Five Ways to Moderate Your Drinking
Do You Suffer From Alcohol Abuse?
It is not an issue to drink alcohol for social purposes. The occasional drink to celebrate and even to take a load off your stressful week is okay. So when is it not okay? When does minimal turn to excessive? According to the NIAA, there are variety of ways to tell if you are abusing your alcohol consumption. Some questions that you need to ask yourself are:
- How much alcohol do I consume?
- How often do I drink?
- What are my health records?
- Do I have a family history of alcohol abuse?
Consuming too much alcohol can result in serious health consequences such as slurred speech, breathing problems, coma, and to an extreme extent, death.
Moderation Is Key
If you feel you are drinking too much, but you don’t want to fully commit to quitting alcohol consumption, try drinking in moderation. There are five ways you can moderate your drinking.
- Don’t Show up to the Pre-Game: A lot of the time before going out or attending social events, there is minimal to excessive drinking that occurs before the night begins. Avoid the pre-gaming, especially if you plan on drinking at the main event.
- Keep a Log– Just like a weight loss diary or a diary in general, you can log the days that you drink. Keeping a log of your drinking can help moderate how often and how much you drink. It can also allow you to be honest with yourself and identify your problem areas.
- Keep a Drink in Hand…a Non-Alcoholic Drink– In many scenarios, drink swapping or the pressure to have a drink is common; however, if you keep a water, juice, or soda in hand, you are more likely not to be bothered by friends to drink. As long as your hand is occupied with a non-alcoholic beverage, you can stick to your commitment of drinking less and still have fun.
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race– If you are having a drink, take it slow. Drinking quickly and continuously can lead you back to a higher consumption of alcohol. Pace yourself. Maybe have snacks in between drinks, and don’t involve yourself in drinking games.
- Find Your Trends– After keeping track of your drinking, you may start noticing some patterns. By finding the patterns with your drinking, you can notice your triggers and temptations to stop yourself from giving into them.
Still Not Helping?
These five tips for drinking in moderation may be helpful for some; however, if you are still struggling with alcohol abuse, contact American Drug Testing Centers. We offer a broad spectrum of pain free services that can help relieve you of your addiction to alcohol. Call today, and a compassionate intake coordinator will be more than happy to answer any of your questions or concerns. When you enroll with us, case managers will go over how to customize your addiction recovery program. No one recovers the same way, and it is important to get the well rounded recovery you need. If monitoring your drinking is still a struggle, it’s okay to need the extra support and help. Contact American Drug Rehab Centers so that we can help you become sober and healthy.
