[Sharene] "Every family dinner revolves around alcohol ... a drink before dinner, some wine during the meal, an after-dinner drink ... It's all part of the ritual."

[Dylan] "All my buddies drank a lot ... every weekend. It's just what we did."

[Host] Alcohol is a part of many people's lives.

It can play a big role in traditions, celebrations, and relationships.

And not all drinking is dangerous.

But drinking too much ... for some people ... ... can put their health and happiness at risk.

Everyone reacts differently to different amounts and different types of alcohol ... and drinking patterns can change over time.

So it's not always easy to know what's healthy for you.

Some signs of unhealthy drinking include ... ... Feeling like you should cut down ... or ... feeling bad or guilty about drinking ... ... Continuing to drink even though you know your drinking is causing problems ... ... like relationship or work troubles ... doing things you later regret ... ... or having trouble remembering ... ... Feeling a strong desire ... or craving ... to drink ... ... Increasing the number of drinks you have because it's harder to feel the effects ... ... Sometimes drinking earlier in the day to help you get through the day ... ... Or lots of thinking about drinking throughout your day ... ... like watching the clock, waiting for 5 p.m. to start drinking ... ... or getting invited to a party and immediately starting to think about what you'll drink, ... where you'll get the alcohol, and what time you'll start pre-partying.

It can take some time to realize how much space drinking takes up in your life ... and how it's negatively or positively affecting your world.

Asking yourself questions about your drinking can help you think about the role of alcohol in your life now ... ... and the role you want it to play in the future.

If you have concerns about your drinking or you think you'd like some support ... ... talk to your doctor about the many different ways to get help.