#casual drinking

[nevereverthem]

Personal :

People with alcohol : *violence*

Me with alcohol : *LOVE* 💖

[wildfaewhump]

Whumptober Day 18 (No. 18) | Just Get It Over With

Imara flips her braid over her shoulder and squares her shoulders. The door resists her first push, then swings open on reluctant hinges.

The bar appears empty until she steps over the threshold, and a faint tingle of power slips over her skin to reveal a few patrons in deep booths, a scattered few more around pool tables and along the bar, and finally the woman Imara has come to see.

Laurel motions her in with a clipped nod. Imara takes a seat amid a swath of empty chairs at the bar, watching as Laurel finishes pulling the beer in her hand and slides it across to another patron before moving down to Imara.

"Evenin. What're you drinking?"

"Gin and tonic."

Laurel's hands move smoothly, assembling the drink with only the barest of glances at what she's doing. "How's your job search going?"

Imara picks up a napkin and stretches it taut between her fingers, inching her grip along the edges to spin it slowly. "Thought I had something locked down the other day, but it didn't work out."

Laurel plucks the napkin from her hands and sets the drink atop it.

"Any other prospects come up?"

Imara shakes her head. "I mean. I know where the- same opportunity is. I could try again."

"But?"

Imara considers her words carefully as she sips her drink.

"The… current staff are… very entrenched. Territorial."

Laurel huffs a short, silent laugh. "I'm sure they are. Cushy position, is it?"

"Very. I haven't seen benefits like that in a long time."

A single eyebrow quirks up. "Sounds like you need to go interview again."

Imara shrugs, feeling tension tug at her shoulders. "It was… hostile towards the end. I don't think I could get in again."

Laurel leans one hip on the counter and crosses her arms. "Sometimes you have to fight for what you want."

"I know," Imara snaps, annoyed. She takes a drink. Gin burns lightly, soothed by the tonic's fizz. "So I'm not eager to get my ass handed to me again, sue me."

"I'm starting to feel like you're not applying yourself to this search, Imara." Laurel taps two fingers against her arm in sharp rhythm. "We've been very patient with you, but your debt is due. You need to handle this, sooner than later."

Glass clinks sharply against the bar. "I need backup," Imara hisses. "The curses this guy threw at me–"

"Luis! Mind the bar for a minute, would you?" Laurel calls, her casual tone rising over Imara's. She fixes a flat look on Imara. "Let's go talk in my office. Finish your drink."

Shit.

Imara looks down at the half-drunk glass, its innocently clear contents fizzing gently against the ice cubes.

Shit.

She sighs and knocks it back, then braces herself on the back of the chair until the head rush of alcohol and whatever else Laurel put in settles.

"Let's get it over with," she mutters, and follows Laurel through to the back of the bar.

[wayofthewang]

Isabelle after hours

[thediscoveryhouse]

#TDHTalk: National Alcohol Awareness Month

In today’s society, alcohol addiction is something that we could all know a little more about. Alcohol is legal. Drinking alcohol is legal. But the word legal doesn’t mean that it’s safe or healthy. In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month, we thought it would be a good idea to explore why something that is so ingrained in our culture is actually just as dangerous a drug as the ones that are dubbed illegal. Join us for our weekly Twitter Chat about alcoholism, why we need to talk more about it, and how it impacts our communities. 

#TDHTalk: Let’s Talk About Alcohol (National Alcohol Awareness Month)

Date: Wednesday, April 25th 2018 at 11 AM PST

Answer w/ ‘A1’, ‘A2’ etc so we know which question it’s for. And type ‘#TDHTalk’ w/ your answers so it shows up in the feed.

Q1. Why is it so important for us to talk about #AlcoholAwareness? #TDHTalk

Q2. How can parents teach their children to say no to underage drinking? #TDHTalk

Q3. Alcohol abuse can be easy to hide. What are some signs that someone you love could be drinking too much? #TDHTalk

Q4. Alcohol is usually synonymous with fun. Fun = happy. Right? What are some ways that alcohol can negatively impact your mental and physical health? #TDHTalk

Q5. Last question: what advice do you have for someone who wants to quit drinking? #TDHTalk

[thediscoveryhouse]

Honest Advice For How to Support a Sober Friend

Written by Lindsey Whittaker Edited by Deb Kavis

Years ago before I started working in the addiction field, I had friends who didn’t drink. They were sober for many reasons with varying differences. The one thing that always remained the same, however, was that as a “normie” I never knew how to be around them in situations where alcohol was involved.

Do I drink in front of them? Should we go somewhere that doesn’t serve alcohol at all? What if my friend relapses while I’m with them? Do I quit out of solidarity? What do I do?!

It’s like their personal decision to abstain from alcohol profoundly affected me in ways I couldn’t explain. I felt almost responsible for it. I took it personally.

But here’s where I was getting it all wrong. In some ways, it did have something to do with me. We’re friends. Naturally, I care about them. However, in so many other ways, it was not about me at all. Now that I know more about alcoholism and alcohol abuse disorders, I feel sorry for how I handled those social situations and wished I had been a better friend.

I don’t think I knew better.

Today I am sharing my lessons learned with you. In case you have a sober friend or family member who has decided that the dry life is for them here are a few dos and don’ts.

Don’t Take it Personally When They Don’t Want to Hang Out

Embarking on a new lifestyle, your freshly sober friend will be going through a lot. Dealing with past issues, going to therapy, attending meetings, going to work, while simultaneously figuring out how to live sober in a world that drinks are just a few of the obstacles they will face. They are going to be rethinking their current relationships and envisioning how their new life will look. Sometimes that won’t involve remaining friends with people who continue to drink.

