Exploring Your Relationship With Alcohol

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhere to StartUnderstanding the Risks of AlcoholTips for Changing Your Relationship With AlcoholSobriety SupportNext in Your Relationship With Alcohol GuideWhat to Know About Alcohol Use Disorder

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Where to Start

Understanding the Risks of Alcohol

Tips for Changing Your Relationship With Alcohol

Sobriety Support

Next in Your Relationship With Alcohol Guide

When was the last time you explored the role drinking plays in your life? If your answer is “I’m not sure,” it might be time to take a step back and reflect on whether or not you’re happy with your relationship with alcohol.

Being mindful of this relationship requires honesty and courage about how alcohol impacts your health, relationships, work, and other social obligations. It also requires kindness, compassion, and a willingness to reach out for help if you uncover any underlying issues.

At a GlanceIf you drink, there’s probably been a time when you’ve wondered about your relationship with alcohol. You may have wondered why you drink and whether the amount you consume would be considered healthy. The reality is that any amount of alcohol is associated with health risks, including an elevated risk of cancer.Drinking can also affect other areas of your life, including your relationships, work, social life, and well-being. That’s why it’s worth assessing your relationship with alcohol, understanding the risks, and taking steps to modify your drinking if you think there might be a problem (or if you feel like cutting back or quitting). With that in mind, here are some things to consider as you move forward on this journey.

At a Glance

If you drink, there’s probably been a time when you’ve wondered about your relationship with alcohol. You may have wondered why you drink and whether the amount you consume would be considered healthy. The reality is that any amount of alcohol is associated with health risks, including an elevated risk of cancer.Drinking can also affect other areas of your life, including your relationships, work, social life, and well-being. That’s why it’s worth assessing your relationship with alcohol, understanding the risks, and taking steps to modify your drinking if you think there might be a problem (or if you feel like cutting back or quitting). With that in mind, here are some things to consider as you move forward on this journey.

Sometimes, we have questions or concerns about our relationship with alcohol, but we’re not sure where to turn for answers or if a problem even exists. An excellent place to start, at least on your own, is with aquiz. Designed as a quick, at-home assessment, a quiz can help you evaluate if drinking is getting in the way of your happiness or other aspects of your life.

You can expect to answer questions about the number of times you drink alcohol in a week, if you’ve ever tried to quit drinking, how you deal with cravings, how you feel after drinking, and more. If the results indicate any issues, it might be time to ask yourself about the role alcohol plays in your life. Often, this journey begins with a better understanding ofalcohol use disorder.

This can includebinge drinking, which for males, is defined as consuming five or more standard-sized drinks during one drinking session, and females, four or more standard-sized drinks during one drinking session. If excess drinking continues to progress, you risk moving to severe alcohol use disorder, which can lead to alcohol dependence or alcoholism.

Health risks associated with alcohol use include:

That said, it’s important to note thatnot all problem drinkers are alcoholics. In general, someone who is a “problem drinker” doesn’t necessarily need medical treatment, intervention, or peer group support to quit. That’s why knowinghow much alcohol is too muchis critical. For men, moderate drinking is defined as consuming up to two drinks per day, and for women, it’s up to one drink per day.

If you have concerns about your relationship with alcohol, you might be wondering how to modify your drinking without stopping completely. One place to start is with your doctor, who can help you come up with a plan.

For some people, this could lead to exploring thesober curiousmovement. While not necessarily a direct path to quitting, being sober curious means you choose to think more consciously about the decision to drink rather than mindlessly consuming alcohol as part of the drinking culture.

Joining the sober curious movement or modifying drinking habits is a lot easier if you have the tools to do so. The good news is you can stillgo out with friends and socialize when you’re trying to cut back. To make things easier, especially at first, try to choose places that don’t serve alcohol. Once you start to feel comfortable in social situations without a drink in your hand, the next step is to prepare yourself for people’s reactions.

If drinking is now part of your past, there aresteps you can take to stay soberand avoid a relapse. Although ditching old routines such as drinks after work or get-togethers with alcohol is a step in the right direction, you also need to develop new habits. Now that you’re sober, it might be time to make new friends.

Building healthy relationships with people who don’t drink not only helps you steer clear of alcohol but also gives you an opportunity to expand your friendship base. Adopting an exercise program, joining a support group, or talking with a mental health professional are all excellent ways to stay sober.

Establishing new routines that don’t involve alcohol canlead to better physical, mental, and emotional health. Physical benefits such as improved sleep, better-looking skin, and a healthier weight are some of the first changes you may notice.

There’s also a good chance you’ll feel less anxious, depressed, or fatigued. Plus, thelonger you go without alcohol in your system, the more likely you’ll experience continued improvements to your health.

Takeaways

Taking an honest look at your relationship with alcohol is not easy, but for many of us, it is necessary. If unpacking all of this on your own is causing excess stress or anxiety, consider asking an expert for help.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and cancer.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking patterns and their definitions.Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 2018;39(1).National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on the body.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and cancer.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking patterns and their definitions.Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 2018;39(1).National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on the body.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and cancer.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking patterns and their definitions.Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 2018;39(1).National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on the body.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and cancer.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking patterns and their definitions.Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 2018;39(1).

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on the body.

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