People can make a lot of excuses. My friend doesn’t really drink that much. I don’t have a problem. She can quit any time she wants. But sometimes you reach a point where you can’t make excuses any longer — you have to get help.
Get help immediately — call 911 or another emergency service — if:
- Someone who has consumed alcohol is experiencing symptoms of alcohol poisoning like seizures, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness.
- Someone is having serious withdrawal symptoms like confusion and uncontrollable trembling. Severe withdrawal symptoms can lead to death in some cases.
- Someone has been drinking and is thinking or talking about suicide or violence toward others.
Talk to a health professional immediately if:
- Someone who has a history of heavy drinking is having symptoms of severe withdrawal but refuses to get treatment.
- Someone with an alcohol problem agrees to get evaluated for possible treatment. People who postpone an evaluation often don’t follow through with it unless you go immediately.
- Someone with an alcohol problem has a relapse of alcohol abuse or dependence.
Talk to a health professional (a family doctor, general practitioner, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or psychiatrist) if:
- Someone you care about has an alcohol abuse or dependence problem.
- Someone you care about is in denial about an alcohol problem.
- Someone you care about has blackouts after a drinking episode.
- Someone you care about drinks alcohol and takes certain medications that interact with alcohol.
- Someone you care about drinks alcohol and has poor health.
- Someone you care about is not able to fulfill daily responsibilities because of alcohol.
- Someone you care about shows signs of alcohol dependence.
- Someone you care about is being affected by another person’s drinking and they want help.
For most people, occasional drinking is not a problem. People with risk factors for alcohol abuse need to be more careful.