Casual Drinking Becoming a Problem?

You’ve always enjoyed drinking booze, but lately, it seems to be more about escaping from stress, alone, than sipping vodka tonics with friends on a Friday night. If you think that you may be an alcoholic, or that it is assuming a larger presence in your life than you’d like, use this quick reference guide to determine if your casual drinking has become a problem?

7 Questions to Determine if You Have a Drinking Problem

1. Do you have some risk factors for developing a drinking problem?

• Family history of alcohol addiction

• Lots of friends who drink excessively

• Emotional health issues

• Being American Indian or Native Alaskan

• The presence of mental illness

2. Has your drinking been affecting your life in negative ways?

Have you canceled plans with friends because you are hungover, or perhaps because you wanted to drink alone? Have you skipped work or other obligations because you were feeling unwell because of drinking? You may have driven a car while being intoxicated, or have opened your eyes as the morning sun streams in through your bedroom window to see that you have burned a hole in your carpet with a cigarette?

The unfortunate truth is that problematic drinking inevitably causes problems in your life, and if you are acting in reckless ways because of drinking alcohol, it is likely that you have an addiction to alcohol.

3. Did I finish that bottle of wine already?

Alcoholics and others who have problems around drinking tend to, over time, require more alcohol to bring the same result of temporary euphoria, the same lessening of natural inhibitions.

Have you slowly but steadily been drinking more and more? If so, you should consider this as a sign that your drinking is becoming problematic.

4. I cannot believe that I did that

Your brother threw your sister a birthday party, and you had a good time! But then you talk to your sister, the morning after, and she asks if you are OK and mentions that you seemed to be very combative when speaking to your brother. A familiar sense of guilt and dread flows through your veins as you chastise yourself for drinking too much at the party. If you feel guilty or ashamed about drinking, it may be because you are drinking too much, and acting in a way that makes you uncomfortable. It is common for alcoholics or people who drink in a problematic way to experience these feelings.

5. What happens when you stop drinking?

If you stop drinking for a while, do you experience withdrawal symptoms, like depression, physical shaking, sweating, nausea, fatigue, irritability, and headaches? If so, your body is telling you that it craves more alcohol; that it is responding to your break from drinking by making you feel temporarily miserable.

6. Others think you drink too much

If your friends or family members have told you that you drink too much, or that perhaps that you seem angry when you drink alcohol, or that they’d rather not drink with you anymore, you should take heed, and thank them for being concerned about your health.

7. I only had two drinks

Really? Try to be honest with yourself about how much you drink. If you find that you tell your friends that you drank less than you did, you may be trying to avoid a discussion about your drinking problem.

If you are being honest with yourself and score at least 3 out of 7, then it's time to make a decision about continuing to drink or to stop drinking and get help.

Safe Haven Recovery is a boutique Florida Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center located in Miami, FL. We specialize in Suboxone Maintenance & Detox, along with, Couples Addiction Treatment. Call us today at 866-447-4650.

About the Author

Matthew Koenig is a freelance writer and principal of Last Call Marketing which devotes their efforts to Digital Marketing, SEO and Social Engagement. Concentrated in addiction recovery, Mr. Koenig is based out of South Florida. His sober date is June 10, 2013.

#Alcoholism #alcoholicanonymous