At this time of year, long weekends, social occasions and nights out can often lead to heavier drinking than usual, but Gonzalo (Kanny) Sanchez, Lead Therapist for Priory’s Flourish addiction treatment programme, who supports clients at Priory Life Works House in Surrey, say there are some warning signs people shouldn’t ignore when alcohol starts affecting their emotional wellbeing, routine or relationships.
Some early signs to look out for include:
- You regularly need “recovery days” after drinking: If drinking is consistently leaving you unable to function properly the next day, emotionally or physically - it may be a sign alcohol is having a greater impact than you realise.
- You feel anxious, low or emotionally overwhelmed after drinking: Many people experience “hangxiety” after heavy drinking, but if alcohol is repeatedly affecting your mood, confidence or stress levels for several days afterwards, it could point to a more problematic pattern.
- Drinking is becoming part of how you cope with stress: If alcohol starts feeling less like enjoyment and more like something you rely on to switch off, unwind, socialise or escape difficult emotions, it may be time to reflect on your relationship with drinking.
- You struggle to relax socially without alcohol: Feeling unable to attend social events, dates or gatherings without drinking beforehand can sometimes indicate growing emotional reliance on alcohol.
- Your drinking regularly affects work, concentration or motivation: Returning to work exhausted, struggling to focus, feeling irritable or needing days to mentally recover after drinking can all be signs alcohol is beginning to impact daily functioning.
- You often drink more than you originally planned: Finding it difficult to stop once you start drinking, or regularly exceeding the amount you intended to have, can be an early warning sign of loss of control around alcohol.
- Friends or family have commented on your drinking: Loved ones often notice behavioural changes before we do ourselves. Repeated concerns or comments from others about drinking habits shouldn’t automatically be dismissed.
- Drinking is becoming part of your routine rather than a choice: If alcohol has become something you automatically turn to at weekends, after work or during stressful moments, it may be worth considering how dependent that routine has become emotionally or psychologically.
- You feel guilty, embarrassed or regretful after drinking: Frequently regretting behaviour, conversations or decisions made while drinking can indicate alcohol is beginning to negatively affect emotional wellbeing and relationships.
- You’ve started questioning your drinking habits yourself: Often, one of the clearest signs is simply beginning to wonder whether your relationship with alcohol feels healthy or manageable anymore.
One of the concerns is that binge drinking has become so normalised around bank holidays and social occasions that people often dismiss these patterns as standard behaviour, even when it’s starting to negatively affect their wellbeing, work or relationships.
If you or a loved one is struggling, find out more about how Flourish could offer support or start your journey with a free addiction assessment.