CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 27, 2012) – The Riverbend Festival has come and gone, and the Fourth of July is around the corner: summer has officially arrived in the Chattanooga area. For adults over 21, this season often includes taking time to relax and enjoy a drink or two with friends and family, as well as parties and vacations that may involve alcohol consumption. Parkridge Valley Partial Hospitalization Director Charles Brown notes that while many people kick back and have fun with a few alcoholic beverages, it can sometimes be difficult to tell where fun ends and alcohol abuse begins. Here are a few ways to tell if your drinking is becoming a serious problem.
Alcohol abuse is typically defined for men as having five or more drinks at a time – for women, the threshold is four or more drinks. According to Brown, drinking is a problem if you find yourself consuming alcohol in order to make yourself feel ‘normal’.
“If you feel like you have to drink in order to feel happy - if you feel like you can’t have any fun if you aren’t drinking or drinking heavily - this is definitely cause for concern,” notes Brown. “Another warning sign is when you find that you are drinking past the limits you set for yourself, and you are feeling a strong consistent urge to reduce your drinking or stop it altogether.”
Sometimes, your loved ones or others close to you may see a problem before you do. “If family, friends or co-workers have mentioned that you might want to change your drinking habits or seek help, you should listen to them – you might not always realize that how much you drink is negatively impacting your life,” says Brown.
“If you suspect that you or a loved one may have an alcohol abuse problem, talk to a physician,” recommends Brown. “It may also help to talk with a mental health provider or seek out a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous.”
For more information, visit Parkridge Valley.com or call RESPOND at (423) 499-2300.