A drink with friends doesn’t seem like a bad thing. After work each day, you need to stop and talk to your friends at the bar. Or, you come home, tuck into your study, and have a glass of whiskey before you can even think about the day. Are these situations okay? Knowing when alcohol is too much isn’t easy. Yet, a large number of men and women don’t recognize that consistent use like this, even if you do not get drunk from it, can be an indication of a substance use disorder. This situation is when an accredited alcohol rehab center in Jacksonville, FL, might be the right choice for you.
What Are Normal Alcohol Consumption Recommendations?
One of the best ways to understand if you have a problem with alcohol is to consider what a reasonable range would be. A standard drink in the United States is considered 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is the average amount found in about 12 ounces of a standard beer. It is also the amount found in 5 ounces of most wines. In terms of spirits, it takes just 1.5 ounces to get to that 14 grams.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services reports that people should not drink more than one of these drinks each day for women and up to two drinks like this per day for men. If you are drinking more than this, or you are drinking it consistently, that may indicate that you are facing an alcohol addiction disorder. Alcohol addiction rehab becomes necessary.
Why Is Too Much Alcohol a Bad Thing?
For men and women wondering why drinking a few glasses a day is a bad thing, it’s essential to know what alcohol does to the body. In most cases, this type of drug addiction does not require being in a stupor or feeling drunk. Consistent use like this can cause significant changes in the brain, such as:
Brain: Your central nervous system takes mots of the impact from drug abuse. It can cause slurred speech and memory impairment. It can also make it hard to control your fine-motor skills. Chronic alcohol can cause lasting memory defects and, in some cases, may increase the chances of Alzheimer’s disease.
Liver: Your liver has to process the toxins from the alcohol and remove them from the body. Yet, it cannot do this, especially at the pace necessary for someone facing alcohol use disorder. This condition leads to alcoholic fatty liver disease, which means your liver cannot properly filter your blood, allowing fat to build up in the cells and creating cirrhosis.
What else can happen?
- You may be more likely to struggle with anxiety.
- Many people who drink develop clinical depression.
- You may struggle with weight management.
- Heart disease can develop.
- Heavy use can also lead to slowed respiration.
- Immune system damage is possible.
Facing Addiction and Dependence with Alcohol
While many would quickly note that these health changes are bad enough, the worst part of what alcohol does is that it creates dependency and addiction. Your body can become physically dependent on alcohol, making it nearly impossible for you to stop using it on your own.
When dependency occurs, your brain struggles to function normally. This struggle makes it difficult for you to complete tasks. It may impact your ability to maintain relationships. Over time, you need to drink more to get the same relief due to the tolerance buildup. An alcohol detox center is the most critical step in this case to break that dependency.
You should recognize that is that there is a level of alcohol use that is too much, even if you are not getting drunk. Yet, when you reach this point, you need to seek out drug and alcohol treatment for support.
