Based in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Gilbert Varela is the CEO and medical director of Sadler Healthcare, Inc., which he established in 2002 to provide residential services to people struggling with substance abuse. To support his career, Dr. Gilbert Varela belongs to the California Society of Addiction Medicine.
Drinking alcohol is a part of many people’s lives, and can be used for celebrations and socializing, among other functions. For this reason, it can be hard to identify when someone has a drinking problem. According to the National Institute of Health, a “healthy” level of drinking includes up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. This is called moderate drinking. Binge drinking, on the other hand, is marked by four or more drinks in a single session for women and five or more for men. Binge drinking is unhealthy and can be an indicator of alcoholism.
Perhaps more important than the number of drinks per day is the relationship one has with drinking. The biggest red flag is when one feels dependent on alcohol to get through their days. Other red flags that indicate a drinking problem include intense mood swings, thinking about drinking all the time, and the inability to stop drinking for a night.
If you feel that you or someone you love has a drinking problem, it is recommended that you see your primary care physician, who can check overall health and assess the severity of the alcohol dependency. This doctor can then refer a treatment plan.
