Do I Have a Drinking Problem?
By: Jennifer Lawal, LPC, NCC
While the majority of us drink to celebrate, socialize or even just to help us relax, drinking alcohol has been known to alter the mind in its simplest form–like feeling a bit buzzed or tipsy, to a more dangerous effects such as, alcohol intoxication resulting in alcohol poisoning, loss of consciousness or even blacking out.
For many of us in Chicago who like to relax with a drink in hand without specific reasons, or socialize with friends in Lakeview or Uptown at the end of a long work week, or to celebrate because you finally landed your dream job downtown with views of lake Michigan, or maybe because she said “yes!” it is important to keep in mind that the smallest quantity/dose of alcohol we consume often has an effect on both the body and the brain. The greater the quantity of alcohol, the greater the effects.
While most of us do not consider alcohol to be as dangerous of a substance compared to cocaine or even heroin; vastly because of its legal status, it is easy to consume it excessively without any inclination of the risk for dependency.
According to a new study which shows that “32 million Americans, nearly one in seven adults, have struggled with a serious alcohol problem in the last year alone. It gets worse if you look at numbers across people’s entire lives: In that case, nearly one-third has suffered an “alcohol-use disorder.” While that sound relatively low compared to the entire population, the truth is, like with everything else in life, when your drinking gets out of control, it can be bad for both your physical and mental health.
Related: Abuse vs. Addiction and alcohol
Okay! Wait a minute, no one is saying that drinking alcohol is itself a problem, like I mentioned–we consume alcohol for variety of reasons. However, drinking too much and letting your drinking get out of control can cause a range of consequences, and increase your risk for a variety of problems down the road.
So, the question is, how can I tell if my drinking is out of control? Or what are some signs I might have a drinking problem? The good news is that we have some answers and warning signs of a drinking problem–so that you are able to distinguish if your habits are “normal” behaviors or not and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments to protect yourself and your loved ones from struggling with alcoholism.
Below are 5 Signs Your Drinking Is Out of Control:
1. You Often Need More Than One or Two Drinks:
For most people who believe that the more I drink, the more “fun, outgoing” I become, alcohol can be use to promote “fun” behaviors over time. In addition, if you find yourself having difficulty or unable to stop after one drink, not because the bartender keeps asking “if you would like another drink,” but because just one drink is never enough, then there might be issues with controlling urges-which in turn can be a problem.
My point is…your drinking is out of control if you are unable to stop after one or two drinks. Look out for signs of problem if you find yourself craving a second, third or more drinks in a sitting or as time goes by or you need more alcohol to get to your desired effects (the fun you). While this is a big sign of pending alcohol problems, sometimes the best option is to say no to the first drink or maybe take a break from drinking altogether.
2. You Drink to Cope with Stress
Believe it or not, this is more common than you think. I think we have all been guilty of this “OMG, I’m so stressed out right now, I need a drink.” First, let me start by debunking that idea and going out and correcting that with a big NO. Given that alcohol is a depressant; meaning, its effects mimics a class of drugs usually known as depressants that inhibits the function of the central nervous system, alcohol tends to impair and slows both physical and psychological activity, which creates a sense of relief and relaxation.
There are signs of problem when you use alcohol to cope with stress or starts to associate the relaxation from drinking alcohol to a calming effect. Not that, when this occurs, there is a risk of increase use of alcohol as a coping mechanism–which can result in misuse, dependency, and/or addiction.
Since our problems are often still there even after one or two glasses of wine, instead of drinking, why not alleviate stress and other negative emotions using other stress reducing mechanisms such as physical activities, meditation, etc.–which is guaranteed to produce the same outcome but with much less negative side effects.
3. Lapse In Memory Each Time I Drink
True! We all forget simple details from time to time, however, if you are drinking to the point where you can’t remember events that took place prior or during the period of drinking, then this is definitely a sign that your drinking is getting out of control.
First, there is nothing healthy about having drinking episodes that result in blackouts or temporary amnesia, which is often induced by consuming large quantities of alcohol. Also, consuming alcohol that results in blacking out on a frequent basis can have adverse effects not just physically on the body, but changes the structures of the brain over time–hence resulting in memory loss and the onset of other neurological diseases. As mentioned, drink in moderation so you can remember how much fun you had last night.
4. You Are A Different Person After Your First, Second, Third…Drink.
We’ve all met that one or two persons whose behavior completely changes after a drink or two. Yes, you probably know one or two people who are different after a drink or maybe your own behavior changes after having more to drink. Alcohol can bring out a different side of us and since alcohol is meant to alter your perception and reality, it is easy to display behaviors that we are often times not proud of (when sober), or engages in behaviors that go against your better, sober judgment.
FACTs:Several studies have shown a link between binge drinking and aggressive, sometimes violent behavior. Alcohol can heighten how you respond to certain situations and exaggerate your response compared to when you are sober. It is important to note this trend and changes in behavior if they are occurring and especially if they occur frequently and result in conflicts with others.
5. My Friends And Family Are Concerned About My Drinking
Have you ever been told you might have a drinking problem or you should get help for your drinking? Well, you guessed it; your drinking is getting out of control and might indeed have a drinking problem. Often times, when we begin to spiral out of control, the first people to observed these changes are usually those closest to us. Also, it is usually those closest to us that are often impacted by changes in behavior and whether involving alcohol or some other substance, those closest to us have a more accurate, first hand versions of these changes.
More: Chicago addictions and recovery resource page
For example, having problems at home, work, or school, ignoring responsibilities, late for work, missing deadlines, or neglecting other responsibilities for the sake of drinking (or recovering from drinking) etc., are all signs your family and friends can tell your drinking is getting out of control. It is important to keep in mind that while we might be aware of some of these behaviors and actions, the fear of being judge or confronted might lead to other ineffective behaviors. Be Mindful!
If you find yourself at the brink of alcohol dependency or struggling with gaining control of your drinking habits, a therapist here will be able to help. Also, consider joining a support group such as Alcohol Anonymous or others that help with alcohol dependency and addiction.
