Why people drink alcohol
There are positive and negative reasons why people drink alcohol. Both kinds of reasons, both positive and negative, can lead to an alcohol problem. Here you can read how and what.
'Cozy', 'It relaxes me' and 'I like it' are reasons that we classify under the so-called positive reasons. Nothing wrong with that in itself. Yet even with these 'positive' reasons it is useful to ask yourself what this 'cosy' drinking pattern looks like. Do you also enjoy it if you don't drink anything during that evening on the couch or on that birthday? Can you also relax without the use of alcohol? Can you also enjoy other goodies that do not contain alcohol? Does that make you just as happy?
In short: research for yourself what your alcohol consumption looks like. If you drink 4 bottles of wine a week because you 'like it so much' and not to dispel your gloom, it is still good to take a critical look at your alcohol consumption.
| The environment also plays a role in people's alcohol consumption. For example: if your parents were or are heavy drinkers, you are more likely to drink more yourself. Or: someone who works in the hospitality industry generally drinks more than someone who works in a hospital. |
From the rain in the drop(pel)
In addition to positive reasons, there are also negative reasons why someone drinks alcohol. Examples include stress, worry, or other issues you may be dealing with. Marriage problems, a death, job loss, money worries, a fight with the neighbors, a sick parent; there are dozens of reasons why you want to forget for a while.
And that works quite well with alcohol. With a few beers or wine you can drink the sharp edges off. If you do this regularly, you need more and more alcohol to stop feeling your discomfort and sadness. You understand that danger lurks around the corner here. You secretly develop a pattern in which you need alcohol to feel better (read: nothing).
Get a grip on
You are now having a break. Very good of you. This is the time to take a closer look at your own drinking pattern. Have you started drinking more in the past (six) years? And how much more is that? Why did you start drinking more? Do one too alcohol test. With such a test you can check whether you were a risky user before your break.
| Risky alcohol use can be divided into different categories. There is the binge drinker, the excessive drinker, the heavy drinker, the imbibinger, et cetera. Are you curious what exactly these harmful drinking patterns entail? Then read this article. |
Source: Jellinek.nl.
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