Is Your Drinking Out of Control?

Alcohol makes it harder for the prefrontal cortex to function as it normally does, as it disrupts decision-making and rational thought. This causes an individual to act without thinking and lose control.

While drinking can certainly make you act and feel as though you’ve lost a brain cell or two, there’s no evidence to prove this theory. However, that does not necessarily suggest alcohol has no effect on your brain.

Drinking a few glasses of water before, during, and after alcohol consumption can help counteract the dehydration effect of alcohol. Although water does not speed up the alcohol process or sober you up faster, it does tackle the issue of dehydration after a heavy session.

Since you consistently engage in regrettable behaviors while intoxicated, you wish to cut down or quit drinking altogether, but you find it difficult and keep drinking.

You drink significantly more than what you did initially, and you also need more alcohol to feel drunk now. You also tend to drink faster with the sole intention of getting drunk rather than to enjoy the social experience.

Excessive drinking has placed you in situations that are extremely dangerous to you or someone around you. For example, driving under the influence, getting into fights, and having unprotected sex.

Your sober personality and drunk personality are completely different from each other. This hints at not just a drinking issue but also an underlying emotional or psychological issue that urges you to seek refuge in drinking.

Frequent memory lapses or blackouts are one of the adverse consequences of problem drinking. Blacking out does not always imply passing out: problem drinkers can be conscious for a considerable period of time, but they usually have no recollection of what happened.

Our body has formed a strong dependence on alcohol, so much so that you can no longer function normally without it. You may undergo painful and potentially deadly withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuing alcohol consumption, including anxiety, agitation, headaches, shaking, nausea, seizures, tremors, and vomiting.

You spend most of your time consuming and recovering from alcohol, making it difficult for you to partake in social activities or hobbies that were previously enjoyed.

You may start having issues with your friends, family, co-workers, and others due to your problem drinking

Alcohol dulls the brain signal that warns them of their mistake. While individuals are aware of their error, alcohol causes them to care less about it.

According to the journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, MRI scans of drunk and sober individuals indicate alcohol-related changes in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain thought to be responsible for moderating social behavior and aggression.

Although those around you may see the signs of troubling drinking habits, you will require the services of mental and medical professionals to diagnose your condition properly. Generally, a physician starts the diagnosis most of the time by performing an initial test. He/she may also refer you to a reliable treatment specialist.

There are many treatment specialists available throughout the US for treating AUD and related complications. Ensure that you choose a licensed healthcare provider for long-term treatments and inquire about the treatment options for your specific condition. Since talk therapy, counseling, and medications are a few of the crucial components of AUD treatment, make sure they are covered by your treatment program.

Be aware of the amount of alcohol you consume and practice self-control. You can also control your drinking by removing all alcohol from your home and designating abstinence day.