Many heavy drinkers need to stop drinking to get rid of their alcohol-related problems, but just as alcohol problems exist on a spectrum, so too do the solutions.
(PRWEB) February 03, 2016
January and February can be make-or-break months for New Year’s resolutions, particularly for people seeking to curtail their drinking habits. According to some studies, more than one in three people break their resolutions by the end of the first month. That’s why Checkup & Choices, the leading provider of digital tools to help people better understand and manage their drinking, is here to help people keep resolutions through its new website: http://www.checkupandchoices.com.
“Many heavy drinkers need to stop drinking to get rid of their alcohol-related problems, but just as alcohol problems exist on a spectrum, so too do the solutions,” said Checkup & Choices co-founder Dr. Reid Hester, a clinical psychologist and Fellow in the Addictions Division of the American Psychological Association. “We offer clinically-proven methods to make your resolutions around drinking moderation a reality, and it’s completely confidential.”
While severe alcohol use disorders (alcoholism in the old vernacular) have been declining in the United States, the prevalence of less severe problem drinking has increased significantly in recent years. According to a 2015 University of Washington study, heavy drinking among Americans increased more than 17 percent over a seven-year period. The increases were driven by a 36 percent spike in binge drinking among women.
Checkup & Choices can help address these trends by providing people with objective, nonjudgmental feedback about their drinking or drug use, and scientifically validated methods on how to stop or successfully moderate consumption.
Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for an average of 88,000 deaths each year, including 1 in 10 deaths among working-age Americans ages 20 to 64, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The consequences of alcohol use disorders don’t just take a toll on individuals, but on society as well, costing the United States an estimated $248 billion per year.
“Even those with less severe drinking problems are at increased risk for a number of adverse health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, and cancers,” Dr. Hester said. “With the tools available at Checkup & Choices and appropriate support, most heavy drinkers can successfully moderate their drinking in 2016, and beyond.”
The new Checkup & Choices site includes a checkup to help drinkers take an in-depth look at their drinking and get objective feedback; methods to cut back through proven moderate drinking techniques; and cognitive behavioral tools to help subscribers overcome alcohol and/or drug addictions and stay sober.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Dr. Reid Hester, a clinical psychologist and Director of the Research Division at Checkup & Choices is available to comment on a wide variety of alcohol and substance abuse disorders, including evidence-based moderation tools. Contact melanie(at)checkupandchoices(dot)com for more information.