"Dry January" is a popular way to kick off the start of a new year. But if you missed this timing, you can designate any month to "Try Dry". This trend helps people take a break from alcohol and re-evaluate how much they consume. After January 31st, many will go back to drinking responsibly, while others might recognize that alcohol plays a bigger role in their lives than they thought. Alcohol isn’t bad unless you abuse it or use it as a way of coping with stress. During the pandemic, the use of alcohol increased to help people feel more relaxed and at ease. While you can feel the immediate relaxing effect, the negative effects are delayed. Some negative sides of alcohol use can be insomnia, depression, increased anxiety, and addiction. To help you understand the signs of alcohol abuse, here are five red flags to watch out for.
- Hiding your drinking or lying about it to loved ones.
- Memory loss or blacking out regularly.
- Having trouble in your personal relationships.
- Putting off or forgetting about your personal and professional responsibilities.
- Having trouble stopping when you begin drinking alcohol.
- Grabbing a drink when you start to feel depressed or anxious.
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as increased anxiety, irritability, shakiness, or sweating around six hours after your last drink.
If you experience adverse effects of alcohol, contact your doctor immediately and then reach out to Work/Life Connections-EAP for a confidential counseling appointment. Addiction isn’t something you can overcome by yourself so give our certified counselors a call at 615-936-1327.
