Alcohol consumption is so normalized and even encouraged that it can be difficult for a person to notice when it is becoming a problem. If you’ve started to feel uncomfortable with your drinking habits, you’re doing the right thing by investigating.
Heavy drinking can seriously impact your health and happiness, and seeking support can put you on a path to a better life. Here, we reveal several key indicators of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol that you can use to gauge your own experience.
You Meet the PHE Standard for Heavy Drinking
The PHE defines heavy drinking as having more than 14 drinks in a single week. Though a generalization, this standard is a good starting point to identify a possible alcohol use disorder.
You Crave Alcohol Often and Find It Hard To Stop
Do you often feel an overwhelming urge to drink? Feeling the occasional craving for a drink is normal, but regular, powerful cravings can be a telling sign. Additionally, once you have one beverage, can you stop easily? If you find it difficult to stick to just one drink, then that’s something to note.
Drinking Affects Your Behavior and Health Noticeably
No amount of alcohol is good for you, but light consumption shouldn’t noticeably impact your physical or mental health in the long term. However, heavier drinking can undermine your happiness and make you feel physically unwell. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you might benefit from cutting back:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Blotchy skin
- High blood pressure
- Chronic inflammation
- Weight gain or loss
- Lowered immunity
- Stomach ulcers
- Internal bleeding
You Have Made Reckless Decisions While Under the Influence
Alcohol famously lowers inhibitions and critical thinking, putting drinkers at risk of making reckless choices the more they drink. The impact of blackout drunk episodes, for example, can be severe and life-altering. If you’ve ever made a decision like driving under the influence or engaging in a fight while drunk, that’s important to recognize.
You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms
Do you experience symptoms like anxiety, nausea, or shaking if you go without a drink for a while? These signal a physical dependence that could require professional help to overcome.
Your Loved Ones Have Said Something About It
If your friends or family have expressed concern about your drinking habits, don’t dismiss their observations. Loved ones can notice behaviors and tendencies that we might overlook ourselves.
Where To Seek Support
If you resonate with any of these indicators of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, you have thousands of resources available to you for help. In fact, you’re already on the right path by reading this blog. However, professional help is the best way to overcome an alcohol use disorder.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most famous example, and it can be tremendously helpful by keeping you accountable in a group of people who understand what you’re struggling with. If you need more intensive treatment, outpatient substance abuse programs are one of the types of outpatient treatments and can help you navigate withdrawal with medical support. Furthermore, there are many helplines, such as Drinkline, that you can call to get connected with valuable resources.
As a final note, remember that you are in control of your life, and alcohol dependency is something you can overcome. Release yourself from your judgment and use the resources available to you to pave the way for a healthier, more wholesome future.
