AMITA Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on Apr. 9.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all that stress, anxiety and uncertainty we were experiencing drove many of us to a familiar "medicine." Alcohol sales went up in 2020.1 Alcohol consumption increased by 14% in 2020, with women in particular upping their intake by 41%. In addition, drinking frequency went up 14% overall (17% among women).2
There is no shame at all if you were one of the millions of Americans who coped with COVID-19 in this way. But as vaccinations ramp up and the world begins to open up again, this might be a great time to take stock of your drinking habits and, if necessary, bring them back to pre-pandemic levels. This April, observe Alcohol Awareness Month and National Alcohol Screening Day (April 7) by taking a moment to ask yourself three questions:
How Often Do You Drink Throughout the Week?
Federal guidelines recommend limiting your alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men. So if that glass of wine has shifted from a weekend thing to a daily thing, that alone might not be cause for concern.
Pay more attention to your drinking behaviors. Do you tell lies about your drinking? Do you ever miss commitments or experience hangovers? On their own, these subtle changes in behavior are cause for concern. Over time, these changes can become more drastic (e.g., drinking in the morning, avoiding people who might question your drinking, drinking as an escape or a sleep aid or a way to relieve negative moods) and may cause significant problems in multiple areas of life.
What to Do
Try this experiment that I've found to be effective with many of my clients (particularly those who insist they "don't have a problem"): set a goal to limit the number of drinks you have and how often you drink. For example, if you typically drink daily, set a goal to drink every other day. If you usually have four drinks, limit yourself to two. Alternatively, you can attempt to go without drinking for a set period of time.
How do you feel without the alcohol? How difficult was it for you? What did you think about? Did anyone notice a change in your demeanor or behaviors?
How Often Do You Drink More Than You Intend?
What is acceptable really boils down to at what point one's drinking begins to interfere with one or more aspects of life. So rather than think of it purely in terms of how many drinks, ask yourself:
- Has anyone ever expressed concern that I drink too much?
- Have you asked yourself if you drink too much?
- Do bad things happen to you when you drink or after drinking?
Before you drink, write down how many drinks and what types of alcohol you intend to drink. The next day, go back and reflect on whether you were able to meet your commitment.
If you were not able to stay within your limit, ask yourself what got in the way. If you cannot answer that question, ask someone you trust what they think about it. Chances are good that if you often drink more than intended, a trusted friend or family member will have something to offer to the conversation.
If you believe that you may be drinking too much or too often, try the goal-setting exercise described above to keep yourself within the recommended limit (no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women). If you're having trouble staying within that limit, you may want to consider seeking professional assistance for quitting altogether.
How Frequently Do You Binge Drink?
Binge drinking is generally considered to be five or more drinks in one sitting for men and four or more for women at least one day in the past month. What you drink may be as impactful as how many you drink.
What to Do
Take it seriously. Binge drinking can be very dangerous, and even fatal. If you engage in binge drinking, it could potentially lead to a variety of health conditions, including addiction, or even death. Also, check the label. Most people don't pay attention to the alcohol content of the drinks they are consuming. One 12-ounce beer, one 5-ounce glass of most wines and a 1.5-ounce shot of many hard liquors have roughly the same amount of alcohol in them.3 Consider this before you drink.
Original source can be found here.
Source: AMITA Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital
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