Are You a Social Alcoholic? What Are the Dangers & What You Can Do!
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As a social drinker you may be considered as a low-risk drinker. Not seen as being an alcoholic. You may find yourself becoming defensive when friends or family members show some concern in regards to your increased consumption of alcohol. After all, you are just enjoying a drink socially, there is nothing to worry about. Or, is there?
So what exactly does a social alcoholic mean & what are the problems associated with this?
Unfortunately, alcohol is still a very socially accepted part of group gatherings – whether that be special events such as birthdays, anniversaries, business, sporting events etc. OK, I am not going to deny that I enjoy the occasional drink of wine or two. But I believe that it has surpassed the enjoyment stage when you have become so accustomed to the taste and feel of alcohol that it leads onto the extra glass or two. To what is seen as quantities that seem to out of control.
Indications that you have moved from social drinker to a social alcoholic
The move from social drinking to drinking becoming a problem can occur over a short or long time. The person is often unaware of this progression. As social drinking moves toward addiction, the individual will use denial as a means to rationalize their increasingly dangerous behavior. It is only when they are forced into a position where they need to control their alcohol-use that their problem becomes more obvious. Even though the drinker may be unaware of their slide into alcohol abuse, there are warning signs. They will usually experience at least one of the following:
- DUI or other legal problem due to alcohol
- Continued alcohol use despite negative consequences
- Failure to meet responsibilities at home or in the workplace
- Alcohol-use is leading the individual into dangerous situations
- Drinking alcohol becomes a regular part of their life, no matter what time of day or the reason.
- Continually looking for fellow people to drink with
- Drinking begins to take over from eating regular meals
- Other negative habits begin creeping in or becoming worse such as smoking, taking drugs both illegal and pharmaceutical
- Signs of ill-health, such as a continual cough, unexplained weight gain, digestive and bowel problems, just to name a few.
Binge stage of bottles and let’s see how “tanked we can get”
The number of people who binge drink continues to increase each year. Even with research studies and information about the dangers of excessive drinking, alcohol is still frequently viewed as a fun pastime.
Although binge drinking is not formerly classed as alcoholism or alcohol dependency, it comes with the same risks and is known to be a “deadly” pastime.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol can affect you mentally, physically and emotionally. Not only can binge drinking hurt you, it can also take a toll on your family members and friends, destroying positive and loving relationships. For me personally, I do not see any pleasure, fun or enjoyment in getting tanked/smashed, whatever the term is called. I don’t like being “SICK” nor being vulnerable.
What happens?
In the short term, it creates vomiting, headaches, migraines and loss of bodily functions.
The forgotten memories of the prior events then days of getting your body back into somewhat of a normal state if you remain alcohol free. Now long term, for those of you who may be interested, it will lead to kidney and liver malfunction: Cancer, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Now, you may say to yourself, this is a long way off and the care factor is minimized to non-existent.
Digging a little deeper
Let’s have a look at the people in your life. What about your loved ones who have to stand by watching you destroy your life and deteriorate to a point where no one is able to help you?
What is a social alcoholic?
A social alcoholic is a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually. Drinking alcohol in excess that is going to be detrimental to your body and your body functions is drinking in excess of 3–6 alcoholic drinks over the period of a week. So, what can you do?
- Well the first step is to realize the habit that has accumulated.
- Then to begin to reduce your intake of alcohol, at home have no alcoholic beverages in the house.
- Replace alcoholic drinks either with water, freshly squeezed juices or Kombucha.
- Kombucha is a great way to replace alcoholic beverages as it also helps to regain healthy digestion that has been damaged through the excess alcohol consumption.
- When you go out begin with water, then say, a bitter lime or lemon. You may well find after this you don’t want anything else to drink.
- Don’t allow anyone to have influence over what or how much you drink. It is OK to say NO!
However, if you just have one glass of wine or beer, this may not be an option if you know that you are not going to be able to stop at this. Remember! What may give you a feeling of happiness and enlightenment short-term will undoubtedly have long-term, detrimental results, which are going to be devastating to you or your loved ones. You are the one who will do the suffering, whether it be cancer, dementia, and kidney disease. Financial crisis occurs because you are not able to work or function effectively. The only Person that can help you is YOU! Value who you are! Know that alcohol is NOT YOUR BEST FRIEND, BUT YOUR WORST ENEMY, when it takes over your life. You deserve better. Becoming aware is the first step to decreasing your drinking. It is quite common and I know personally that I have had so-called friends, trying to encourage me to have another drink, refilling my glass. ‘Learning to say NO is OK. You are not out to win the friendship of people who have no thought or care to your well-being. This is not fun and it is definitely not what true friendship is about. For me I didn’t like what came with it, the vomiting, the migraines and just that feeling of being out of it. Reading positive books, watching positive movies and engaging in positive activities all helps with building self-esteem
Safe limits for social drinking of alcohol
- Only drink occasionally, meaning less than twice a week and only 1–2 drinks.
- You do not need to drink alcohol to have a good time
- Never allow alcohol to cause problems or trouble in your life
- Don’t use alcohol as a tension or anxiety breaker
- Social activities aren’t all about alcohol and drinking
- Stick to the safety net of only 1–2 alcoholic drinks
If you are struggling with this, it may sound funny but I have written a book on “Why can’t I give up Smoking”. This is a book that will help you even if you aren’t a smoker, but are having difficulty eliminating negative habits that will cause you irreparable damage.
