Drinking Problems are NOT One Size Fits All

Society tends to categorize any and every "Drinking Problem" with a One-Size-Fits-All label called "Alcoholism." In this video, we dive into why this mode of thinking can cause a variety of downstream negative consequences for folks who are not yet a 10 out of 10 on The Drinker Spectrum, yet are experiencing repeated issues with their drinking. Due to the fear of being labeled and judged, many good people delay taking positive action to reign in their habit.

I certainly fell into this trap myself at one point. In the video we discuss the degrees of Alcohol Use Disorder and how surprisingly, the majority of people who's alcohol intake exceeds Recommended Moderate Guidelines actually DO NOT rise to the level of AUD.

But that doesn't mean you should ignore the helpful inner voice of self-preservation if it's been whispering to you about your drinking. Like most problems in life, the longer we wait to address the situation with meaningful corrective action, the harder it will be to do so down the road. The earlier you take steps to stop drinking, whether temporarily to sort things out, or for the long term...the better your odds of being able to stop drinking on your own.

The notion that you should wait for a "Rock Bottom" experience to occur before you intervene is crazy! Why live with that level of risk hanging over your head? It’s a risk that could potentially jeopardize your health, your closest relationships, your reputation and much more.

If you feel like alcohol might be taking more from you than it’s giving, and you’ve tried cutting back on your own but always seem to end up back to your same old routine, just know that you are in good company.

If you're questioning your drinking, a good place to start can be to find out where you land on the Alcohol Drinker Spectrum. You can access it here: The Alcohol Drinker Spectrum