Most people can keep their alcohol consumption down to safe limits, their need to have alcohol on a daily or weekly basis is minimal and as a result, any risk of liver damage is very low. But for those people who drink more than the recommended weekly limit, they are at much greater risk of really damaging their health.
For men, recommended limits are a maximum of three or four units a day and for women, a maximum of three units a day. Binge drinking however these days, seems to have become the norm and almost expected especially within the teenage age-range and this can have serious side-effects both at the time as well as later on in life. You don’t need to drink much to start to form an alcohol addiction and whilst some people escape forming an addiction, they do star to form an unhealthy association to alcohol and abuse the amounts that they drink.
Drinking copious amounts of alcohol is very dangerous and it is vital that no alcohol is consumed for at least a couple of days each week. This gives your inner organs a chance for recovery. Alcohol acts as poison within the body so to drink continuously or to consume large volumes is dicing with your health.
For both men and women, it is also recommended togive your body and in particular, your liver a rest although it is far better to spread out the amount that you drink over the week rather than to binge drink.
You might not even feel that you are misusing alcohol, merely using alcohol for social reasons but this does not mean that you are not becoming dependent on it. Do you feel deep down that you should cut back on some drinking at least? Are you feeling a little bit guilty by how much you drink? Have others started to talk to you about your drinking habits? Do you long for a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to help you get over your hangover?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you know that you need to start getting your drinking habits under control. It’s a slippery slope and not worth taking the risk and putting your health at great risk. It’s fine to have the odd drink of alcohol but you shouldn’t need to drink to make you feel more confident or to reduce the stress that you have in your life.
Breaking the habit is crucial and learning to say no to ‘just one more drink’ is essential otherwise you can seriously lose a grip on the important things in life. It’s vital that you take your health seriously and pace yourself with food and drink. Over-indulging in respect of alcohol can have a serious, long term negative impact, not just with your health although that’s a real concern, but it can affect your career prospects and your family environment too.
Life is stressful at the moment. It’s easy to turn to the bottle for an emotional crutch. You may have financial problems, difficulties at work and an unstable home life, but hiding behind alcohol is not the answer. If you want to turn your life around, it can be really productive to write down any triggers that may make you want to have a drink and to write down any things that might have an adverse affect on you in general.
This journal can become a great indicator as to the areas of your life that needs to be improved and it can lead you towards a lifestyle that is much healthier and productive as a result. Don’t let drinking or any addiction shape your life, get back in control.
