April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and you can honor the month by learning the best guidance on what counts as one drink. A can of beer or a single shot count as a drink. A standard bottle of wine holds about five drinks total.

The best health guidelines suggest men should limit intake to two or fewer drinks per day, and women to one or fewer. “Heavy drinking” – and all its negative health implications – are defined as four or more drinks a day for men and three or more drinks a day for women.

Everyone who chooses to drink socially also needs to recognize the signs of a problem, both in themselves and in their friends and family. Here are some signs you should consider getting help:

• You sometimes end up drinking more than you intended.
• You keep drinking even though it sometimes makes you depressed or anxious.
• You have to drink much more than you used to in order to get the effect you want.
• You want to cut down or stop drinking, but you can’t.
• You’ve noticed drinking is getting in the way of taking care of your schoolwork or your family, or is even stopping you from doing other activities you enjoy.
• Your drinking is causing problems in your friend group or family.

Free, confidential mental health counseling is available! Visit lcc.edu/counseling or call 517-483-1924.