Much has been researched and documented about alcohol consumption and its pros and cons. Whether one needs to control or abstain from it is still debatable and changes from person to person. On one side, doctors recommend moderate drinking and claim it to have a positive effect on a person’s cardiovascular and circulatory systems. On the other side, enough has already been proven about the harmful effects of drinking on your overall health. Skin tends to age faster, dehydration, cancer, and other harmful effects on overall bodily systems. Not just physically, this can lead to mental imbalances as well. Uncontrolled drinking habits may lead to the issue of binge drinking, blackouts, memory loss, and dementia over a period of time. The detailed list is too exhaustive to be listed here. The consensus is that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison. (Agarwal).

There’s a thin line between moderate and over-consumption of alcohol. It is crucial to maintain this balance if one wants to enjoy drinking alcohol for a longer time. Over-consumption of anything is injurious to health. Be it any food item or beverage. The same is true for alcohol as well.

The basic step of removing any problem is first to be aware that a problem exists. To do so, one first needs to be aware of the difference between moderate and binge drinking. Moderate drinking allows two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women (Agarwal). Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and five or more drinks within two hours for men. (Staff, 2021). Even in moderate drinking, a balance needs to be maintained by ensuring frequent day breaks from drinking.

Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from the harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3% of all deaths (WHO, n.d.). This is just one parameter that elaborates on the enormity of alcohol addiction. It has been established that any addiction is a result of a person’s emotional imbalances. These are largely from some deep-rooted childhood trauma or some unmet upbringing need. The most common cause of any addiction stems from that person’s connection with their parents. In major drug or alcohol abuse cases, unhealthy parent-kid relations have been observed.

There is ample support provided by the Govt. as well as private contributors on helping curb this issue. The most widely known is the 12-step alcohol de-addiction program by Alcoholics Anonymous. People can revisit these steps as many times as they want, and after completion of each step, a badge of honor is given to the participant. Other methodologies include hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness, or consulting a therapist. Here are some more Tips to try (Rethinking Drinking, n.d.), in case you or anybody you know is trying to curb or control their alcohol intake. Please feel free to develop strategies on your own as well. Anything that keeps you healthy, and keeps you positive is acceptable. 

References

Agarwal, S. (n.d.). Alcohol usage should be controlled or not? International Journal of Research.

Rethinking Drinking, N. (n.d.). the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov: https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/Thinking-about-a-change/Strategies-for-cutting-down/Tips-To-Try.aspx

Staff, M. C. (2021). Mayo clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551

WHO. (n.d.). https://www.who.int. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol