuse is one of the most deadly kinds of substance misuse across the world. Every year, about 79,000 people die as a result of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States. It accounts for around one in ten deaths among adults between the ages of 20-64.
Alcohol misuse is not the same as alcohol addiction (or alcoholism), although one can lead to the other. Alcohol addiction is a chronic illness that requires effective treatment to recover from.
It is important to understand whether your drinking habits are signs of either alcohol misuse or alcohol addiction. Once you know this, you can begin the path to recovery.