Are You Dependent On Alcohol? Here Are Some Signs

As we approach the holiday season we come towards a time involved with a lot of celebrating and in turn, drinking. Alcohol in moderation is generally safe if of course, you are responsible with your drinking. For many people, they start to cross the line from responsible to irresponsible without them even taking much notice. Do you think you may have a problem with drinking? Let's take a look at some of the signs you may be dependent on alcohol. 

Once You Start, You Can't Stop

For many people, they will set a limit to their drinking provided the circumstances and environment. If they tell themselves, "just 2 glasses of wine tonight", they can responsibly do so. Do you set limits? How often do you surpass those limits? The number one indicator someone has a problem with their drinking is when they simply cannot control the amount they consume. I've been sober 5 years and I had countless experiences where I promised myself I was going to only drink a couple beers, I'd wake up the next morning asking myself what happened?

If you are having trouble stopping or controlling how much you partake in, then it may be time to just try to stop drinking altogether. When we lose control of our drinking completely is when things can get severely bad. 

You Are Drinking Alone or Hiding It

It's dangerous territory once you being drinking by yourself just because you are bored. Sure, it can help us relax and unwind after a tough day at work, but it begins a very unhealthy practice of drinking when you feel stressed, anxious or any other negative feeling. Perhaps you are at home with a spouse and don't want them to know you are having a couple drinks every night, we do that because we inherently know we should not be drinking to that extent. Hiding your drinking can be the start of a very ugly relationship with alcohol. 

Finding Reasons To Drink

As I mentioned before, people who are growing a dependency to alcohol usually first use it as a small crutch for any issues they may have in life. Either it's 'I had a hard day, let's have a drink' or it's 'what a great day I had, let's celebrate!' if you allow yourself to you can make an excuse to drink for any reason you could possibly imagine. This is an extremely common characteristic of someone struggling with drinking. 

Only Making Plans Centered Around Drinking

Do you find yourself only wanting to go out with friends/family if you are able to drink? Going out to a bar or restaurant presents a great time to just be able to unwind and drink but what about when your social circle wants to go hiking or an establishment that doesn't offer any type of alcoholic beverages at all? Do you cancel or dread going? 

What You Can Do

If any of these signs reign true to you, it's time to deeply reflect on if you believe you will be able to safely quit drinking for a period of time and see how it effects you. There is plenty of help for those suffering from alcohol abuse. You may need professional help in a rehab setting or maybe you just need individual therapy. The important thing is to address these issues because waiting too long can result in something irreversible happening in your life.