Alcoholic asks important question to people who only drink on weekends
Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.
The dangers of alcohol are clear to see yet not everyone who drinks it will comprehend how much they rely on it.
Alcoholism can present itself in many different forms, and one man who''s keen to educate the general public on what it can look like is content creator Corey Warren.
He starting sharing stories on social media about his own struggles with addiction and his journey towards sobriety, which has opened a lot of people's eyes as to what addiction can actually look like.
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While we might picture it as someone who drinks an excessive amount every day, he has previously shared his three differences between someone who is a ‘normal drinker’ and someone who is addicted.
And now, he claims that even if someone only drinks on the weekend, which a large percentage of the population may already do, then they could also have a problem with alcohol addiction.
The signs of problematic weekend drinking
In his most recent video, he states: "If you only drink alcohol on the weekends, you probably think you're fine. But this is what you don't understand.
"I used to only drink on Fridays and Saturdays. I told myself it was normal. But this is what I realised. I would drink on Saturday. On Sunday, I would be recovering.
"On Monday, I would feel groggy. On Tuesday, I'd be playing catch-up. On Wednesday, I'd finally feel normal again. But Thursday, the cravings would hit. And then Friday, I was right back at it again.
"To being an alcoholic has nothing to do with how much you drink, but what happens when you drink.
"If you want to better your life, start by getting all this alcohol out of it."
So, if you're not able to drink on a weekend without suffering for the rest of the week and craving it once the weekend is close again, then you could definitely have a problematic relationship with booze.
Alcoholics can also sometimes be described as 'high-functioning alcoholics', where they are able to function as normal in society and in public but at home suffer the consequences of their addiction.
Of course, drinking on a regular basis can have a serious impact on our physical and mental health, so it's no surprise that Corey's content resonates with so many people, especially in a health-obsessed generation who are starting to embrace sobriety or are at least limiting their alcohol intake.
Common signs of alcohol addiction
Also known as alcohol-use disorder, per the NHS, the usual signs include:
- Regularly drinking more alcohol than you mean to
- Difficulty stopping or reducing the amount you drink, even if you want to
- Feeling guilty or remorseful after drinking
- People you know being concerned about your drinking
- Continuing to drink even when it's causing problems for your health, work or relationships
- Craving alcohol, for example, needing a drink when you wake up in the morning
- Needing increasing amounts of alcohol to get the same effect
- Getting withdrawal symptoms when you stop or reduce drinking
While withdrawal from alcohol can trigger:
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling and being sick (nausea and vomiting)
- A racing heartbeat, sweating and shaking (tremor)
- Seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there (hallucinations)
- Confusion
- Seizures
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
Topics: Mental Health
James Moorhouse