Drinking a lot of alcohol may seem unimportant until it becomes a difficult habit to shake off. Many people indulge in consuming alcoholic beverages because they enjoy doing so or because they want to fit in with social events where alcohol plays an active role in entertainment and having fun.
There is nothing wrong with consuming alcohol in moderation when the amount is correctly controlled. Still, if a person begins to drink more frequently in larger quantities, this moderated form of drinking can soon become excessive.
Developing a dependency on alcohol may lead to an addiction or alcoholism when cravings for consuming alcohol may become so intense it becomes almost impossible to endure when not drinking, an experience that is perhaps imminent even for those just trying to cut back on their daily intake.
Drinking Alcohol And Health Risks
Excessive alcohol consumption comes with elevated health risks. There is no shadow of doubt that the harm alcohol has on the body and mind may be detrimental. Because alcoholism is a relatively slow and gradual condition, many drinkers believe they are in full control of their actions or have any health issues because they feel no physical or psychological pain or discomfort.
Alcohol dependence can impact an individual’s health and may lead to liver disease, cardiovascular issues, mental health disorders, and increased risk of certain cancers.
Often, individuals who are dependent on alcohol recognise that their drinking habits can potentially lead to serious health problems, but, because of the nature of the addiction, they continue drinking too much regardless.
Reasons You Have An Urge To Drink
A person may turn to having a drink because they may fancy one and enjoy the stimulating effects alcohol has on one’s mood. This is perhaps comparative to sampling an appetizer, enjoying the taste, but when it has faded, accepting that it was a pleasant experience without further ado.
There are other reasons why someone desires to drink alcohol: feelings of grief, sudden shock, bad news, good news, a need to express oneself, and more. Initially, alcohol can help feel relaxed, destress from anxiety, and elevate animation. Celebrations and rejoicing double up with alcohol consumption for uplifting spirits and elevating happy emotions.
However, having a strong urge to drink often is a different matter. Some reasons may appear to warrant the urge for a drink. However, when a person develops alcohol dependency, there are no specific reasons, only an increased and intense drive for alcohol intake.
Cut Back On Drinking
If you consider you are drinking too much alcohol, you may want to cut down or quit drinking altogether. A mild dependency on alcohol may allow someone to stop drinking alcohol in the way they may have been doing and be able to recollect their thoughts and correct behaviours.
Thinking about a sober life without this substance may help some people give up alcohol altogether when they take into account the factors relating to the amount of alcohol consumed and not just the potential health issues.
Stop Drinking Can Save You Money
Alcohol is expensive. It is a substance that is heavily taxed and increases every year in the government’s new budget funding. An average bottle of wine from a supermarket may cost around £6.00, or a small bottle of vodka may cost somewhere in the region of £11.00.
Drinking regularly or daily can soon amount to a vast amount of money spent on alcohol over a month or more over a year. Finding money to fund the heavy drinking may also become a problem, especially where income is minimal, and could lead to pressurising friends and family members. There is also a risk that the severity of your drinking may lead to illicit activities to pay for your craving for alcohol.
Awareness Of Overcoming Alcoholism
It is important today to educate people on the importance of alcohol consumption and drink awareness. Without going into the alarming statistics of alcohol addiction; better addressed as alcohol use disorder, society today is putting more pressure on our lives, more people are suffering from mental health disorders and turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Being aware of the potential damage caused to health may help individuals pause and reconsider how to prevent or overcome alcohol addiction.
Alcohol has been around for centuries, its effects have never changed although today there are many more alcoholic drinks than ever before. Society has changed significantly, and we have to keep up if we want to succeed in life, as we are led to believe. These pressures can often lead to uncontrolled drinking patterns that, when highlighted, may warn individuals about removing alcohol from their daily routine.
Reasons For Craving A Drink
The urge to have an alcoholic drink may be occasional, as already pointed out. However, there are other reasons for craving alcohol. Many alcohol problems start with a routine drink. There may be no specific reason other than meeting friends, perhaps after work and chatting about the day spent. This is a generalised example where alcohol helps a person to relax and may become more open about work issues they may feel awkward within the workplace.
People who experience intense pressure in highly demanding jobs, such as doctors, nurses, pilots, teachers, and other professions, may be likely to turn to alcohol to help ease the excessive stress they experience.
