At first it was fun, then it was fun with problems, and now it’s all problems.
This description of the progressive nature of drinking says it all. If you are becoming dependent on alcohol, you’ve likely noticed the carefree days of yesterday are harder and harder to capture. Life seems more complex and issues with close relationships, work, finances, friends, and sometimes the law, keep building until one day, it all seems too much.
Perhaps your spouse or work colleague talks to you about your drinking, or you do or say something irrational while under the influence, and you finally admit the non-problem is now a problem. The denial you’ve felt and the fine job you’ve done hiding it melts away and you are left facing reality: you drink too much.
The truth is, alcohol dependency affects millions of people and even with the education available today, is still a mystery to many. How can one person walk away from half a glass of wine, while someone else stares in disbelief and says, “You’re not going to finish that?!”
Alcohol affects people in different ways, so it’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking we still have it under control, when secretly, we worry:
I only drink on weekends – I pace myself – my wife is the one with the problem – I never touch the hard stuff, just beer – I don’t drink during the day – I don’t always get drunk
Many people with drinking problems can go months without touching a drop, while others end each day with a drink before dinner and have no issue at all. If you find yourself discounting the role alcohol plays in your life’s mishaps, or rationalizing your behavior when drinking is involved, your relationship with alcohol may be developing into a serious problem – one that doesn’t get better as time goes on.
Not sure if you have a problem?
Why not keep track of your drinking patterns for a few weeks to see what you can learn. Write down the date, occasion (after work drinks with my husband, Emily’s birthday, watching the game,) type of alcohol (yes, beer and wine are alcohol, just as much as scotch and vodka,) the time of day and quantity consumed. Also note how you felt at the time you drank (mad at the babysitter for cancelling, upset at my boss, happy about my new son, fed up with my brother-in-law.) The measure you use is important to note: drinks poured in a bar tend to be smaller than those at home, for example. If you like over-sized wine glasses, then that drink measures more than a small one would. Write down whether or not you ate while drinking. Track the amount you spend on liquor, too.
After you’ve collected some data, you’ll be in a good position to evaluate whether or not you’re drinking too much. Check your intake against the recommended guidelines for daily consumption. If you drink more than recommended, or there is an unhealthy pattern in your drinking habits, then you should seriously consider cutting down. Your long term health – mental and physical, could be at risk.
If you recognize you have a dependency issue, congratulations, you’re on your way to dealing with it. It is extremely difficult to deal with it alone, so take some action: speak with your family doctor or other health professional, or seek out anyone you know who has addressed their own issue and stopped drinking. Consider calling the organization that puts out those public service announcements we rush to switch off while drinking in front of the television, or go online for other options.
Help is out there, but it’s up to you to get it. Your life could depend on it.