Six red flags you're a borderline alcoholic this Christmas and need to cut back

There's a few occasions throughout the year when people drink a lot more than usual and Christmas is no different.

The alcohol is constantly flowing throughout the festive season as we all attend a string of works dos, family gatherings and catch ups with friends to swap gifts, so our booze intake ends up increasing quite a lot.

But just because Santa Claus is coming to town and the New Year is impending, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be wary of how many times we're hitting the bottle.

An expert has revealed the six signs that you might be a borderline alcoholic and need to cut back on the bevvies.

The NHS says 'alcohol misuse is when you drink in a way that's harmful, or when you're dependent on alcohol'.

But the good news is, you don't need to completely quit alcohol, as long as you're drinking in moderation.

"To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week," the NHS says.

For context, one unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about half a pint of lower to normal-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%), a single small shot measure (25ml) of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%), or a small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine containing about 1.5 units of alcohol.

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However, if you're not sure how much you drink, or if you have a drinking problem or not, Dr Dave Nichols, an NHS GP and medical adviser at website MyHealthChecked has revealed the six signs to look out for:

1) Drink alcohol every day without thinking about it

2) Binge-drink regularly

3) Only socialise where drink is involved

4) Drink regularly during the day

5) Find it annoying when others are not drinking

6) Drink more than the NHS guidelines every month.

Dr Nichols told The Sun that alcoholism is when a person has an uncontrollable desire to drink.

"Their body is dependent on alcohol," he said.

"Alcoholics will usually develop physical and psychological symptoms if they stop drinking.

"Borderline alcoholics might experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, stress, anxiety, bad skin, trouble sleeping, irritability and higher blood pressure.

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"They are early indicators that you need to significantly reduce your alcohol consumption.”

He added: "The most common long-term physical impacts of borderline alcoholism are abnormal liver function, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health problems, but these are often hidden diseases and patients are unaware of them until they progress."

You can find an alcohol or drug service in your local area or use the following information to get support:

With You provides a range of support for alcohol, drugs and mental health via a local service or online. These are free and confidential services and include the following:

• Drinkline provides advice for anyone who is worried about their own or someone else’s drinking – phone 0800 731 4314, available Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm
• Alcohol Helpline can provide advice and support if you’re over 50 and are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking – book an appointment online or phone 0808 801 0750, Monday to Friday, 12pm to 8pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm
• Know The Score provides support if you’ve taken drugs, are thinking of taking them, or are just curious and want to know more – use their webchat or phone 0800 587 5879, Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm