Social drinking vs. problem drinking – understanding the difference between the two might save your health and life.
Alcohol use in the US is an issue often in the news due to the dangers that can occur when people drink and drive or mix alcohol with other substances. While many people have no issues with alcohol abuse, some do. When that happens, it often means that social drinking has become a problem that exceeds the limits of acceptable consumption.
Social drinking has many forms and includes having a glass of wine to relax after work, celebrating at parties or special events, or meeting friends at a bar for drinks on the weekend. People drink socially at sports events, concerts, and during holiday gatherings.
Social drinkers know when to stop, limit their consumption, and do not drink and drive. While a social drinker may have one or two drinks while out, they often do so early in their evening and follow it with food to avoid being inebriated behind the wheel. Getting drunk and blacking out are NOT associated with social drinking. Those issues are signs of an alcohol problem.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking in moderation is considered 2 drinks or less per day for males and 1 drink or less per day for females. Heavy drinking is defined as:
- Males: 5 or more drinks in one day or 15 or more drinks per week
- Females: 4 or more drinks in one day or 8 or more drinks per week
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) calls binge drinking 5 or more days during a month as heavy alcohol use.
What is a standard drink?
Knowing the size of a standard drink is crucial, as ordering a double shot counts as two drinks, not one. The alcohol content is designated as alcohol by volume (ABV) and listed below.
A standard drink is defined as follows:
- 12 ounces of beer (5% ABV)
- 8 ounces of malt liquor (7% ABV)
- 5 ounces of wine (12% ABV)
- 5 ounces of distilled spirits (80-proof, 40% ABV)
Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
You do not need to have a physical alcohol dependence to have a drinking problem. If you only drink occasionally and know when to stop, you are most likely a social drinker. Drinking to the point of intoxication regularly signifies a problem with alcohol. Many people do not realize how many issues are signs of problem drinking.
Signs that a person is struggling with social drinking include:
- Socializing for the sole purpose of drinking
- Alcohol cravings or obsessive thoughts about drinking
- Not being able to stop even if desired
- Not realizing when it is time to stop drinking or saying, “just one more drink”
- Requiring increased alcohol consumption to get the “feeling” (high tolerance)
- Engaging in risky or dangerous behaviors while drinking
- Drinking before going out to a party, event, or bar
- Having withdrawal symptoms when not drinking (irritability, nausea, shaking, sweating)
- Trouble driving or driving while intoxicated
- Inability to maintain quality job performance
- Missing work or class
- More frequent illness
- Memory lapses or blackouts
- Losing friendships and relationships (people avoiding you)
- Rewarding themselves with alcohol
- Insisting they do not have a problem with alcohol when everyone else tells them they do (becoming defensive or combative)
- Unable to imagine life without alcohol
- Displaying uncharacteristic behavior not present when sober
- Slurring their words or not being able to have coherent conversations while drinking
- Sudden inability to handle finances or loss of money
- Changes in sexual performance
- Spending more time with “friends” who drink excessively
- Drinking at odd hours of the day
- Using alcohol as an escape mechanism or stress reliever
- Finishing other’s drinks
- Having multiple drinks alone every day
Exhibiting at least a few of these issues is cause for concern that social drinking has become problematic drinking.
Signs You Should Pay Attention
Going out on Friday nights after work and having a few drinks is a common way people socialize regularly. Doing the same every night can be worrisome. Spending the afternoon at the sports bar on Sundays is a great way to socialize with friends while cheering on your favorite team with a few pints. However, hitting the same pub every night, no matter what sport is on, becomes problematic.
Too many people avoid the signs of alcohol problems. They may brush it off as needing to relax due to stress or that they are social drinking. However, if it exceeds the abovementioned guidelines, there is a significant reason for concern.
Some people who begin with social drinking do not realize it has progressed to a situation beyond their control. Problem drinking can occur at any time and to anyone.
Here are some risk factors that can increase alcohol dependency:
- Family history: children of parents who had alcohol or substance abuse issues may have a higher risk factor for alcohol abuse.
- Mental health issues: anxiety and depressive disorders put people more at risk for alcohol abuse. Alcohol offers a temporary respite from mental health symptoms, but it does not make them go away.
- Significant stress events: job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, injury, and significant illnesses increase stress and can lead to excessive drinking.
