Former alcoholic warns of three red flags that show you’re drinking more than socially
For many of us, having a glass of wine to relax after a stressful day or bottle of beer while watching a game of sports is just part of normal day life.
But how we do we know when drinking alcohol goes from an acceptable sociable habit to something much darker?
One man, who knows all too well what an unhealthy dependency on alcohol looks like, has revealed three red flags to look for when your drinking has gone too far.
Father-of-two Corey Warren has been sober for 15 years, but before that, it took several stints in rehab to finally get a grip on his addiction.
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Now an impressive YouTuber with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, Corey shares daily videos with help change people's perspective on alcohol and addiction, while helping others who might be struggling with drinking.
In one recent video, Corey spoke about how the concept of an alcoholic simply being a person 'who drinks too much' doesn't paint the full picture.
He feels that looking at how much someone drinks means other important points end up being missed.
Why you're drinking
According to Corey the first major difference between if you're someone who simply drinks socially or someone who has a problem with alcohol is the reason behind why you're drinking in the first place.
"The difference is not in how much I drink, it’s in how I drink," he explained in the clip, adding that social drinkers will often have reasons not to drink, such as having work the next morning or needing to care for children.
Corey's own experience was the complete opposite in that he could find a reason to drink in almost any situation, adding: "I have every reason in the book to drink."
The ability to have one or two
Another major difference between a social drinker and an alcoholic comes down to a matter of control.
According to Corey, social drinkers can have one or two drinks and decide they've had enough, whereas he says he 'never had that switch.'
"Alcohol determined when enough was enough," he explained, adding that if there was a drink in front of him, he would drink it and he would keep going until it was gone.
"When I decided to stop, it was because the bottle was empty, I was passed out, or I was blacked out," Corey concluded.
Constantly questioning your drinking
The final red flag, according to Corey, is whether you're constantly questioning your own drinking.
He says social drinkers won't spend so much time wondering if they have a drinking problem or questioning their own habits.
"They don’t wrestle with the thought that maybe they shouldn’t drink," Corey explained, adding that he constantly found himself questioning: "Is this good for me? Am I sure I should be doing this? Maybe I’m taking this too far… maybe I’m an alcoholic, maybe I should stop."
If you've been affected by addiction and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 324-0595, available 24/7, or contact them through their website.
Emma Rosemurgey