Anyone may turn to alcohol if they feel stressed or overwhelmed, and people who drink for these reasons are typically referred to as high-functioning alcoholics. This colloquial term refers to people needing to drink alcohol as a means of coping with responsibilities and life’s challenges.
This does not necessarily mean a person is an alcoholic; it is a way of drinking that could potentially lead to developing alcoholism.
Can you talk about alcohol cravings?
Distinguishing the occasional drinker from the habitual drinker, regardless of occupation, level of stress or peer pressure, most people with a mild dependency can easily talk about the way they participate in drinking sessions and often dismiss it with laughter as a foolish activity.
People who have become physically dependent on alcohol often find that talking about their intense cravings is something to be avoided. Not accepting a problem can be a significant symptom of becoming addicted to alcohol.
You may need professional help for alcohol recovery if you find it difficult to talk about cutting back on your drinking or refuse to discuss with someone about helping you overcome alcohol addiction.
Benefits Of Trying To Stop Drinking
Let’s assume you have decided to stop drinking completely or have reduced your drinking. That would be marvellous.
The immediate benefits are numerous. Not only will you save money but also start to feel more alert, sleeping patterns may become more stable, headaches may decrease, and overall health will appear more stimulant. Tiredness, redness and puffiness in the face may lessen and skin colour becomes more vibrant.
The physical signs are noticeable but the mental issues are much more favoured by avoiding alcohol. Anxiety and depression may decrease, and there is a lesser chance of arguments or inappropriate behaviour. Relationships may reconnect and emotional balance may be restored.
Considering the benefits of wanting to give up alcohol is one of the best ways to focus, it may be difficult but not impossible.
Trying to overcome alcoholism alone may not be suitable for everyone depending on many factors and is not recommended for anyone who has moderate to severe alcohol dependency.
How To Cut Down Drinking Alcohol Safely
To stop drinking entirely is not always a good idea. If you find your drinking habit just needs a bit on your part to keep it more under control, you may consider taking a few measures.
However, for anyone struggling with alcohol dependency, there are other safer measures to follow to avoid serious health complications. Attempting to quit alcohol alone is not recommended in severe cases.
Individuals who may want to start drinking less or want to be in control of involving alcohol in their daily activities may want to consider some of the situations that apply to avoid drinking.
Environment
Nightclubs, bars, and public houses are geared up for people wanting to drink alcohol as entertainment and having fun. Young people love social gatherings and often use these places to experience new sensations, emotions, and physical contact.
People with alcohol levels above the recommended amount may engage inadvertently in activities they perhaps would not engage in otherwise or may find themselves caught up in illicit activities such as anti-social behaviour.
If you intend to quit drinking alcohol, it may be a good idea to refrain from visiting these venues or places where alcohol is prevalent to avoid the temptation. If you can stop drinking and take back control of your actions, there may be no harm in participating in such entertainment, knowing that you can stop drinking at any time.
Habits
Habits are hard to die. Habits generally develop over time, and regularly drinking alcohol is no exception. Gone are the days when habits were ignored and left to fester. There are many reasons why a habit may develop, which may incur investigating a person’s inner self to identify any underlying cause.
Primarily, if you are developing a noticeable habit or have already formed one, you may need to think about ways of breaking free. Think about your daily routine. Do you come home from work and pour yourself a drink? Do you stop off on the way home and meet the boys for a pint before going home? Do you park up at the convenience store every night to buy a bottle of wine because you deserve it? These habits can lead to excessive drinking. What may start as a bottle of wine on a Monday night, may become a bottle of wine every night of the week and double up on a Friday as the desire to drink becomes more intense.
Thinking about the ways to obtain alcohol can often help us to reflect on the habit it may be leading to.
Keep a drinking diary
Keeping a diary or journal on drinking habits is a great way of monitoring alcohol use. However, this idea may appear somewhat absurd to our generation today. Of course, a pen and paper is a thing of the past but it may still help. While most individuals search and surf the internet, download apps and get the information they need in a second or two, this may help observe alcohol use.
However, physically writing out a diary promotes mental and emotional thinking that is personalised and has meaning.
Referring to a written diary can be beneficial for comparing progress, seeing achievements, and rectifying problems.
