One of the most difficult things a person can do is come to terms with their addiction. Denial is a big component in this equation, as is turning a blind eye to serious warning signs. In the case of alcoholism, many people classify their habits as “casual drinking” when in fact they are symptoms of a serious problem. The website Bustle.com actually did a pretty good job of covering this topic for millennials, with a list of warning signs when it comes to weekend boozing.
Warning Sign 1: Lying About Your Drinking
As harmless as “weekend drinking” may be, if you find yourself lying or covering up your behavior that may be sign of a serious problem. Key indicators here include making up stories to shield your loved ones or keeping Saturday night bottles hidden from the rest of the household.
Warning Sign 2: Repeated Blackouts
Blackouts are definitely a common behavior when it comes to binge drinking. If Sunday mornings consist of gathering clues about Saturday night, then something is amiss. This is actually a very serious sign, as it can greatly impact a person’s physical health and potentially do damage to their liver and brain.
Warning Sign 3: You Constantly Think About Your Next Party
You may be only a weekend drinker, but if you spend Monday through Thursday fantasizing about your next drunken party then consider yourself a potential alcoholic. As Bustle writer Carina Wolff explained in her piece, “As addiction takes over, the mind begins to develop an obsession with that particular substance or behavior. Even when an alcoholic isn’t drinking, their mind is telling them that they should be.”
Warning Sign 4: Changing Priorities
Is regular drinking making you lose interest in your healthier habits? That’s certainly another cause for concern. Though you may be a high-functioning alcoholic (going to work and making meetings), shifting away from hobbies, exercise and outside responsibilities means your priorities are in the wrong place.
Warning Sign 5: Underestimating Your Drinking
One exercise that Wolff encourages for any regular drinker is to keep tabs on their alcohol totals. As the weeks progress, are you noticing your consumption level is going up? Or perhaps it takes larger quantities of booze to catch a buzz? These too are warning signs that you’re becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. And make sure to read your monthly credit card statements as well. Alcoholism can most certainly lead to larger and less manageable bar tabs at the end of a weekend.
