Alcohol Intake – Don’t Overstep The Mark

Stories of how prolonged, constant and excessive drinking tell a very sad tale are commonplace. Alcoholism is rife throughout countries where governments allow alcohol to be purchased and consumed from a wide variety of licensed outlets.

A major reason behind dependence upon alcohol is that many do not initially realise just how highly addictive alcohol is. Before they know it regular, heavy drinking sessions have become an essential part of their daily life.

Don’t let alcohol consumption overtake you:

Even if you are not so far advanced that it is causing dependency, many are drinking too much for their own good on a far too regular basis.

It therefore stands to reason that if you are fond of a drink it pays to keep an eye on the amount of alcohol you are consuming. Failure to do so will lead you down the path of dependence upon alcohol and the many unwanted health and social problems this can bring.

Drinking too much – Signs to be wary of:

Here are 5 signs that it is wise to keep a regular check on:

Daily consumption:

While many drink on a daily basis this is really not recommended. Those who are doing so should make a big effort to cease daily drinking. If such a situation relates to you then make a big effort to reduce this by having a drink every other day, or better still every 3 days or longer.

It is also important to remember that if you do this, you should not try to drink the same quantity on ‘drinking days’ as you would have consumed in total on a daily basis.

Sensible limits:

It is unwise to drink to excess when you do have a drink. You should limit the amount you consume so that it leaves you feeling relaxed and in an amiable mood. Overdoing it will seem like a sensible thing to do at the time, but we all know this is not the case.

When you get into a session with regular drinking partners the alcohol will flow freely. Once you begin to feel the effects it is often the case that a ‘devil may care’ attitude takes over and the amount of drinks you consume will certainly not be totted up.

Too many of these heavy drinking sessions are not good for your health and are putting you on the road to dependence upon alcohol.

Mixing drinks:

Many will start on beer and then move to spirits, others may have a couple of glasses of wine and then turn to their tipple of choice. Mixing drinks is not a great idea.

While it is not necessarily the case that the alcohol content of mixing drinks will be any greater than if you stick to the same drink, there is a possibility it could be.

One example of where the alcohol content you are taking on board by mixing drinks rather than sticking to your tipple of choice is if you move on to cocktails.

By doing so there is a strong likelihood that the overall alcohol content will be higher because cocktails contain a number of different strength spirits.

Drinking at different times of the day:

Those who are prone to having a couple of drinks at lunchtime, then have a break before continuing alcohol consumption in the evening need to be mindful of the amount they are drinking.

This is because they will often not take into account the sum total of drinks consumed on a daily basis and are therefore not really aware of the exact amount of alcohol being consumed.

Hangover ‘cure’:

Regular, heavy drinking sessions can leave you feeling very shabby the next morning. Tiredness due to uneasy and often interrupted sleep go hand in hand with a general lethargy once you are up and about.

Some will begin to ‘solve’ this problem by having an early drink or two to put themselves ‘right’. This is not a wise move, and if it becomes a regular occurrence alcohol dependence will be your next port of call.

Keep it safe, keep it simple:

Millions of men and women the world over enjoy a drink. It helps relax and adds extra enjoyment to social gatherings, but moderation must be the byword.

It is extremely easy to allow the occasional drink to turn into something more regular and then find constant drinking is becoming your main companion.

If this happens you will find relationship problems escalating out of control, which in many cases make you turn to the bottle on an even more regular basis. Other things that need to be taken into consideration are financial hardship, health problems which can ruin a body, and an increased feeling of isolation.

Whether you know your drinking is a problem, you have the slightest inkling that drink is becoming more and more important as part of your daily routine, or you have tried to stop drinking but failed, it is extremely important to understand there is no shame whatsoever in seeking professional help.

The sooner you do this the easier it will be to understand why you are drinking, what the potential causes are, and learn some highly effective ways to either cut back drastically or leave alcohol alone altogether.