Many of us love the occasional drink – but when does a drinking habit become a drinking problem? Whilst there are guidelines that tell us how many units we should be drinking, the truth is that many of us have different tolerances. On top of this, alcohol may affect us in different ways. In order to know whether you’re drinking too much, here are 7 warning signs to look out for.
Alcohol is damaging your physical health
This is a clear sign that you’re drinking too much. Alcohol-related health problems can include anything from high blood pressure to liver disease. There may also be other physical problems such as impotence or IBS that may have stemmed from drinking. In such cases, giving up alcohol could be necessary to allow your body to recover.
You’re neglecting important responsibilities
If your drinking habit is causing you to neglect important responsibilities, this too could be a sign you’re drinking too much. This could include turning up to work late because you drinking the night before, forgetting to pick the kids up from school because you’ve been drinking or even failing to do basic tasks such as eating and cleaning because drinking takes priority. In other words, you shouldn’t be continuously getting into trouble because of your drinking habit.
You constantly embarrass yourself whilst under the influence
We all do embarrassing things when we have a few drinks, but if you constantly say and do things you regret when under the influence, it could be a sign that alcohol is having too much of a negative impact on your inhibitions and you need to cut down.
Friends and family have commented on how much you drink
It’s possible that friends and family may commented on how much you drink. This too could be something to take note of as it could mean they’ve noticed several negative effects as a result of your drinking habit. If multiple people have noticed it, it could also be more of a concern.
Once you start drinking, you can’t stop
Does every opportunity to drink turn into a heavy session? If so, this could also be a sign that you’re too addicted to alcohol and that you need to limit yourself. Most people are able to have a few drinks and stop. Even on a night out, you shouldn’t drink so much that you pass out, fall over or are sick.
You’ve tried to cut down, but you can’t
If you’ve tried to cut down in the past, but failed, this too could be a sign that you’re dependent on alcohol and are drinking too much. A lot of people fall off the wagon, but so long as you can get back on it shouldn’t be an issue. The problem comes when you constantly try to cut down but have no luck – in such cases, professional support may be needed.
Alcohol is making you broke
If all your money is going into alcohol, this too could be a good reason to cut down. Some people prioritize alcohol spending over things they actually need, which could be having a serious negative impact on your quality of life. Alcohol certainly shouldn’t be getting you into debts as it does with some people.
