Signs of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol can vary, but here are a few red flags to look out for:

• Using alcohol to cope with stress or difficult emotions

• Trying to cut back on drinking but finding excuses to drink anyway

• Blacking out or forgetting what happened after drinking

• Drinking more than intended (e.g. going out for "a drink or two" and ordering 5+ drinks)

• Impaired sleep, focus, or social skills due to alcohol

Although these are strong signs of AUD, this should not be used to self-diagnose. If you believe you are experiencing AUD, please seek help from a professional.

There's a few reasons why, and they aren't related to tolerance. It actually comes down to biology.

• Metabolism: The enzyme ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) begins the process of breaking down alcohol in the stomach. Men have about 50% more ADH compared to women. This means that for men, they are not absorbing as much of the alcohol they consume into the bloodstream. This causes women to have a BAC ~7% higher than a man of the same weight under the same circumstances.

• Body Composition: Men typically have more muscle and less body fat compared to women. Muscle contains significantly more blood than fat, meaning alcohol is more diluted, leading to a lower BAC.

• Water Volume: Women's bodies are approximately 45-55% water, compared to 55-65% for men. The difference in volume further contributes to women experiencing a higher BAC than men.

The drink limits aren't random, they are based on how alcohol impacts the brain and body. This is why "tolerance" is not a factor in the limits. Although tolerance can impact your perception of how alcohol makes you feel, it does not reduce the risk of long-term health problems. The drink limits for a "binge" reflect the number of drinks it would take to impair judgment, coordination, reaction time, and memory. The drink limits for "heavy drinking" reflect the weekly number of drinks that start to cause serious damage to the body (especially the brain, liver, and heart).

Not necessarily! Although heavy drinking increases the risk of developing AUD and is frequently a sign of AUD but they aren't the same thing. AUD is based on patterns of behavior (loss of control, ignoring consequences, compulsive behaviors, etc.) rather than just the number of drinks consumed.