When Alcohol Takes Control

It’s Friday night.  You meet your friends out for a drink at your favorite brewery.  One drink quickly turns into two, three, and on.  Before you know it you’re plastered.  You wake up the next morning to a raging headache and a text from one of your friends who is clearly upset about something you said to them last night.  You can’t even remember what you said to them or how you got home.  You can’t believe this happened again.

Sound familiar?  If it does, you may have an alcohol use issue.  But what determines an alcohol use issue?  As of 2013, the mental health community no longer recognizes the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.  Rather, alcohol use is determined either to be disordered or non-problematic.  Alcohol use that is determined to be disordered is rated on a spectrum from mildly unhealthy to severely unhealthy use.

What symptoms constitute an alcohol use disorder?  The most common symptoms include tolerance to alcohol, withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not in use, cravings for alcohol, issues within relationships because of alcohol use, issues controlling the amount of alcohol used, legal or occupational issues as a result of alcohol use, and large amounts of time spent obtaining and drinking alcohol.  The person in the above example demonstrates enough symptoms for a moderate alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol use issues can contribute to difficulty with employment, legal concerns, challenges in relationships, physical health issues, and can potentially contribute to mental health concerns as well.  There is no shame in admitting that you need help curbing or eliminating your alcohol use.  If you think that you may have a problem with alcohol, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.  You are not alone, and a professional can guide you in the right direction towards leading a healthier lifestyle.