There are two different types:
Binge drinking: This is where people drink a very large amount in a short period of time. People tend to talk about doing a pub crawl, or going out on the razz among other phrases, and they deliberately aim to drink as much as possible to get very drunk. For women, the definition of binge drinking is of having four or more drinks during a two-hour period, and for men the definition is five drinks or more within two hours.
Heavy drinking: Heavy drinking is defined by exceeding the government guidelines for alcohol over the period of a week, on a regular basis. For people under 65, it’s defined as having more than 14 drinks per week, or four drinks every day, and for the over 65s, the definition is having more than seven drinks per week, or more than three drinks every day.
Ten warning signs that you could be an alcoholic
If you’re worried about your own drinking or about someone else, take a look at our list of possible symptoms below and see if you recognise anything:
• Do you feel guilty about your drinking?
• Do you crave alcohol?
• Do you start to drink first thing in the morning?
• Do you drink by yourself and hide what you are doing?
• Are you unable to stop drinking if you try, or control how much you drink?
• Are you irritable, with severe mood swings?
• Do you prioritise your drinking over your life, ignoring your job and your family in order to drink?
• Do you suffer from withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking?
• Have you stopped doing other activities and hobbies that you used to enjoy because you are focusing on drinking?
• Are you still drinking, despite it causes health problems for you, or getting you into debt, or causing problems with your family and friends?
Does too much of that seem familiar? If it does, just know that you aren’t alone. So many people suffer from alcoholism and find the strength and the courage to reach out and ask for help, and you can too.
Serenity Rehab Clinics are available around the country, and we have highly trained and experienced staff who’ve completed a rehab programme themselves and now help others to do the same.
All you need to do is pick up the phone and talk to us for free advice, and if you choose to stay at one of our clinics, we can have you settled in on the same day and receiving help to get you on the road to recovery.
And if you’re worried about a loved one, again, just pick up the phone. We’re very happy to offer free advice to family and friends who may be hoping to help someone they care about.