by Lisa Frederiksen
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ve read in numerous posts the NIAAA 
definition of what constitutes “safe” or “moderate” drinking limits:
- for women: no more than 7 standards drinks in a week, with no more than 3 of those 7 on any given day
- for men: no more than 14 standards drinks in a week, with no more than 4 of those 14 on any given day.
The reason for limits it to help a person keep track of how many drinks they are having so as not to find themselves losing control of their behaviors as a consequence of drinking more alcohol than their brains and bodies can process. Why? If a person waits until they “feel” the effects of the alcohol, it’s generally too late. So keeping track helps you avoid losing control of your drinking, which can lead to your losing control of your behaviors (e.g., driving while under the influence, engaging in unwanted or unplanned sex, fighting with a loved one while under the influence). [Note: this is not to be confused with alcoholism or alcohol dependence. Why? A person who has the disease of alcoholism needs to abstain from alcohol entirely if they want to control (stop) their drinking behaviors because alcoholism is one of the diseases of addiction. Addiction is chronic relapsing brain disease caused in part by the chemical and structural changes that occur in the brain as a result of alcohol abuse.]
NIAAA offers the following suggestions (cut and pasted from their website) if you find you are having difficulty staying within “safe” or “moderate” limits. You may also want to visit their website for some great FAQs and other information/suggestions.
Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems. Whatever strategies you choose, give them a fair trial. If one approach doesn’t work, try something else. But if you haven’t made progress in cutting down after 2 to 3 months, consider quitting drinking altogether, seeking professional help, or both.
Here are some strategies to try, and you can add your own at the end. Check off perhaps two or three to try in the next week or two. Then click List my choices, and you can print or email them to yourself.
| Keep track of how much you drink. Find a way that works for you, carry drinking tracker cards in your wallet, make check marks on a kitchen calendar, or enter notes in a mobile phone notepad or personal digital assistant. Making note of each drink before you drink it may help you slow down when needed. | |
| Know the standard drink sizes so you can count your drinks accurately. Measure drinks at home. Away from home, it can be hard to keep track, especially with mixed drinks, and at times, you may be getting more alcohol than you think. With wine, you may need to ask the host or server not to “top off” a partially filled glass. | |
| Decide how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you’ll have on those days. It’s a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink. Drinkers with the lowest rates of alcohol use disorders stay within the low-risk limits. | |
| When you do drink, pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one standard drink with alcohol per hour. Have “drink spacers”—make every other drink a non-alcoholic one, such as water, soda, or juice. | |
| Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Eat some food so the alcohol will be absorbed into your system more slowly. | |
| If drinking has occupied a lot of your time, then fill free time by developing new, healthy activities, hobbies, and relationships, or renewing ones you’ve missed. If you have counted on alcohol to be more comfortable in social situations, manage moods, or cope with problems, then seek other, healthy ways to deal with those areas of your life. | |
| What triggers your urge to drink? If certain people or places make you drink even when you don’t want to, try to avoid them. If certain activities, times of day, or feelings trigger the urge, plan something else to do instead of drinking. If drinking at home is a problem, keep little or no alcohol there. | |
| When you cannot avoid a trigger and an urge hits, consider these options: Remind yourself of your reasons for changing (it can help to carry them in writing or store them in an electronic message you can access easily). Or talk things through with someone you trust. Or get involved with a healthy, distracting activity, such as physical exercise or a hobby that doesn’t involve drinking. Or, instead of fighting the feeling, accept it and ride it out without giving in, knowing that it will soon crest like a wave and pass. Also, see the short module to help you handle urges to drink. | |
| You’re likely to be offered a drink at times when you don’t want one. Have a polite, convincing “no, thanks” ready. The faster you can say no to these offers, the less likely you are to give in. If you hesitate, it allows you time to think of excuses to go along. Also, see the short module to help you build drink refusal skills. |