Keep in mind that they are merely doing what is best for them to stay sober so don’t take it too personally if they need space.

Never Try to Get Them to Drink With You

Being an alcoholic is severe. It’s more than just drinking, it’s survival.

If someone is an alcoholic and they’ve told you that’s why they don’t drink anymore, don’t push it on them. If you want to be a good friend, always respect their decision and their recovery. Don’t focus so much on their decision to quit drinking. Instead, consider why it bothers you so much not to be drinking.

Do Ask Them How They Are Feeling About Sobriety

When the people we love are going through a tough time, we don’t always know what to do. Most times it doesn’t matter, some things are just too terrible to do anything about.

However, what always works is being there together in the awkward discomfort. A simple “how are you feeling?” or “how can I help?” can go a long way.

Do Support Their Healthy Lifestyle

When someone quits drinking, they tend to pick up on other healthy lifestyle habits. Why not try and support that?

The next time you need a hang sesh, invite your sober friend to do something healthy. A yoga class, hike, or grabbing a juice or smoothie are all great options.

This way you know there won’t be any opportunity for awkward moments involving alcohol. Plus you’ll be positively contributing to your friend’s recovery, and you can focus on more important things like having fun together.

Go To a Support Group Like Al-Anon

One of the best things you can do to support your friend is to explore recovery on your own time. Ask questions and try to understand the why behind their disease. Al-Anon is the perfect place to do just that. Al-Anon is a support group, much like Alcoholics Anonymous, but for friends and family. You can share your experiences, work the 12 steps, and learn about addiction in general.

Best of all, you’ll be around other people just like you who are trying to figure out how to have a relationship with someone who struggles with alcohol use disorder.

In conclusion, you can be friends with someone who doesn’t drink anymore. At their heart, they are still the same person, just a version that doesn’t use alcohol as a lifeline. 

[thediscoveryhouse]

Casual Drinker or Alcohol Addiction? 4 Signs to Know For Sure

Do I drink too much? It’s a question that everyone asks themselves at some point and to our surprise it’s one that causes quite the discussion. We know there is such a thing as drinking too much but where does the line between casual drinking and alcohol addiction begin? If you’ve ever asked yourself if you drink too much or if you’ve worried about a friend or loved one’s drinking behaviors, you’ve come to the right place. Today’s blog is all about clearing the confusion about casual drinking, alcohol abuse, and alcohol addiction.

Are you struggling with alcohol addiction? Take the first step and get in touch now.

From Casual Drinking to Alcohol Addiction

What makes someone an alcoholic? Because alcohol is a legal substance, people can’t quite get their minds around what constitutes addiction.

I came across this article in the Washington Post which had a chart demonstrating the drinking patterns in American adults over 18 years of age. It stated that 30% of Americans don’t drink at all. That’s more people than I thought indefinitely but what was the most shocking was not the amount of people who do drink – but how much they drink. For example, the top 30% of Americans who drink alcohol are drinking anywhere from 6.25 to 73.85 drinks per week. This means that a lot of Americans are either heavy drinkers or they are abusing alcohol.

Casual Drinking

There is nothing inherently wrong with drinking. In fact, it’s perfectly fine – in moderation. Countless studies have been conducted on the benefits of that daily glass of red wine. On the other hand, there have been even more studies on the negative affects of alcohol. These studies have added a troublesome dialogue about the affects of drinking alcohol and have contributed to the general confusion about alcohol addiction.

30% of Americans who drink alcohol are drinking anywhere from 6.25 to 73.85 drinks per week. This…

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Heavy Drinking

For men under age 65, heavy drinking means having four drinks a day or more than 14 drinks in a week. For women and men over age 65, heavy drinking is more than three drinks a day or more than seven drinks in a week.1

Binge drinking is drinking a large amount of alcohol at one time. According to SAMHSA, binge drinking is defined as drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages for men and 4 or more for women.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is when someone drinks alcohol at an excessive rate. People who drink excessively and are abusing alcohol are at great risk of developing an addiction to alcohol. However, even though alcohol abuse can have grave effects on your body and your life, many people drinking excessively on a regular basis don’t become addicted to alcohol.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is a physical and/or psychological compulsion to consume alcohol at an excessive rate. They are obsessed with drinking it and when they aren’t actively drinking, they are thinking about (or scheming) their next drink. It’s not all about the amount that they are drinking but more about their relationship with alcohol.

Side note: People who are addicted to alcohol don’t know how to drink in moderation. Even if they go to treatment, they likely will never know how to drink in moderation.

What is the Difference Between Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse?

Many people use the terms alcoholism and alcohol abuse interchangeably but they actually hold very different meaning. 

Alcohol abuse is when someone drinks alcohol at an excessive rate. Alcoholism (or alcohol addiction) is a physical and/or psychological compulsion to consume alcohol at an excessive rate.

We can also refer to what the definition of addiction is. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine:

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.2

Signs, Side Effects, and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction

“Drinking alcohol has a lot more risks than many people realize,” says CDC Director Thomas Frieden. Excessive drinking is responsible for about 88,000 deaths each year making alcohol the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the country. In addition, alcohol consumption costs the U.S. economy about $224 billion a year, according to the CDC.

Are there any surefire signs that someone is addicted to alcohol? There are many factors to consider however, most assessments narrow it down to these four questions:

1. Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

2. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you could be abusing alcohol and putting yourself at risk for alcohol addiction.

[58-mg]

i lov apple beer so much i cant believe its alcoholic vodka and whiskey have their own unique tastes that i can appreciate but i could marry redd's like, i could drink it at every meal, i could bathe in it and give it to my children

[themusingsofmysoul]

Casual drinking with a friend