Worried about your drinking? You are not alone. In fact, there are many of us who will find a reason to reach for an alcoholic drink but it’s important to keep the amount you drink under control. Drinking can easily become a habit which then turns into an addiction.
Cutting back not only reduces your risk of serious illnesses such as liver disease, mental health conditions and heart disease, you will see other benefits too. It can also benefit your mental well-being, improve your energy levels, help you sleep better and save you money.
Even small changes can make a big difference.
Knowing your units will help you stay in control of your drinking.
To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks:
14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.
You can work out how many units you consume by using Drinkaware’s Drinking Check Tool. Or use the scoring system below.
Answer the questions below and make a note of your score.
| Questions | Scoring system | ||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
|
Never |
Monthly or less |
2-4 times per month |
2-3 times per week |
4+ times per week |
| How many units of alcohol do you drink on a typical day when you are drinking?
|
0-2 |
3-4 |
5-6 |
7-9 |
10+ |
| How often do you consume six or more alcohol units on one occasion?
|
Never |
Less than monthly |
Monthly |
Weekly |
Daily or almost daily
|
Now add up your score and see your results below.
0-4 |
5-7 |
8-10 |
11-12 |
| No or low Risk Drinker | Increasing Risk Drinker | High Risk Drinker | Possible Dependent Drinker |
|
Well Done! You are a lower risk drinker and are less likely to develop alcohol related harms and problems Continue to drink responsibility within the recommended guidelines (see below) |
This level refers to anyone drinking over the recommended guidelines and who does not identify alcohol as problematic, however….
If you were to continue drinking at this level, then you are putting yourself at risk of developing alcohol related harms and medication conditions in the future. Read more, Safer Drinking Leaflet or the Cutting Down Advice. (Link or add safer drinking leaflet or the cutting down advice) |
This level refers to drinking over the recommended level and at a higher level than an increased risk drinker. You may also be more likely to experience alcohol related harms and medical conditions.
Unlike increased risk drinkers, high risk drinkers may require some extended brief and support advice from specialist services Click link to make referral A person may also benefit from mutual aid support, e.g. |
This level refers to drinking associated with moderate to severe levels of dependence on alcohol.
At this level of drinking, you are at an increased risk of alcohol related harms and medical conditions. You will require support from specialist services. Click link to make referral A person may also benefit from mutual aid support, e.g. |
Monitoring your drinking can help protect your health and save you money.
If you’re looking to make a change, here are some strategies that may help:
For more advice and guidance to help you cut back, see our Help Quit Alcohol Or Drugs resource, download our Drinks Diary, or visit the Drinkaware website.
If you want to reduce your drinking, cut back gradually, or stop altogether, Recovery Near You offers compassionate support tailored to your goals.
It may seem like recovering from addiction is an unachievable goal. But remember, everyone who has gone through recovery has felt like that. We are here to support you and help you put any problems you may have with alcohol behind you. We will support you to manage your drinking. We won’t try to force you to stop completely but we will help you to do this if you decide this is what you want, or if you want to do this at a later stage.
We offer:
When you reach out, our Single Point of Contact (SPOC) team will answer your questions, assess your needs, and help you access the most appropriate support. This could be advice to start with, or referral into the service.
For advice on alcohol reduction and support options, call us:
Or you can download our self referral form. Send your completed form to: bsmhft.recoverynearyou@nhs.net
Find out more about how we can help here
We’re here to help you make positive changes – one step at a time.