Alcohol: Then consumption becomes problematic

Allegations of alcoholism against actor Til Schweiger and moderator Stefan Mross were recently circulated. More and more people in Germany drink too much, not only at a party or on special occasions. But in such a way that it significantly affects their health. And with it your everyday life.

Drink in Germany

• every sixth man and
• every ninth woman

Alcohol in risky amounts. This emerges from the current alcohol atlas of the German Cancer Research Center.

When does alcohol consumption become a problem?

But when is alcohol consumption risky? When does it become an addiction? According to the “Foundation for Health Care”, three factors play a particularly important role in assessing these questions:

1. The amount you drink

Risky alcohol consumption is therefore present if

• Women more than daily 12 Gramm drink pure alcohol
• Men more than daily 24 Gramm drink pure alcohol.

In addition to the pure quantity, you should also check the following points:

• Do you drink well above the risky use threshold regularly, rather than occasionally?
• Do you drink alcohol above the binge drinking threshold more than once a month? Do you lose control of the amount you drink?

The foundation defines binge drinking as drinking 60 grams or more of pure alcohol at least once a month. That’s about three 0.5 liter bottles of beer, or a little more than three full-size 0.2 liter glasses of wine.

2. Die Intention

In order to assess whether consumption is problematic, you should also ask yourself the following questions: Do not drink primarily for pleasure, but rather

• to suppress worries and problems or
• to deal with stress?

3. The Consequences

According to the “Foundation for Health Care”, drinking behavior can also be problematic if the negative effects of alcohol consumption occur repeatedly, for example:

• Difficulties, arguments and problems in partnership or family, in friendships or with work colleagues and because of drinking habits
• limited ability to perform or neglect of important tasks, which can lead to problems at work
• Injuries or accidents caused by drinking alcohol, for example in a car
• Physical damage caused by alcohol consumption, such as cirrhosis of the liver

Further possible indications of a problem alcohol consumption with recurrence are present if you

• feel guilty about your drinking habits,
• can’t remember situations because you drank too much
• need alcohol in the morning to get going or
• if people close to you express concerns about your alcohol consumption.

Who to contact

If you have any indications of problematic alcohol consumption, or if you are unsure whether your own drinking behavior could be problematic, the Foundation recommends the following contact points in addition to your family doctor:

Personal advice

telefonic consultancy

online consultation