Alcohol Use Disorder: Helpful Tools from the National Institutes of Health.    

The thinking about problem drinking and alcoholism has changed. It is no longer considered a black and white, you have it or you don’t, issue.

As the most commonly used addictive substance, it’s no surprise that alcohol addiction is prevalent in our society. In the US, more than 17 million adults have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). There are many factors that can contribute to developing an AUD, including your occupation.

According to a recent study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an annual average of 8.7 percent of full-time workers aged 18 to 64 used alcohol heavily in the past month. Whether it’s on the job, during lunch break or before/after hours, alcohol abuse can cause major issues in the workplace, including:

As recently reported in NPR, the NIH describes that mild, moderate and severe problems exist and that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to getting help. To help solve the problem, NIH has launched and online Alcohol Treatment Navigator website that is very informative and offers various assistance forms and guides.

www.alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov

Looking for the right questions to ask? How to help a friend? Advise a troubled client? The site is easy to navigate.

The tool-kits offered on the site include online evaluations and surveys to determine if you or another suffers from alcohol use disorder (*Note -honesty is required for best results), data on symptoms and severity, and guidance on questions you may want to ask a counselor or therapist.

In lawyer terms: It’s a website that helps people explore all the “evidence based” options, which may be more appealing to the legal and young professional crowd.

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