More than 79,000 deaths can be attributed to alcohol abuse each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Excessive alcohol use is now considered the third-leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United States, the centers add.

If you suspect that you are an alcoholic, there are steps you can take to avoid adding to these statistics.

The first step, of course, is admitting that you have a problem. There are several questions that you can ask yourself to determine this.

Have you ever told yourself that you need to cut down on your drinking? Have you ever been annoyed at other people who criticize the amount of alcohol you drink?

Do you ever feel guilty or bad about how much you’ve drunk? Have you ever resorted to drinking alcohol as soon as you get up in the morning as a way to soothe your nerves or chase away a hangover?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might suffer from alcohol abuse. You aren’t alone: Some estimate that about 5 percent of the U.S. population suffers from alcohol abuse.

It’s important to know that you can take the difficult but doable steps to become sober. Taking these steps won’t be easy, of course, but doing so might keep you from losing your family, your job and your life.

If you suspect you may suffer from alcohol abuse, be sure to contact your doctor. Your physician can help you lay the groundwork for a recovery plan.

The best way to recover from serious injuries is to not suffer them in the first place. That’s why injury prevention is such a key to living a healthy and enjoyable life.

Fortunately, injury prevention requires little more than common sense. There are several basic safety rules that you can follow to avoid suffering major injuries.

First, make sure your home itself is a safe environment. This means installing smoke detectors and then checking their batteries every month. It also means that if you do keep guns in your home, you must lock them and their ammunition in separate locations that are each out of the reach of your children.

There are several ways to prevent serious falls. First, make sure that the hallways and stairwells of your home are lit well. Also, remove or repair loose rugs, snarled electrical cords or loose toys. All of these could cause you to trip and tumble down the stairs.

Accidents can happen outside the home, too. To prevent injury while away from the house, make sure that you always buckle your seat belts while driving or riding in the car. And never drive after drinking any amount of alcohol.

When riding motorcycles or bicycles, make sure that you always wear a protective helmet. And when at work, be on the lookout for workplace hazards and follow all of your workplaces’ safety rules.

Injury prevention doesn’t take much effort. But those who do follow some simple steps can easily avoid the most serious of injuries. Not only will this save you stress, but it will also make life easier for your family.