4th in a series: I could tell you but you’re not going to like it: Social Drinking often isn’t.
Yet again, I am stepping into the fray to offer the kind of information that can be helpful but feel quite unwelcome. In this case, it’s the raw fact that, for many people, Social Drinking…isn’t.
Social drinking is one of the terms for the use of alcoholic beverages in disciplined moderation, with others: the glass of wine at dinner, the single drink at happy hour. It means the person is not an alcoholic, and everything’s under control…but as the term is used, perhaps not. The American Psychiatric Association has established a low bar to meet the criteria for mild Alcohol Use Disorder: these are two of the many criteria, and perhaps these two will resonate with some social drinkers:
“Alcohol is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended” and
“Continued alcohol use despite persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused by or exacerbated by the effects of alcohol.”
In other words, if someone often drinks three glasses of wine when they meant to have just one, or plans to have “a drink” with a friend that turns into a three-hour hangout with multiple drinks, that is a marker of a potential problem. If someone uses alcohol, and then becomes argumentative with friends and/or family, or zones out in front of the television and, yet again, neglects chores or short-changes the dog’s evening walk, the so-called social drinking isn’t just social drinking. Stir in failing to get up on time for work due to a hangover, or having the alcohol cause headaches, belly aches, acid reflux or blood sugar issues, and there is a storm coming.
So, perhaps, unless your physician advises otherwise, you might do a bit of an experiment if you are a social drinker. The experiment is, no alcohol for a month; six weeks would be better. Fighting a habit takes time. Then see what happens. If you discuss alcohol with your physician, please be honest: the health professionals’ unofficial guideline when people tell us about alcohol use is, double it, or perhaps even triple what the person tells you.
Evening alcohol use disrupts sleep; people may fall asleep more quickly but will often have sleep problems a few hours into the night. Alcohol impacts the brain in a host of ways: it impairs balance and spatial judgment, slows physical reaction time, weakens impulse control, and interferes with cognitive functioning. It also interacts dangerously with a host of common medications, including but not limited to medications for pain, anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, allergies, and more; if you are on any medications, over the counter or prescription, check with your pharmacist about using alcohol with these medications. Mixing alcohol and medication can be deadly. Perhaps during your alcohol-free weeks, you will find yourself more motivated to get up and get that morning walk or workout in; perhaps you will have fewer unproductive arguments with the people you love. At that point, it may seem that social drinking may not be social, after all.
drloriputerbaugh 