Learn from alcohol addiction treatment experts the signs you’re your partying has gone beyond social drinking and is becoming a drinking problem.
Everyone likes to relax and unwind with friends every now and then. Enjoying an evening out with people you care about is generally a positive thing. However, many people mix social gatherings with alcohol. For some, “partying” goes too far, point out the alcohol addiction treatment experts at Serenity at Summit.
Binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although many people associate binge drinking with teens or college students, it happens across all age groups.
- One in six adults binge drinks four times a month.
- Binge drinkers 65 and older report bingeing on alcohol five to six times a month on average.
- 92 percent of adults who binge drink have done it within the past 30 days.
- 70 percent of binge drinkers are 26 years old or above.
- More than half of all the alcohol consumed in the U.S. is in the form of binge drinking.
So how do you know when your social drinking has gotten out of hand? How do you know when your nights out are really binge drinking? Here are six signs to watch for.
You Become Unusually Uninhibited
When your behavior gets out of control, and you engage in high-risk situations, this could be a sign that your drinking is excessive. Not only can bingeing on alcohol adversely affect your health over time, it can result in bad judgment that endangers your safety and even your life.
You Ignore Responsibilities
When people begin drinking excessively, they often find they need to make excuses for poor performance at work, failings in their personal relationships, and missed appointments or other commitments. If you find that you’re suddenly getting bad performance reviews at work, or that you’re forgetting to attend children’s events at school or sports practices, you might be addicted to alcohol.
Friends and Family Members Are Worried
The people who love and care about you are often in a better place than you to assess your behavior. This is because it’s human nature to deny when we have a serious problem. If your spouse, siblings, co-workers, or close friends tell you they’ve seen a change in you — and not for the better — it’s time to take a hard look at your alcohol drinking patterns.
Contact Serenity at Summit Today
Binge drinking is a serious problem that increases a person’s risk of long-term health problems. If you suspect that you or a loved one has an alcohol abuse disorder and that their drinking has crossed the line, Serenity at Summit can help. Our behavioral health and addiction experts provide both inpatient and outpatient programs, as well as medical detox, specifically designed to help you or your loved one overcome a drinking/alcohol addiction problem. Our alcohol and substance abuse counselors are available at (866) 824-0483 to speak about a treatment plan designed to help you achieve lasting sobriety.
