Here’s some tough love that you may or may not be ready for: If you’re reading this post and wondering if you have a problem with drinking, the answer is probably yes. The line between dabbling and disaster isn’t so black and white, and if all of the red flags have gotten through to you to the point where you’re starting to take a good look at your habit, it’s probably time to pull back. Drinkers could save themselves a lot of pain and heartbreak if they’d just realize this fact. But if you’re not ready and you need more convincing, read on for more clues that the party’s over and it might be time to stop drinking.
Have you tried to quit drinking or cut back in the past, but can’t seem to hold it together?
This should be one of the clearest signs that there’s a problem. If you’ve already tried to limit your drinking, then there must be a reason. It’s impacting your life, and on some level you know that you’d be better off without it. If you know that and you’re still not able to stay sober when you want to, there’s a problem.
Do you ever black out?
Here’s another huge red flag — or should we say, black one. Black outs aren’t funny or normal; they’re a serious sign that you’re drinking way too much. During a blackout, you’ve literally drunk so much alcohol that your brain loses the ability to process memories. Aside from the shame that blackouts cause, you’re giving yourself brain damage. On purpose. That’s not cool, not necessary, and definitely a sign it’s time to pull back.
Do you ever get nervous that there won’t be “enough” alcohol?
“Where the heck is the waiter with my drink?” “Why don’t we just get a bottle?” “I need to stock up at the liquor store before the storm.” If you’ve ever heard yourself say or think one of those sentences, you have the obsessive scarcity thinking that comes with problem drinking. Worrying about your next drink when you haven’t even finished the one in your hand is a sign that something is seriously wrong when it comes to your relationship with alcohol.
Do you ever wish that you could “drink like” someone else?
Wish you could drink like your classy friend who never gets messy — or arrested — when they drink? The reality is, if you could drink that way, you probably would. Some of us just can’t drink like responsible adults, and it has nothing to do with willpower. Our brains are just made differently. The sooner you accept that, the better you’ll feel.
Ready for help?
If you think your life could be better without alcohol, you’re probably right. But you don’t have to figure out how to get there on your own. Everyone who asks for help deserves to get it, so if you reach out your hand and give us a call, we can help you work through the steps you need to take to get help.
Just like there’s no situation that can’t be made worse by drinking, there’s no situation that can’t be made better by getting sober. Call or chat us to find out how, or download our e-book below for more info.
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Getting Clean & Sober at Home
Today, more than 75% of hospitals and healthcare providers offer access to telehealth treatment, with 29 states having gone so far as to enact telehealth parity laws, which force insurance companies to reimburse patients for telehealth at the same rates as they would for in-person treatment.
If you’ve been thinking about getting clean and sober, or if you’ve been wanting to work on and strengthen the recovery you already have, it’s never been easier to do it through telehealth.
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