I’m worried about my drug and alcohol use
Drinking alcohol is generally accepted as a common social activity in Australia. Because it is so popular and easy to access it doesn’t have the negative image of other drugs. This can make it hard to figure out if your drinking is becoming a problem.
Thinking about your drinking behaviour and is a way for you to work out if you need some help.
Questions to get you started
• Do you have blackouts regularly? Forget large chunks of time?
• Do you know how many drinks you have in one session? Is it more than 10?
• Do you have to drink more to get the same effect (more tolerance)?
• Are you getting into fights, arguments or accidents when you drink?
• Do you drink to get away from something that’s going on in your life?
• Are you embarrassed or regretful after drinking alcohol?
• If you answered YES to any of the questions, or are feeling unhappy about your alcohol use it could be a good time to get some help from to someone, like a counsellor or your doctor.
Are you binge drinking?
Binge drinking means you are drinking a lot in a short time – like you are trying to get really drunk, really quickly. Because alcohol is common in social situations you can forget that it can be dangerous, especially when taken in large amounts.
• Do you find yourself waking up after a night of drinking but cannot remember parts of the night?
• Do your friends tell you that you are a completely different person when you are drunk?
• Do you make bad choices when you are drunk and feel bad the next day?
• These are signs that your (binge) drinking is having a negative impact on you and your life.