Young people

Alcohol Misuse

OK, so you know that alcohol misuse is when you begin to use alcohol too often or in a way that has a negative effect, but what are the warning signs and how can you tackle the problem?

Drinking is a regular ingredient of many people's lives, but if taken too far drink can become addictive and cause dramatic changes to your life. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you've been drinking either, alcohol affects different people in different ways.

The first step in getting over alcoholism is to admit you have a problem.

There are some warning signs you should consider if you are worried about drinking too much:

You are drinking large amounts of alcohol to get the same effect.

You are anxious when you can't have a drink.

You have a loss of memory due to drinking.

You react badly when people suggest you have a drink problem.

You get into debt due to spending too much money on drink.

You drink in secret or lie about the amount that you drink.

If this sounds like you then it may be time to re-think your drinking habits. If you are suffering from alcohol misuse then this may not be as simple as stopping drinking altogether or cutting down. There will be times when you will find things really tough. The truth is there really is no cure but there are ways that you can help yourself and improve your situation.

There are many people who can help. By talking about your problem and admitting it to others you can begin to lessen the effect alcohol has on your life. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a group of people who are all in the same boat. By helping and supporting each other, members of AA can get over their problems. For more details about AA visit the web site (link on right).

Alcoholics Anonymous is not the only organisation that can help. You may prefer to talk to a counselling service or use a different organisation. Use the links on the right to find more information.