Many Americans enjoy casual and social drinking. However, for some, this drinking turns into abuse. Alcohol abuse occurs when someone has a drinking problem, but not an addiction. Knowing the signs of this abuse can help in getting your drinking back on track…
Alcohol Abuse: Know the Signs
Abuse versus addiction
Understanding alcohol abuse means knowing how it’s different from alcoholism. With alcoholism, people experience a needto drink. If they don’t have a drink, they suffer from withdrawal symptoms due to their addiction to alcohol.
Alcohol abuse is similar to this, but without the addiction aspect. Someone who abuses alcohol may not experience withdrawal symptoms if they don’t drink. However, they can still experience cravings and a lack of control when drinking.
Signs of abuse
The signs of alcohol abuse can appear in many different ways. For example, binge drinking can be a signal of abuse. If someone is constantly binge drinking more and more, they could be dealing with alcohol abuse. This also tends to coincide with someone trying and failing to cut back on their drinking.
Abuse can also be seen in more less obvious waysas well. Increasing alcohol tolerance could be a sign that someone is drinking too much. Drinking even when it causes mental or physical problems is also a sign of abuse.
Getting back on track
Fortunately, there are several strategies to use when trying to control your drinking. Setting drinking limits can help with getting your drinking levels under control. Furthermore, it helps to drink slowly and keep a diary so you avoid the temptation of wanting to drink more than you should.
You can also look for outside support as well. Support groups are a good way to get advice from people who know exactly what you’re struggling with. These groups can help you learn new strategies as well as what might cause you to drink. A therapist can also help you with this as well.
It can be difficult to fight alcohol abuse. However, it’s certainly doable. Knowing the signs and how to work on them can help you get your drinking back to more healthy and tolerable levels.