Examining Your Relationship With Alcohol: 10 Signs It’s Time to Stop Drinking

Examining Your Relationship With Alcohol: 10 Signs It’s Time to Stop Drinking

Published July 2021

Alcohol abuse is a severe problem in the United States and worldwide. The drinking culture in America has normalized binge drinking to the point where casual or “responsible” drinkers do not consider themselves having a problem. Since there are many different levels of alcohol abuse, determining whether a drinking problem exists can be difficult. Alcohol abuse causes significant health problems, and it’s still a leading cause of death in the US and most other countries worldwide.

Have you ever tried to go a week without drinking? Ever wonder what it would be like to cut out alcohol for good? Have you been embarrassed or felt ashamed of your drinking habits? There are many reasons why someone might need to evaluate their relationship with alcohol, including loss of control over intake, building tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, time spent drinking, or problems it causes in their lives.

What begins as a hobby can quickly become an excessive use of a substance that affects every aspect of our lives. Whether you’re sleeping in late, staying out late, or drinking alone at odd hours of the day, it doesn’t matter how you get your alcohol fix — it will always impact your life in some way—part of being able to recognize when you need help in identifying the signs. There are three main types of alcohol abuse — chronic, continuous, and occasional use.

10 Signs it’s Time to Quit Drinking Alcohol

1. Your loved ones are concerned about your frequent consumption.

2. Conflict is a constant reoccurrence with friends, family members, strangers, and co-workers

3. You’ve broken the law under the influence. 

4. You’re unable to be a productive member of society, have trouble focusing at work, and following through on your responsibilities,

5. You’re experiencing health issues and a decline in appearance. 

6. You’re missing out on important events due to being hungover or prioritizing drinking over your friends and family. 

7. You’re relationships are suffering, and you’re having trouble resolving issues within interpersonal commitments. 

8. You don’t enjoy the effects of alcohol but conform to peer pressure.

9. You lie about your alcohol use.

10. You consistently make poor decisions while under the influence of alcohol.