Concerned that your drinking habits may be unhealthy or excessive?
As Brits, most of us will be well aware of the drinking culture, which sees most of us heading to pubs and knocking back several pints with our friends.
However, there is a line which separates enjoying a drink responsibly and veering off towards problem drinking.
It's estimated that around 10 million people in England regularly exceed low-risk drinking guidelines - which specify that you should not exceed 14 units of alcohol per week - while over 600,000 people would be considered dependent drinkers.
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Our understanding of problem drinking has also developed over the years, with terms such as 'high-functioning alcoholic' allowing more people to make informed choices about their boozing habits.
There is also a wealth of resources online for people wanting to make sure their drinking isn't verging on unhealthy, with the NHS creating a list of nine questions to help you determine whether or not you're drinking too much.
Each question has multiple-choice answers, with each answer correlating to a different score. After you finish the questionnaire, you'll be asked to add up your scores. If you score above a certain threshold, it is advised that you book an appointment with your GP.
The nine questions are as follows:
- How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
- How many alcoholic drinks do you typically consume in a day when you are drinking?
- How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
- How often during the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
- How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?
- How often during the last year have you needed a drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
- How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
- How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because of your drinking?
- Has a relative, friend, doctor or other healthcare worker been concerned about you drinking or suggested you cut down?
Scores that are over eight are considered potentially hazardous.
You can find the questionnaire here, as well as further information and support on the NHS website.
Interested in cutting back on your drinking? Perhaps it's worth trying trends such as the increasingly popular 'zebra stripping' method on a night out. Alternatively, you can discover what changes your body goes through when you put the bottle down.
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.
Brenna Cooper