If you’re reading this, then chances are you enjoy drinking alcohol. But as with most things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Drinking too much can lead to numerous negative consequences and has been directly linked to increased risks of developing numerous negative health issues and diseases. Fortunately, it’s possible to learn your own personal drinking habits and see if they are detrimental to your overall health. If you feel like you’ve had one too many nights out recently, read on to discover nine signs that indicate you may need to cut back on drinking alcohol.
- A Tolerance for Alcohol
By now, we’ve all heard the old adage, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Although this may be true in certain instances, tolerance for alcohol is something that can be seriously detrimental to your health. When the level of alcohol in your system increases as you drink more, your body builds a tolerance for it. This means that as you consume alcohol, your body becomes accustomed to it and requires more and more to achieve the same effects. High tolerance for alcohol is a key indicator that you are drinking too much. This can lead to serious issues, including alcohol poisoning and a high risk of addiction.
- Memory Loss While Drinking
Another sign of over-drinking is losing your short-term memory. We all have memory lapses, but for some people, it can become a constant occurrence. This can happen when the alcohol in your system is high enough to prevent the formation of long-term memories, but it’s not high enough to affect your short-term memory. If you are finding that you’re suddenly forgetting people’s names or where you put your keys, it might be a sign that you’re drinking too much.
3. Frequent Morning Hangovers
We’ve all been there. You’re at a party, you sneak a few drinks, and the next thing you know you’re waking up with a massive headache while the rest of the world is getting ready for work. This is a classic scene of a night out gone wrong. While it’s expected to feel rough the next morning after drinking all night, a constant feeling of being hungover is a sign you’re drinking too much.
- Difficulty Falling Asleep
When you drink a moderate amount of alcohol, you will eventually fall asleep, but it might take you a lot longer than normal. This can disrupt your sleep cycle, causing you to feel tired throughout the day and have trouble sleeping at night. During the night, your body goes through different sleep cycles. The amount of time it takes you to fall asleep is one way to tell if you have disrupted sleep cycles. If it typically takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep, but then you start taking much longer than normal, it could be a sign that you’re drinking too much.
- Constant Cravings for Alcohol
When you have a craving for something, it can be difficult to ignore. Cravings are caused by the activation of the reward center in your brain. This is why you often crave things that you find pleasurable. Alcohol can stimulate this reward center and cause cravings. If you find that you are constantly craving alcohol, it could mean that you are drinking too much. It’s also important to note that certain types of alcohol have higher sugar content than others. Because of this, some types of alcohol are more likely to cause cravings than others.
- Increased Anxiety While Drinking
Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear that can come and go. This state of mind is useful when it’s needed to protect us, but too much anxiety can cause trouble. Alcohol can increase anxiety to an extreme level in some people. If you notice an increase in anxiety while drinking and you don’t normally suffer from anxiety, it could mean that you are drinking too much. Many people experience anxiety when they are drinking and assume that it’s just an effect of the alcohol. However, if the anxiety goes away when you sober up, it’s actually a sign that you were drinking too much.
- Nausea and Loss of Appetite While Drinking
If you find that you are drinking too much, you will probably notice a decrease in your appetite. This is because alcohol actually interferes with the way your brain processes certain chemicals and hormones, including the ones that tell your body to eat. Some people experience nausea while they are drinking. This can be a sign that you’re drinking too much, but it can also be a sign that you are drinking the wrong type of alcohol. Certain types of alcohol are more likely to cause nausea than others.
- Decreased Motivation While Drinking
If you find that your motivation for all things decreases while drinking, it could be a sign that you are drinking too much. Alcohol temporarily decreases your motivation because it affects the way your brain processes dopamine. When you drink too much, dopamine is altered permanently, and your motivation is decreased constantly.
- Friends and Family Are Calling You Out
Friends and family will most likely be the ones to tell you that something is wrong, and if they don’t come out and say it, they’ll show it with their behavior. They may look uncomfortable when you drink, or they may come out and say that you’re drinking too much and that they’re not OK with it. If your immediate reaction is to become defensive or to make a decision to drink privately, you may have an issue with alcohol. They may try to remedy the situation by serving drinks like a delicious non-alcoholic sangria, and you end up getting upset. Your anger and defensiveness could be a real sign that you most likely have issues with alcohol.
Conclusion
Consuming too much alcohol can have devastating consequences for your life. Cutting back and consuming scrumptious alternatives like non-alcoholic stout and non-alcoholic rose instead can help you gain control of your life and your health. Drink a non-alcoholic pale ale to your health today!
