Checklist: 10 Signs That You Drink Too Much
Olga Lukinskaya
Most recently we wrote about alcohol addiction. - and that for women this problem is connected with social expectations and gender stereotypes. For most of us, it seems that alcoholism is not threatened by those who do not go into binges, do not get drunk before losing consciousness, and generally use only quality alcohol in an intelligent company. Nevertheless, the first phase of addiction is easily overlooked, and excessive doses can be harmful, even if there is no real addiction. We tried to figure out what to look for so that alcohol does not become a real problem.
1
You drink more than planned
A safe amount of alcohol is considered to be no more than fourteen units a week — about one and a half bottles of wine or five mugs of beer. In this case, not only the total amount of alcohol per week is important, but also its reasonable distribution - it is believed that binge drinking, when a person drinks four or five servings in a short time, also increases the risk of alcoholism, even if this happens only on weekends. If you regularly promise yourself not to drink more than a couple of glasses at a party, but you cannot keep your promise and stop in time, it's time to think. There are cards that help track the amount of alcohol consumed, but you can do it easier and download the appropriate application.
2
A hangover disrupts your plans
A hangover can be partly due to the characteristics of the body and the type of alcohol, but still its main cause is the amount of alcohol consumed. Of course, occasionally this happens to everyone, but if you wake up with a sore head in the middle of a week, cancel meetings, skip work, citing “poisoning” - you may be drinking too much. It’s not too late to give priority to your well-being in the mornings and high productivity. Missing out because of a hangover workout is just one example of the negative effects of alcohol on athletic performance.
3
You drink more than before
Even among those who drink too much alcohol, real addiction threatens only every tenth, that is, most people can stop suspecting a problem. One of the symptoms of alcohol use disorder (or "alcohol use disorder") is getting used to its effects, when you need to drink more and more to achieve the desired sensations. The ability to drink a lot, almost drunk, is an alarming sign, not a reason for boasting.
4
Your social life is mixed in alcohol
If you are not very interested to meet with non-drinkers, and before you go to a restaurant, you first consider how to do without a car to get a drink properly - it's time to change something in your habits. Try to fill the calendar of non-alcoholic entertainment in the company, such as joint runs, classes in ceramics or trips to the bath with friends. If the wine has become a daily tasty ritual, you can set yourself the task of finding a new favorite drink - even if you have to try a hundred varieties of tea, mineral water or kefir.
5
You hide alcohol or drink secretly
Drinking alcohol secretly from family and friends is a frequent symptom of the early phase of addiction. This happens when a person realizes that he is doing something that is not very good and does not want to upset his relatives - perhaps they have already expressed concern. If you are ashamed to admit that you want to drink, you probably feel that you are beginning to lose control over your habit - and she begins to control you. It makes sense, on the contrary, to confess problems to the family and ask them to help - for example, spend more time with you, watch TV shows together or walk.
6
You feel bad and look worse
In small quantities, alcohol can be beneficial - for example, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, but the only and most important condition for such prevention is moderation. If the amount drunk regularly rolls over, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, mood swings (alcohol is a well-known depressant). Dull skin and "crumpled" appearance may be associated with dehydration or a high load on the liver, which so far copes with it.
7
You are afraid that alcohol is not enough
You remember how much they stop selling alcohol at the nearest store, and hurry to get there in the last ten minutes - perhaps justifying yourself by going for bread. Conversely, you decide whether to finish a bottle of wine - and finish it up, because you know that you will buy more. If such reflections do not appear before the arrival of guests, when you need to calculate the amount of alcohol at all, but regularly - this is a sign that alcohol takes up too much space in your life.
8
You invent rituals
A glass of champagne "for appetite", a cocktail after work to relax, a wine that helps to tune in the right mood in front of your favorite movie - such rituals easily increase the amount of alcohol to too high. In addition, they can be a sign of trying to rationalize and justify its use. Problems with alcohol often begin with the habit of “washing down” stress - and stress is enough in our lives.
9
You are in all the photos with a glass
Last year, more than one hundred thousand people subscribed to the instagram of a young French woman who posted photos of meetings with friends, walking around the city and relaxing on the beach. A few months later, it turned out that this account, quite normal in appearance, was a campaign against excessive drinking, and each photo features a glass of rose wine, a cocktail or a bottle of beer. According to representatives of the AddictAid organization that launched the campaign, it is sometimes difficult to recognize alcohol abuse even among those closest to you - and the frequent appearance of alcoholic beverages in their online accounts can be a clue.
10
You practically don't drink water
Sometimes it is difficult to prefer wine to water - especially when you need to choose one of the drinks included in the fixed menu. But regular refusal of water can contribute to dehydration, especially when combined with alcohol - and alternating wine and water helps to drink less alcohol and stretch a glass for a longer time. Scientists have identified in mice a genetic mutation that made them choose wine instead of water - but no such changes were found in humans, and everyone can make a reasonable choice.
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