The 6 warning signs you could have a booze problem… from drinking alone to memory loss
Alcohol misuse is drinking more than the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week - that's six pints or medium wines
WITH another Bank Holiday just around the corner, you may already be making plans to enjoy a tipple or two on your extra day off.
While a drink every now and then is no big deal, starting to booze on a more regular basis could be a sign of bigger problem.
Turning to alcohol to cope with stress or having a drink everyday could mean you're becoming dependant on it, and it's actually an addiction.
Julie Breslin, head of the Drink Wise Age Well programme, run by drug and alcohol charity Addaction, said it's vital people know their limits, and can recognise the warning signs.
Here she highlights the key signs that mean your booze habits could be something to worry about...
1. You're drinking more than you should...
So, if you listen to the experts, you should be drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
That's the equivalent of six pints or medium glasses of wine.
But, Julie said it is important to break up your boozing, and give your body two or three alcohol-free days a week.
When you begin to see your units total creeping above the 14 threshold, it's time to take stock, Julie told The Sun Online.
"People [who have a problem] find they are regularly exceeding those unit guidelines and finding it increasingly hard to have a day off from alcohol," she said.
"If people find themselves getting into a continued habit of drinking daily or over the recommended guidelines, their tolerance can change and in the worst case scenario they can develop alcohol dependency."
WHAT IS ALCOHOL MISUSE?
ALCOHOL misuse is when a person drinks to excess regularly.
That means drinking more than 14 units a week - the level recommended by the NHS.
A unit of booze is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol.
That's the amount of booze the average adult liver can process in one hour.
A strong pint of beer contains three units, while a lower strength lager is just over two units.
The weekly recommendation of no more than 14 units, equates to six pints or 10 small glasses of wine.
Meanwhile, a 750ml bottle of red, white or rose, is 10 units.
That's 1.5 units in a small glass of wine, just over two in a medium glass and three in a large glass.
A single measure of vodka, gin and other spirits is one unit, while a double shot is 1.4 units.
2. Binge Drinking
Think binge drinking, and chances are an image of paralytic students falling out of club will pop to mind.
But, the actual definition of binge drinking means most of us will have carried it on, far beyond leaving uni.
It's guzzling six units for a woman and eight for a guy, in one go - that's two large glasses of wine, while eight units is four pints.
Drinking all your weekly units in one pub session does not exempt a drinker from the harmful effects of alcohol, Julie explained.
It makes it harder for the liver to process the huge quantity, and can actually be worse for you.
Julie said: "Alcohol is a toxin and as soon as it enters our body we are trying to find ways to get rid of it.
"When you binge drink the liver is not able to process that level of alcohol - usually it breaks down a unit an hour."
3. Can't enjoy yourself without a drink
Can't seem to have fun unless you're grasping a cold pint?
Chances are you're well on your way to an alcohol problem, Julie warned.
"If alcohol becomes what people consider a requirement to socialise or relax then that means there is more of a concern or a risk for somebody," she said.
And, when booze interrupts your plans the day after a big night out, there's more cause for concern.
Julie said people who feel they have to drink to have fun are more likely to experience memory blackouts too - another key sign of misuse.
4. It impacts your relationships
Harmful boozing is when alcohol starts to impact negatively on your relationships.
Constantly arguing with a loved one, becoming more forgetful, not eating properly and neglecting your personal hygiene are all warning signs.
";There might be recurring accidents and injuries, or they might start to miss appointments or not being where they should at the right time," Julie explained.
5. Physical withdrawal signs
The need to booze, rather than just a desire to, is another sign that must not be ignored.
Those driven by need are also likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms, such as agitation, tremors and being physically sick, Julie said.
"The thing about dependency is a need to drink alcohol to avoid withdrawals happening," said Julie.
"If someone is finding it's becoming earlier and earlier that they need a drink and they are finding it quite difficult to get through the day without having a drink, at that stage you should have very grave concerns about your level of alcohol use."
Harmful drinking is when it starts to impact on your relationships, on your well-being and on your health.
Julie Breslin
6. You often drink alone
Solitary boozing is right up there when it comes to alarm bells.
Not being able to make it through a day without satisfying your thirst for a drop of your fave tipple and drinking alone at home, is a step on the road to addiction.
Julie said data the charity collected found 77 per cent of dependent boozers drink at home alone.
"It isn't sociable drinking out in the pub, they aren't meeting people - there is a social isolation to that," she warned.
"One of our big concerns is home drinking.
"And also home pouring - in a pub you've got measures and you know what you're drinking but at home pouring becomes a bit of a risk in itself."
What to do if you, or someone you know, has a drinking problem?
More and more adults are drinking to excess, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.
And baby boomers are responsible for a rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Medics dealt with 339,000 cases last year where alcohol directly caused the harm – up more than a fifth in a decade.
Meanwhile, younger people seem to be cutting back on alcohol, with one in four going teetotal.
The NHS defines alcohol misuse as drinking more than the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week - the equivalent of six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine.
Julie said: "If a person continues to drink too much, they are going to start to see negative consequences to their health over a period of time," she said.
BOOZE LINKED TO SERIOUS DISEASE
MEDICS warn there are a range of health risks linked to boozing too much.
In the short term, a heavy night out can lead to head injuries, violent outbursts and alcohol poisoning.
But, in the long term studies have linked excessive drinking to heart disease, stroke, and liver disease.
Boozing also increases a drinker's risk of various cancers, including liver, bowel and mouth cancer.
As well as serious diseases, alcohol misuse can result in social problems, such as unemployment, divorce, domestic abuse and homelessness.
"We know alcohol is linked to about 200 diseases, including a strong link to cancer now.
"That can affect someone who is regularly exceeding [the limit] right up to someone who has developed a dependency on alcohol."
If you tick one or more of the boxes above, there is no shame in asking for help, Julie said.
MORE ON BOOZE AND YOUR HEALTH
"Alcohol can impact on people for lots of different reasons and it is really important that if people feel like they are at risk of alcohol abuse to see a GP or find out about services in their area," she said.
"But also a family member, or carer or friend should look for the signs and ask the right questions."
If you know someone who has a drinking problem, or is at risk of developing one, you can find helpful advice on the
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