Reach Out For Help To Quit Alcohol
If you find it difficult to overcome alcohol addiction and although you want to quit drinking, you find it impossible; then it is time to reach out for help.
Overcoming an alcohol addiction is not an easy task, and for those individuals who find themselves in this situation, they are less likely to reach out for help.
Anyone who has a mild tolerance to alcohol perhaps needs additional support to help them stop drinking altogether. This may be through a local GP, or health provider who can guide you through the options available for alcohol use and support.
People who have developed alcohol dependence may need a more thorough assessment to determine the treatment required. When an individual requires professional treatment, there are several options available that may be considered.
Prepare For Alcohol Detox
For anyone with a moderate to severe case of alcoholism, the most important part of recovery is the detox stage. This involves starving the patient from the substance they have habitually used and as a result, withdrawal symptoms may appear.
Withdrawal symptoms may vary from mild to severe, and each individual will have different experiences. Most clinics and rehab centres today conduct the detox process through a medically-assisted programme.
This allows highly qualified clinicians and medical experts to supervise the detox procedure, and in the event of any unpredictable withdrawal symptoms, they can intervene swiftly with prescribed medications or other interventions.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms can be mild or severe and, in some cases, even life-threatening.
If you are able to stop drinking and don’t seem to have any issues, that sounds great, so long as you can maintain a length of time of sobriety without the need for a drink. In other words, you may drink for a week and then decide to stop drinking completely. You may go another week without a drink but then feel compelled to drink again.
It’s not so much about the time in between, it is the urge to drink, the quantity and the frequency that matters.
Cravings for alcohol are the best symptom for realising if you are developing a tendency for alcohol consumption. They will not go away as long as you keep drinking.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment Options
Overcoming an alcohol addiction may incur specialised treatment. Finding the right treatment can seem overwhelming as there are so many different clinics, resources and centres listed that provide help for this disease.
Firstly, one may approach their local GP or health provider, who may make a referral through the NHS system or NHS Trust to provide specific care for patients considered eligible. This may involve extended waiting times, which, for a person consenting to alcohol treatment, may make them impatient and withdraw from seeking further help.
Secondly, numerous clinics and rehabilitation centres across the UK provide effective addiction treatments. These clinics have a wealth of knowledge and experience in dealing with multifaceted addiction treatments.
Most are private and sometimes not available on the NHS but may be cost-effective through private health insurance or by considering location and travel costs that could prove more expensive should a person live remotely travelling up and down for NHS treatment.
Either way, when alcohol misuse needs treatment, depending on the severity of the disease, there are options available to receive alcohol addiction treatment programmes.
Inpatient
Residential inpatient treatment is typically recommended for individuals who have a moderate to severe alcohol use disorder or have previously experienced withdrawal symptoms when stopping drinking.
Inpatient treatment consists of detox followed by counselling and therapies. Inpatient care is the safest way to treat withdrawal symptoms and oversee any unpredictable complications.
Outpatient
Outpatient treatment is more suited to individuals with a mild tolerance to alcohol who need support to cut back on drinking. Outpatient programmes allow an individual to continue participating in daily obligations without the need for hospitalization and are a more flexible way to receive treatment.
Alcohol Support To Prevent Relapse
Ongoing support and aftercare treatment are an absolute necessity to help prevent relapse and provide individuals with new coping strategies to manage symptoms and urges to drink. Individuals who lack the necessary follow-on support have a higher chance of relapse or find the challenges to maintain sobriety are too overwhelming.
Alcoholism Can Be Beaten
Alcohol use disorder is a disease that can be treated successfully depending on each person’s circumstances.
At PROMIS, we use evidence-based therapies and implement resources that work. We use dual diagnosis treatment to determine the possibility of any underlying mental health issue and aim to treat both conditions simultaneously.
We understand the challenges caused by heavy alcohol consumption and recognise that for many people, it may appear they are fighting a lost battle, but there is hope. It may take a lot of patience and understanding for a person to consent to receiving treatment but we believe that showing compassion and understanding of what an individual is going through are the best approaches to help someone who is struggling.
If you feel you need to reach out, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will offer our guidance and advice and answer any query or concern you may have. You may want to find out more about our facility, services, and treatment costs. You are welcome to call us at any time and we will endeavour to help you with any informed decisions.
