If you're at the bar and are four beers in, are you abusing alcohol? If you like to have a beer every night, are you drinking too much? What if you have a couple of beers after dinner?

These are all valid questions for those wondering whether their loved ones have an alcohol-related problem. If they have an issue, the first step to successful recovery is identifying the problem.

While every addict's situation is different, we always suggest following industry definitions of alcohol consumption and usage. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated in its 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that people should consume alcohol in moderation. Women should limit themselves to one drink per day and men should cap their drinking to two beverages.

When binge drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said that a pattern of alcohol consumption must exist that brings blood alcohol concentration levels to 0.08 g/dl. The NIAAA added that men will reach this threshold in five drinks while women will in four, but this pattern must take place within two hours of the initial drink.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention further broke down heavy drinking by stating it includes 15 or more drinks for men a week and eight or more drinks a week for women.

So, is your loved one suffering from excessive alcohol consumption? Our guidelines should help steer you to the correct answer. If you have an inclination they might be addicted to alcohol, it's important to call a professional.

For those dealing with alcohol addiction, call Fairwinds Treatment Center. Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism by using a Dual Diagnosis approach. In using this tactic, Dr. El-Yousef and his staff of full-time psychiatrists, nursing professionals and licensed therapists work to first diagnosis the underlying reason behind a person's disorder. Upon understanding the cause, they can then treat the condition and its symptoms.