Before You Stop Drinking on Your Own
Alcohol withdrawal is a serious condition that may quickly become life-threatening.1 If you have been drinking heavily and regularly, talk to a doctor before you stop rather than after.
MedlinePlus advises going to the emergency room or calling 911 if seizures, fever, severe confusion, hallucinations or irregular heartbeats occur, and contacting a provider right away if you think you might be in alcohol withdrawal, especially if you were drinking often and recently stopped.1
Sol is an outpatient program and does not provide detox. If withdrawal needs medical management, we will help you find that first and pick up your treatment afterwards.
Clinically reviewed by Tania Acevedo, MA, LPCC, Founder and Chief Clinical Officer
When Does Drinking Become a Disorder?
NIAAA describes alcohol use disorder as a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational or health consequences.2 It is graded by how many of eleven criteria someone meets: mild is two to three, moderate is four to five, severe is six or more.2 Sol treats it in Riverside through three substance use levels of care: High-Intensity IOP, IOP and OP.
Note what is not in that definition. Not a quantity, not a time of day, not whether you drink alone, and not whether anyone has said anything. The question is whether you can control it and whether it is costing you. Most women who eventually meet criteria spent years believing they did not qualify because they were still functioning.
Key Takeaways
- AUD is graded mild, moderate or severe by how many of eleven criteria are met.2
- NIAAA states that women start to have alcohol-related problems sooner and at lower drinking amounts than men.3
- For women, heavy drinking means four or more drinks on any day, or eight or more in a week.4
- Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening, so stopping heavy regular drinking is a medical question first.1
- Three medications are FDA-approved to help people stop or reduce drinking, alongside behavioral treatment.2
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The Numbers, for Women Specifically
NIAAA and CDC definitions. Women’s thresholds are lower than men’s, and that is physiological rather than moral.
| Term | For women |
|---|---|
| A standard drink | Any drink containing 0.6 fl oz, or 14 grams, of pure alcohol: roughly 12 oz of 5% beer, 5 oz of 12% wine, or a 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof spirits45 |
| Binge drinking | Four or more drinks in about two hours4 |
| Heavy drinking | Four or more on any day, or eight or more per week4 |
| Moderate drinking | One drink or less in a day6 |
The “in about two hours” part of the binge definition matters. So does the size of the pour: a large glass of wine at home is frequently two standard drinks, not one. If the nightly glass has become a habit, our guide on how to stop drinking wine every night starts with a gentle safety check.
Why the Same Amount Affects You More
NIAAA is direct about this: studies show that women start to have alcohol-related problems sooner and at lower drinking amounts than men.3
Part of the mechanism is straightforward. NIAAA explains that women on average weigh less than men, and that alcohol resides predominantly in body water, of which women have proportionally less. So after a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount, the woman’s blood alcohol concentration will tend to be higher, putting her at greater risk of harm.3
That is not an argument that women are fragile. It is an argument that the standard advice about what counts as a lot was not written for her body.
What Alcohol Does to Women’s Health
NIAAA reports several risks that fall harder on women: women who regularly misuse alcohol are more likely than men drinking the same amount to develop alcohol-associated hepatitis, a potentially fatal liver condition; women are more susceptible to alcohol-related heart disease even though they may consume less alcohol over a lifetime; and research suggests alcohol misuse produces brain damage more quickly in women than in men.3
On breast cancer, the US Surgeon General’s 2025 advisory puts the risk in absolute terms, which makes it easier to understand. The lifetime absolute risk of breast cancer is approximately 11.3%, about 11 in 100, for women who consume less than one drink per week, compared with 13.1% for those who consume one drink a day and 15.3% for two.7
Those are real increases. They can look smaller than the percentages often reported, because absolute risk shows the change in plain numbers you can weigh for yourself.
On trends, NIAAA states that alcohol use and misuse among women are increasing, and that women have had larger increases than men in alcohol-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths over the past twenty years.3 CDC data shows deaths from excessive alcohol use among females rose about 35% between 2016 and 2021, a larger increase than the roughly 27% among males.8
What the Drinking Is Doing for You
Almost nobody drinks problematically for no reason. For a large share of the women here, alcohol was managing something: anxiety that would not settle, a trauma history, depression, or simply a year that asked more of her than anyone should have to carry.
NIAAA reports that the prevalence of anxiety, depression and other psychiatric disorders is much higher among people with AUD than in the general population, and that among people treated for anxiety disorders, the prevalence of AUD ranges from 20% to 40%.9
Sol treats both at once, so you do not have to go elsewhere for the other half. Caring for the reason behind the drinking is part of the work.
Read about dual diagnosis, anxiety or PTSD.
What Treatment Involves
NIAAA describes behavioral treatments, delivered by licensed therapists, as aimed at changing drinking behavior, and names cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches, couples and family counseling, and twelve-step facilitation among the options with evidence behind them.210
On medication, three are currently FDA-approved to help people stop or reduce drinking and prevent a return to drinking: naltrexone, in oral and long-acting injectable forms, acamprosate, and disulfiram.2 Medication management at Sol covers co-occurring mental health conditions. If one of these AUD medications could help, it is coordinated with your own prescriber.
