Partying is ingrained in college culture. And while it can be a lot of fun, it also has the chance to be the catalyst for a serious problem in the long run. Yes, binge drinking is associated mostly with college-aged students. However, it’s something that can affect adults of all ages. While there’s no harm in having a little too much to drink every once in a while, college students often overdo the overdrinking finding themselves in trouble. Fortunately, there’s a way out of this cycle.
How do you know when you’re drinking too much?
Learning to recognize the signs of alcohol addiction can make it easier to stop and get on the road to recovery. The following is a look into warning signs of alcohol addiction and what you can do to get your life back on track.
Weird Out of Character Behavior
The first sign that you may be drinking too much is when your behavior is out of character and constantly getting out of control. If your wild nights out tend to end in high-risk situations you would otherwise never see yourself in, then the drinking is excessive and has to be addressed. When your safety and life are both at risk, this is when you need to pay closer attention to the warning signs and consider asking and getting the help that you need.
Ignoring Responsibilities
When your drinking gets in the way of everyday life, that’s a massive warning sign too. Recognizing this can be hard, as you’ll come up with excuses as to why you’re suddenly doing poorly at work, on school assignments, and in personal relationships. Gain some perspective, take a step back and look at whether your drinking has caused you to ignore your daily responsibilities. If it has, think about getting help to get yourself out of trouble.
Friends and Family Members Are On Edge
If your family members and friends have expressed concern over how much time you spend out partying, that may be a warning sign as well. It is often the people who care about and love you the most who will see signs of worrying behavior before anyone else. You’ll often be the last person to see there’s a serious problem because it’s human nature to deny things we don’t like to confront. When a sibling, coworker, close friend, or spouse tells you they’ve noticed something is off, take the time to evaluate your behavior and your alcohol drinking patterns.
How to Get Yourself Out of Trouble When Partying Becomes a Problem
Recognizing that you are in trouble and need to get out is the first step on the road to recovery. While you’re taking a deep look at what problems partying too much has caused, you need solid ways to reacquaint yourself with rational thoughts and behaviors.
Worth to mention is that recovery isn’t the same for everyone. There are many paths that one can take to get where they can be a happy and healthy person without the need for stimulants like alcohol. For some, that includes extensive therapy. For others, that means spending much more time in a rehabilitation center.
For some addiction sufferers, the best thing might be to stay at a sober living facility that takes a more holistic approach, like newlifehouse.com. Sober living facilities are long-term programs that remove any trigger that could cause a person to relapse. They are not clinical facilities, but they can play a key role in a successful recovery story.
Never Give Up
Overcoming addiction, like any change, is not a one-time event, it’s a process. Through it, you’ll feel yourself being physically and emotionally pushed to your limits. However, when you’ve overcome the withdraws and emotional turmoil, you’ll see the bigger picture. You’ll go from focusing on short-term goals, like where the next party is, to visualizing your brighter future. Today, go ahead and start building the life you truly deserve, from this moment on.