There can often be a thin line between enjoying a drink and not being able to stop enjoying it. Drinking is commonly associated with many activities, including dating, sporting events, and dancing events. Drinking problems can slip from alcohol use to abuse. Alcohol abusers can set limits for themselves and their drinking, unlike alcoholics, but their drinking is still dangerous.
Understanding the warning signals for alcoholism will help you know when to cut back or even stop drinking altogether. Keep reading to learn about the most common signs of alcohol abuse.
Neglecting Responsibilities
Being a responsible adult means making sacrifices and doing the things you have to do before the things you want to do. If you have missed a responsibility at work, school, or home while you were drinking, that is a bad sign. When you are too hungover to participate in necessary activities, that is another bad sign. Look for a drop in work performance, failing classes, or putting off work around the house.
Drinking in Dangerous Situations
Drinking alcohol when you are in a safe environment is perfectly normal. However, drinking when you know you have to drive or work using heavy machinery is not responsible, dangerous, and illegal. Mixing alcohol and medication could damage your body in irreparable ways.
Legal Problems Due to Drinking
One isolated experience with the law while drinking is already cause for concern. If you have had more than one legal issue while drinking, you may have a problem. Legal troubles will end up being more and more costly while preventing you from doing what you need to do, including maintaining your license and keeping a job.
Drinking Despite it Causing Relationship Issues
Arguing with your family about being drunk or hungover regularly is a warning signal for alcoholism. Going out with your friends to drink when you know it will bother your partner means you made drinking more important than that significant person.
Using Drinking to Relax
There are many healthy ways to relieve stress. Getting into the habit of using alcohol to calm yourself down creates a physical and emotional dependency on drinking to relax you. Having a drink in stressful times is not a healthy choice.
Be on the lookout for these signals as warning signs that drinking may have become too important for you recently. Taking a break or slowing down is always an option. If you find it challenging to slow down or take a break, your problem is more severe than you may know. Sober living facilities like Harmony Haus Sober Living provide a safe place to live in a clean environment that supports your recovery. Our home is a haven for men looking for structure while they recover.
Give the team at Harmony Haus Sober Living a call today at (512) 387-2978to schedule a tour or hear about our options for men in recovery.
