„We live in a society where alcohol is normalized and often becomes a usual part of hospitality, celebrations, socializing, or relaxation. Because of this, we sometimes do not notice how alcohol turns from a choice into a taken-for-granted element of everyday life. This does not necessarily mean addiction, but the very need to regularly consume alcohol or the feeling that it is harder to relax, enjoy the evening, or feel good without it is a signal to stop and honestly assess your relationship with alcohol,“ says Jovita Karnišauskienė, medical psychologist at the Šiauliai branch of the Republican Center for Addiction Diseases.
The problem is shown by the changing relationship with alcohol
The World Health Organization states that there is no completely risk-free amount of alcohol – the risk of developing various chronic diseases arises even from the smallest amount consumed and increases with consumption.
„Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and addictive substance. Sometimes people wonder how much alcohol consumption is ‘normal.’ In my opinion, there are no ‘normal’ amounts of alcohol; every consumption carries some health risk, and the more alcohol a person consumes, the more it harms them,“ says the specialist.
According to her, when talking about the development of addiction, the amount of alcohol consumed alone does not answer the question of whether a person’s relationship with alcohol is already becoming a problem. It is important to pay attention to the frequency of use, the reasons, and the role alcohol plays in a person’s life.
„One important signal is a change in a person’s consumption habits. For example, if a person previously drank alcohol only socially, with friends, but now increasingly drinks alone; if previously they drank only on occasions, but now feel the need to drink on a regular workday; or if alcohol becomes a usual way to calm down after a stressful day, then it is worth paying attention to these changes.
It is also important to observe whether the person starts looking for more and more opportunities to drink, whether the desire to drink larger amounts arises, or whether thoughts about alcohol appear in situations where previously they did not think about it,“ explains J. Karnišauskienė.
As one of the clearer signals indicating a problem, the medical psychologist names cases when alcohol begins to negatively affect various areas of a person’s life, yet despite these consequences, the person continues to consume it. For example, relationships with close ones deteriorate, work capacity declines, favorite activities are neglected, but the person does not see the need to give up alcohol.
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It is also worth worrying when alcohol becomes the main or one of the main ways to regulate emotional state: to relax, calm down, cope with stress, sadness, or other difficult experiences.
First noticed by others
The medical psychologist points out that addiction usually does not develop suddenly; its signs may appear gradually, and problematic changes in consumption are often noticed earlier by others than by the person consuming. And even if noticed, it often takes a lot of time to acknowledge it and seek help.
„If a person is just beginning to worry about increasing alcohol consumption and finds it harder to control it themselves, it is worth assessing their consumption as early as possible and looking for ways to reduce it. One can try to stay without alcohol for a longer period and evaluate their state without it, and if necessary, consult specialists and together assess what kind of help would be most appropriate in the specific case. Help methods can vary for each person, depending on their situation, risk factors, and protective factors,“ she emphasizes.
The specialist says it is important to distinguish when someone simply wants to change their consumption habits from a situation where addiction has already formed because in the latter case, the goal is no longer limiting alcohol or reducing quantities but complete abstinence. Moreover, simply giving up alcohol in addiction is not enough. This disease affects a person physically and psychologically and is related to learned behavior patterns. Therefore, removing alcohol from life without working on the causes and mechanisms that maintain consumption leaves the risk of relapse.
When a person decides to consume less alcohol, the behavior of close ones and friends is also important, not diminishing this decision and not hindering it. Relatives should not try to control or limit the person’s consumption themselves because in trying to help, they may sometimes act in ways that only worsen the problem.
„Relatives often have many misconceptions about addiction, so it is important that not only the person consuming seeks help but also their family members. If a person consuming alcohol lives in a relationship with others, their consumption inevitably affects close ones, so it makes sense to address the problem as a team. My recommendation to relatives would be to consult a specialist working in the field of addictions to learn how to properly respond to the person’s consumption, how to set healthy boundaries, and what help can truly be provided, rather than trying to solve the addiction problem on their own,“ concludes J. Karnišauskienė.
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