Darrick Robles Alcohol consumption: 5 questions to ask yourself
According to the current guidelines of the German Society for Nutrition and the German Center for Addiction Issues, the guideline for a tolerable alcohol intake is 10 g to 12 g per day for healthy women and 20 g to 24 g per day for healthy men. 20 g alcohol corresponds to about 0.5 l beer or 0.25 l wine with an average alcohol content. This is considered the low-risk threshold dose. Consuming more than this amount (especially when accompanied by binge drinking) is considered a risk.
The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) for adolescents and young adults also states that there is no low-risk guideline for adolescents, since physical development is not yet complete by the age of 20 and alcohol consumption is always harmful to the body can affect.
So how can you tell if you might have a problem with alcohol? “Most people instinctively know something is wrong,” says Lina Anderhell, a psychologist at Med-Healths. She suggests asking yourself:
Do you drink more frequently and in larger quantities?
Do you drink more when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, worried, anxious, or bored?
Does drinking affect other areas of your life, e.g. B. your relationships or your work?
Do you act more impulsively and do or say things you later regret after drinking too much?
Have friends or family members expressed concerns about your drinking?
“If you agree with any of these points, it’s a sign that you should reconsider your drinking habits,” suggests Anderhell. “If you drink alcohol regularly to avoid negative feelings, it’s usually a sign that your drinking habits aren’t helping. Other signs that you’re drinking too much can include increased mood swings, neglecting your responsibilities, or feeling defensive or hidden from your drinking,” Anderhell said. “You might also have physical symptoms like frequent hangovers, fatigue, stomach problems, and poor sleep.”
6 reasons to drink less
Drinking in moderation is perfectly fine. But over time, drinking too much alcohol has far-reaching effects on your mental and physical well-being. Conversely, abstaining from or limiting alcohol consumption has clear benefits for your health. You can expect the following things:
1. Your sleep improves
It can help you relax, but it won’t help you sleep. Alcohol causes you to get less restful REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This means you wake up feeling less rested and more prone to daytime sleepiness. The good news is that REM sleep returns to normal within a short period of time.
2. Your mood improves
While alcohol can temporarily boost your mood, it’s ultimately a depressant that can make you more prone to depression and anxiety over time. Reducing alcohol consumption can help stabilize your mood, although it may take a few months before you feel the full benefits.
3. Your liver’s fat levels drop
A healthy liver should contain little or no fat. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by drinking too much alcohol and can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis. The liver cannot properly metabolize too much alcohol, resulting in liver cell damage. They begin to accumulate as fat, which can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If your liver isn’t working properly, you’ll feel sluggish and more tired.
4. Your hormone levels stabilize
Drinking too much can increase estrogen levels and reduce the “calming” hormone progesterone in premenopausal women, which can worsen premenstrual symptoms. Studies have also shown increased levels of ghrelin, increasing the likelihood of overeating, while disrupting insulin and blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
5. The risk of brain disease is reduced
Excessive drinking can cause brain damage and increase your risk of developing dementia. According to a French study published in The Lancet in 2018, heavy drinkers and binge drinkers are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alcohol decreases the volume of the brain’s white matter (which carries signals in the brain). The ScienceDaily study “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research” reported that alcohol can damage the frontal lobe of the brain (impulse control, memory, motor skills, social and sexual behavior). This area of cognitive function is most commonly affected by alcohol-related dementia.
6. Your general well-being improves
Avoiding or reducing alcohol consumption, combined with a healthy lifestyle, reduces the risk of developing a serious illness. However, if you drink more than 14 units per week for 10 to 20 years, your risk increases. These include mouth, throat and breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, liver and brain disease.
6 steps to reducing your alcohol consumption – or quitting altogether
Anderhell recommends these steps to reduce or stop the consumption of alcohol:
admit your problem
Talk to a doctor who can refer you to therapy or advise you on support groups.
Decide if you want to stop drinking altogether or less. What might be an acceptable amount to drink in a week or month for you?
Clarify why this goal might be important to you. What would motivate you? Do you want to improve your relationships or your performance at work, save money or improve your health?
Recognize the situations in which you are tempted to drink. This can be when you’re alone, when you’re feeling stressed or down, or on days when you’re getting your salary because you could spend some money on alcohol.
Find ways to deal with your risk moments. If you e.g. B. Knowing that being alone is a trigger, make a plan of what else you could do during this time. This can be a phone call to a friend, a walk, or signing up for an online exercise, meditation, or cooking class.
How therapy can help
Social distancing means it’s harder to get face-to-face support locally. But there is still plenty of help available – online or over the phone. “A psychologist will make an individual assessment of your needs,” says Anderhell. “You will then receive regular therapy sessions (usually once a week) to help you achieve your goals. But every case is unique, and your therapy will be tailored to your situation,” says Anderhell.
