What do you think about taking a look at your drinking habits and how they may affect your health?

Do you enjoy a drink now and then? Many of us do, often when socializing with friends and family. Drinking can be beneficial or harmful, depending on your age and health status, and, of course, how much you drink.

For anyone who drinks, this site offers valuable, research-based information. What do you think about taking a look at your drinking habits and how they may affect your health? Rethinking Drinking can help you get started.

Resources

Professional help

Your regular doctor

Primary care and mental health practitioners can provide effective alcoholism treatment by combining new medications with a series of brief counseling visits. See Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much.

Specialists in alcoholism

For specialty addiction treatment options, contact your doctor, health insurance company, local health department, or employee assistance program. In addition, these professional organizations can help you find medical or non-medical addiction specialists in your area:

Medical & Non-Medical Addiction Specialists

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
www.aaap.org 401-524-3076

American Psychological Association
800-964-2000 (ask for your state's referral number to find psychologists with addiction specialties)

American Society of Addiction Medicine
http://www.asam.org
301-656-3920 (ask for the phone number of your state's chapter for referrals)

NAADAC Substance Abuse Professionals
http://www.naadac.org
800-548-0497

National Association of Social Workers
http://www.helpstartshere.org (search for social workers with addiction specialties)

Treatment facility locator

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov
800-662-4357

Mutual-help groups

You may need to try out several groups before finding one that's comfortable for you.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
http://www.aa.org
212-870-3400 (or check your local phone directory under "Alcoholism")

Moderation Management
http://www.moderation.org
212-871-0974

Secular Organizations for Sobriety
http://www.secularsobriety.org
323-666-4295

SMART Recovery
http://www.smartrecovery.org
440-951-5357

Women for Sobriety
http://www.womenforsobriety.org
215-536-8026

Groups for family and friends

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org
888-425-2666 for meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.adultchildren.org
310-534-1815

Information resources

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
For information on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related problems from the lead U.S. research agency on alcohol and health http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
301-443-3860

National Institute on Drug Abuse
For information about other drug problems that often co-exist with alcohol problems
http://www.nida.nih.gov
301-443-1124

National Institute of Mental Health
For information on problems such as anxiety and depression that can co-exist with alcohol problems
http://www.nimh.nih.gov
866-615-6464