This article will guide you through the signs that you might be a social alcoholic. There’s a big difference between a moderate drinker and an alcoholic but both may have impacts on your health. If you’re worried about your drinking habits, it might be worth speaking to an alcohol addiction rehab center.
What Is a Social Alcoholic?
There’s a big difference between social drinking and being a social alcoholic. The latter tend to drink heavily during the weekends and while socializing with friends, perhaps even spending the entire weekend under the influence of alcohol in some shape or form.
This is where social drinking can become damaging to health and relationships. While you might be leading a relatively normal life during the week, heavy social drinking at the weekend can quickly turn into a problem.
Look at Your Drinking Habits
Take a step back to look at your drinking habits and ask yourself these questions:
- Am I drinking every weekend?
- Am I drinking to excess every weekend?
- Is my drinking causing problems for myself or others?
Drinking every weekend doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a social alcoholic but drinking with this kind of regularity can get out of hand very quickly. If you’re drinking over the weekend but know how to limit your intake then it’s not likely that you’re a social alcoholic.
Do You Know When to Stop?
Some people can have one drink and then go home happy to have socialized with friends. Others have one drink and feel the need to continue – even when they know they’ve had enough. Think about how you feel when out with friends and perhaps experiment with just having one or two if you’re worried about your drinking habits.
Understand What It Means To Be A Binge Drinker
The generally accepted guidelines for safe drinking are as follows:
- Men aged 21-65 should have no more than 14 drinks per week, with no more than four during a night out
- Women and people over 65 should have no more than seven drinks per week, with no more than three during a night out
You are a binge drinker if you exceed more than four (three for women) drinks in one sitting. This obviously doesn’t take into account your ability to handle alcohol but it’s a good guide to help you work out if you’re a social alcoholic.
How Do You Feel About Alcohol?
How you feel about alcohol could be a good indicator of whether or not you are a social alcoholic. Think about how you feel during the week, do you miss alcohol? Do you feel guilty about your drinking habits? Do you try and hide how much you drink from family and friends?
Take a moment to really think about your relationship with alcohol. Labeling yourself as a social drinker and not someone with a problem can often be used as an excuse to drink excessively on a night out or when you have something to celebrate.
If you do need help, here are a few programs you may want to check out:
- Individual or group therapy
- 12 step recovery
- Life skills rehab
- Mindfulness meditation therapy
If you think you are a social alcoholic and want to explore ways a rehab center might be able to help, contact us on 866.262.0531 and we’ll help you on the road to recovery.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
