Alcohol Discussions With Doctors

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Having alcohol discussions with doctors can play a critical role in preventing these problems. However, according to the results of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released in January 2014, less than 20 percent of American adults have alcohol discussions with doctors.

Excessive Consumption Statistics

Excessive alcohol consumption, also known as heavy drinking, has different meanings in different contexts. For the average adult man, excessive consumption is typically defined as imbibing at least five drinks on any single day or at least 15 drinks in a single week. The average adult woman reaches an excessive level of alcohol intake when she consumes at least four drinks on any single day or at least eight drinks in a single week. Heavy drinking can lead to the onset of diagnosable symptoms of alcoholism (one form of alcohol use disorder); however, most people who drink heavily do not qualify for such a diagnosis.

How Having Alcohol Discussions With Doctors Can Help

Doctors and other health professionals can help prevent excessive alcohol consumption. Having alcohol discussions with doctors leads to alcohol screenings and alcohol counseling. Having alcohol discussions with doctors could help heavy drinkers reduce their consumption by 25 percent. Screenings and counseling can help lower the amount of money spent on healthcare. Commonly accepted public health guidelines call for the regular use of both alcohol screenings and brief counseling for all adults.

Lack of Alcohol Discussions With Doctors

Less than 17 percent of the CDC survey participants have had alcohol discussions with doctors. The highest rate for these discussions (25 percent) occurs in Washington, D.C.; in the majority of the 44 states involved, discussion rates stand well below 25 percent. The CDC report breaks down the discussion rates for various at-risk population groups. Among binge drinkers, the rate of discussion on alcohol-related topics stands at roughly 25 percent. Among extreme binge drinkers, who get drunk at least 10 times a month, the likelihood of having a conversation about alcohol with a medical professional rises to only about 33 percent.

Considerations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report outlines several situations in which alcohol screenings and alcohol-related counseling could and should occur. Examples of these situations include visits to a primary doctor by the average adult, visits to an obstetrician/gynecologist by a pregnant woman, visits to the emergency room, and visits to specialized trauma care facilities.

Get Help For Alcoholism at Lucida Treatment

If you or a loved one are alcoholic come to Lucida Treatment in Lantana, Florida. Lucida Treatment helps build on alcohol discussions with doctors through detox and therapy. Alcohol detox helps your body purge alcohol from your system, and overcome your physical dependency on alcohol. After detox, therapy tackles the psychological roots of alcoholism. At Lucida Treatment, we offer a wide variety of therapies professionally designed to help you get and stay sober. Therapies offered at Lucida Treatment’s alcohol addiction treatment center include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Program
• Family Therapy Program
• Gestalt Therapy Program
• Group Therapy Program
• Individual Therapy Program
• Psychodrama Therapy Program
• Trauma Therapy Program

If you want advice on having alcohol discussions with doctors, Lucida Treatment can help! Contact us online or call us today at 1.866.947.7299 to make having alcohol discussions with doctors easy!