Not everyone who is an alcoholic drinks every day. Some are binge drinkers who cannot stop once they start and then go on a binge sometimes lasting several days. Other alcoholics may drink every day, some even keeping their act together and going to work, and keeping up the pretence of not having a drink problem. Some people drink every day but just have the one or two units and are not alcoholic. But what happens when you drink every day?
What happens when you drink every day – risks
However if you are drinking more than one or two units every day then this is risky behaviour. Obviously the more you are drinking every day the more risky it is. You are probably giving yourself current or future problems with
- Your physical health. Alcohol causes damage to the liver, pancreas, digestive system and increases the risk of cancer.
- Your mental health. Although initially alcohol may lift your spirits and make you feel more relaxed, ultimately it causes depression (as it is a chemical depressant), and you get more stressed and anxious through withdrawal symptoms. You may also experience trembling, hallucinations and psychosis.
- Your work. Even if you manage to attend work, it is likely that you will be less reliable with your commitments. The standard of your work may suffer as you become less clear thinking and able to function without alcohol. Work colleagues may smell alcohol on you
- Your family relationships. Your family may notice your regular drinking and associated behaviours and become concerned about you – even angry. They may feel embarrassed as your issue with alcohol becomes more apparent
- Your friends. As with your family, your friends may notice your heavy drinking and how this affects your reliability and standards of behaviour.
- The law. Your behaviour while under the influence may fall short of your usual standards. You may get into trouble with anger or aggression. More commonly people get caught for drink driving – even if you have not recently had a drink eg the morning after.
- Your reputation. Anyone known as a heavy drinker can suffer damage to their reputation.
There are many common aspects to addictions of all kinds.
Treatment for alcohol addiction
As important as all of the above is how you feel within yourself. This is about more than anxiety and depression. It is about your self worth and inner spirit. If you are battling on and putting on a front that everything is ok then this takes a huge amount of effort. Inside your spirit is dying. All your energy will be taken by putting on a front and working out where to get your next drink and where and how to hide it. It is like being in a prison of your own making as your whole life revolves around alcohol.
If this is you, you may need alcohol addiction treatment. If you go to an alcohol rehab clinic you will get a medically prescribed (if needed which you probably will if you have been drinking every day). You will also get counselling and therapy to help you see why you drink as you do and to give you the tools you will need to enjoy your life without alcohol in the future.