Worth saying: NIAAA notes that about half of people with AUD have some withdrawal symptoms when they stop, and only a small proportion need intensive detox.11 So the honest answer to “will I need detox” is that it depends on your drinking history, and it is assessed rather than assumed.
See our therapy approaches.
How Much Treatment
Typically suits
What the week holds
Read more
High-Intensity IOPMost intensive substance use level
Typically suits
The first weeks, or straight after detox elsewhere
What the week holds
Sol’s most intensive substance use level, with days structured like PHP: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Read more
IOPIntensive outpatient
Typically suits
The common fit: real treatment alongside work or family
What the week holds
Three days a week, you choose which three, counseling plus group
Read more
OPOutpatient
Typically suits
Protecting a recovery that is holding
What the week holds
Ongoing support and relapse prevention
Read more
If home is part of what makes stopping hard, our supportive housing affiliate has an all-female home about ten minutes from our treatment center. It is run by a separate organization, and admissions can tell you more.
Starting Treatment
1
Call or Send Your Insurance Details
Admissions answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2
Assessment
A clinician looks at how much and how long you have been drinking, and whether withdrawal needs medical management first.
3
Verify Your Insurance
We contact your plan confidentially and explain what we learn.
4
Start Date
Set around what your week can hold.
Be honest about the amount on that first call. It is the number that determines whether detox comes first, and understating it helps nobody.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
“I am still functioning” and “I have a problem with alcohol” are not opposites, and most women here were both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our admissions line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (951) 972-5085.
How Much Is Too Much for a Woman?
NIAAA defines heavy drinking for women as four or more drinks on any day or eight or more per week, and binge drinking as four or more in about two hours. Those thresholds are lower than for men because of body size and body water, not judgment.
Is It Dangerous to Stop Drinking Suddenly?
It can be. Alcohol withdrawal is a serious condition that may quickly become life-threatening. If you have been drinking heavily and regularly, speak to a doctor before stopping. Seizures, fever, severe confusion, hallucinations or irregular heartbeats need emergency care.
Will I Need Detox Before I Can Start Here?
Possibly. NIAAA notes about half of people with AUD have some withdrawal symptoms when they stop, and a small proportion need intensive detox. It is assessed rather than assumed, and if you need it we will help you arrange it elsewhere first.
Why Does the Same Amount Affect Me More Than My Husband?
NIAAA explains that women tend to weigh less and have proportionally less body water, and alcohol resides mainly in body water. So the same amount produces a higher blood alcohol concentration in a woman of the same weight, and greater risk of harm.
Are There Medications That Help?
Yes. Three are FDA-approved to help people stop or reduce drinking: naltrexone in oral and injectable forms, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Medication management at Sol covers co-occurring mental health conditions; AUD medications are coordinated with your own prescriber.
I Drink to Manage Anxiety. Will Treatment Make That Worse?
That is exactly what the program is built for. NIAAA reports AUD prevalence of 20% to 40% among people treated for anxiety disorders. Both get treated here in one plan rather than you being asked to resolve the drinking first.
Does One Drink a Day Really Raise My Breast Cancer Risk?
There is an increase, and it is worth seeing in absolute terms. The Surgeon General’s advisory puts lifetime breast cancer risk at about 11.3% for women drinking less than one drink a week, 13.1% at one drink a day, and 15.3% at two.
Does Insurance Cover Alcohol Treatment?
Every plan is different, so the quickest way to know is to verify your insurance. Sol accepts most major insurance plans, and benefits are confirmed individually before admission. Sol can often work with HMO policies through a single case agreement. Sol does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, Molina, IEHP, Kaiser, TRICARE or TriWest.
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The Amount That Is a Problem for You Is Lower Than You Were Told
That is physiology, not a failing. If the drinking has stopped being a choice, a conversation with admissions is the least dramatic possible first step.
4175 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Confidential, and nobody is going to ask you to promise anything on the phone.
Sources11
- 1.MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Alcohol withdrawal. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000764.htm
- 2.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder
- 3.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Women and Alcohol, updated December 2025. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol
- 4.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Understanding Alcohol Drinking Patterns. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-drinking-patterns
- 5.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Standard Drink Sizes. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/standard-drink-sizes/index.html
- 6.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Moderate Alcohol Use. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about-alcohol-use/moderate-alcohol-use.html
- 7.US Department of Health and Human Services. Alcohol and Cancer Risk: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory, January 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/oash-alcohol-cancer-risk.pdf
- 8.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use, United States, 2016-2021. MMWR 2024;73(8). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7308a1.htm
- 9.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Mental Health Issues: Alcohol Use Disorder and Common Co-occurring Conditions. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/mental-health-issues-alcohol-use-disorder-and-common-co-occurring-conditions
- 10.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Recommend Evidence-Based Treatment: Know the Options. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/recommend-evidence-based-treatment-know-options
- 11.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol Use Disorder: From Risk to Diagnosis to Recovery. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/alcohol-use-disorder-risk-diagnosis-recovery
Medical Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Alcohol use disorder can only be diagnosed by a qualified clinician, and no one should use this page to decide whether it is safe to stop drinking. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening and is a medical question. Sol Women’s Treatment is certified by DHCS for outpatient and intensive outpatient services (330246AP) and licensed by CDSS (facility 331881576), and does not provide detox, inpatient or residential care. No two women respond identically and nothing here promises a result. In a medical emergency call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.