Alcohol Use Disorder: Practical Guide to Signs, Treatment, and Safety

If alcohol feels like it’s running your life—or you worry it’s getting out of hand—this page gives short, useful steps you can actually use. You’ll find clear signs of alcohol use disorder (AUD), treatment options you can ask your doctor about, and simple safety tips for the tricky moments.

Signs and when to seek help

AUD is more than drinking too often. Look for these concrete signs: wanting to cut down but not managing it, spending lots of time drinking or recovering, craving alcohol, failing at work or home because of drinking, and continuing to drink despite problems. Tools doctors use include the CAGE questions and AUDIT-C screening—both quick and practical.

Watch for dangerous red flags: severe shaking, confusion, fast heartbeat, fever, hallucinations, or seizures after stopping alcohol. Those can mean serious withdrawal like delirium tremens. If that happens, call emergency services or go to an ER—withdrawal can be life-threatening but is treatable with medical care.

Treatment options and safety tips

Treatment can be medical, behavioral, or both. Medications that help include naltrexone (reduces craving and reward), acamprosate (helps with long-term abstinence), and disulfiram (causes unpleasant reactions if you drink). These are prescribed by a clinician and work best alongside counseling.

Therapies you’ll hear about are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mutual-support groups like AA or SMART Recovery. If you need supervised detox, a medical detox program or hospital can manage withdrawal safely—especially if you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time.

Here are quick, practical safety tips:

• If you’re a heavy drinker, don’t stop suddenly at home without medical advice—withdrawal can be dangerous.
• Never mix alcohol with opioids, benzodiazepines, or other sedatives—this can cause breathing to stop.
• Tell your doctor about alcohol when starting meds like metformin, antidepressants, or blood pressure drugs—some interactions are risky.
• Try small harm-reduction steps: set drink limits, alternate drinks with water, avoid drinking alone, and remove alcohol from easy reach.

Getting help is a step-by-step deal. Start by talking with your primary care provider, who can screen you, discuss medication, and refer you to counseling or detox if needed. If you don’t feel ready for full quit, harm-reduction plans and brief counseling can still lower risk and build momentum.

If you’re worried about safety right now—confusion, chest pain, severe withdrawal, or trouble breathing—seek emergency care. For daytime help, local addiction services, community health centers, and many clinics offer same-week appointments. You don’t need to fix everything at once; small, steady changes add up fast.