You should also not consume alcohol if any of the following factors are present:
- Pregnant
- Under age 21
- Driving
- Operating machinery
- Participating in activities that require focus, skill, and coordination
- Recovering alcoholic or from other substance abuse
- Under a doctor’s care for specific medical conditions
- Taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that warn against alcohol use
What Health Problems Can Develop from Drinking Too Much?
It is easy to assume that alcohol has a positive influence on one’s health due to reports about the benefits of drinking a glass of red wine. However, drinking too much can have the opposite effect. Sugary drinks, double shots, and frequent drinking can pack on pounds, reduce liver functions, increase health risks, and cause increased alcohol tolerance that can lead to greater consumption.
Surgical complications can occur in people who drink heavily and require surgery for a health issue or injury. Anesthesia dosages are often higher than necessary due to the body’s tolerance for alcohol. That can increase the risk of surgical complications.
Here are some health problems that can develop from excessive drinking:
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Heart problems
Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the heart, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, arrhythmias, heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and stroke.
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Liver disease
The liver is the “clearing house” for alcohol, and when processing alcohol, it cannot conduct its other functions. Liver inflammation and other health-related problems include alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fibrosis, and steatosis (fatty liver).
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Digestive problems
The pancreas produces toxic substances in response to alcohol that can lead to pancreatitis (inflammation) that can impair enzyme and hormone production necessary for proper digestion. Gastrointestinal inflammation and bleeding risks increase, as does gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
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Cancer
Alcohol drinking increases the risk of several types of cancer, including the following:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Head and neck cancer (including oral cancers)
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Breathing problems
Alcohol poisoning is a condition that occurs from excessive consumption. It can affect breathing and heart rate and lead to gagging. In extreme cases, it could lead to coma and death. Lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, and pulmonary consequences of COVID-19 increase.
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Injuries
Excessive drinking can lead to falls or accidents that can cause potentially life-threatening injuries. From broken bones to traumatic brain injury (TBI), some of these conditions linger for life. TBI can affect hormone production and increase the risk of dementia.
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Weakening of the immune system
The impact of alcohol extends to the immune system, in part by way of decreased hormone functions. Excessive drinking increases the risk of infections, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. All it takes is one episode of binge drinking or long-term heavy consumption to alter crucial signaling between immune cells. Along with illness risks, alcohol abuse can impair wound healing and increase wound infections.
Increased inflammation due to pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with alcohol consumption causes problems for the entire body as a whole.
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Declined cognition
Communication pathways in the brain are disrupted by alcohol, altering behavior, mood, clear thought, and coordination. Reduced brain functions are also signs of other health issues, including hormonal imbalance. HGH deficiency can cause concentration trouble, impaired learning ability, and even memory loss. Pay attention to your hormone health and learn more about HGH results.
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Endocrine problems
Excessive alcohol use interferes with the entire endocrine system, disrupting hormone production and interfering with neurotransmitters and cytokines that communicate between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. These disturbances interfere with every tissue and organ, causing systemic dysfunction. Diabetes risk increases along with body weight, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels.
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Muscles and bones
Along with an increased risk of fractures due to falls, alcohol disrupts bone remodeling, reducing bone density. Muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and gout risks increase.
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Neurologic system
Alcohol abuse causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, impacting gray and white matter in the brain and causing cognitive function decline. Impaired nerve cell communication, decreased brain volume, and problems with memory, attention, and reasoning can occur. Peripheral nerve damage can lead to painful burning in the feet and sensory loss in the extremities.
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Pregnancy
Drinking while pregnant increases the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD), including skeletal, heart, and kidney problems, and neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (ND-PAE). Brain damage and behavioral and cognitive disabilities can occur.
Conclusion
Social drinking is an excellent way to spend time with friends, family, and coworkers – if it does not get out of control. Since most people who social drink do so when with others for celebrations, relaxation, or other get-togethers, alcohol abuse is often not a factor. Enjoying a bottle of wine or a drink or two with others over dinner is normal.
An occasional drink is nothing to worry about unless there are underlying health problems that could be affected. Recovering alcoholics should also abstain from drinking as any amount of alcohol can trigger a relapse that could take years to recover. Avoiding activities centered around alcohol consumption is advised.
Along with the health consequences mentioned, there are legal issues to understand if you drink to the point of trouble. Risky behaviors can escalate quickly into situations where police presence is necessary. Assault, property damage, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, drunk driving, and, at worst, vehicular manslaughter caused by driving while intoxicated can lead to incarceration.
Legal troubles can cause employment and relationship issues. Seek help if you or anyone you know has a drinking problem that goes beyond social drinking.