Kiwis love to drink, and while the occasional drink or two doesn’t hurt, there are still risks to drinking that you should be aware of, including the risk of developing alcohol addiction. In this blog, we’ll explore alcohol consumption and at what stage it becomes a problem.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
How Much Alcohol Is Safe to Drink?
Alcohol can be enjoyable when taken moderately - it’s important that you limit the amount of alcohol that you drink to reduce the likelihood of developing an addiction.
For men, this is a maximum of 3 standard drinks a day (approximately 3 cans of 330ml beers at 4% alcohol content), and no more than 15 standard drinks per week. Meanwhile, for women, this is a maximum of 2 standard drinks a day, 10 per week. Both men and women should have at least 2 alcohol-free days in a week.
The Beginnings of Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol abuse can begin when individuals start to experiment with alcohol, partaking in binge drinking. This means that you don’t necessarily have to drink regularly to start growing an addiction - you could simply drink large amounts of alcohol during a certain period of time. For example, drinking more than five alcoholic drinks within two hours or so.
Once individuals are familiar with the taste and feel of alcohol, they might turn to it for a number of different reasons, including:
Relieving stress
Out of boredom
To ‘numb’ sadness or loneliness
To ‘drink away’ their problems
Dependence on Alcohol
At this point, individuals might be drinking frequently, and displaying behavioural and characteristic changes that are affecting their daily lives. The need to drink more is caused by an increased tolerance to alcohol, meaning that individuals require more amounts of alcohol to make them drunk or to feel the ‘buzz’.
Once withdrawal symptoms start to settle in when you attempt to stop drinking, with the urge to drink becoming more frequent, this is when it’s time for an intervention.
The Turning Point offers high quality alcohol addiction treatments that can be tailored according to individual needs and preferences. From alcohol counselling to alcohol detox, you can count on The Turning Point to support you throughout your journey to sobriety. To learn more about our offerings, or if you have any further questions about what we do, contact us today.