Posted by Christine Leccese, Military Pathways on April 8, 2014
April is Alcohol Awareness Month — a good time to assess drinking habits. People may hear this and joke that they’re fully aware of their drinking, but problem drinking is no laughing matter. Although drinking is a legal and accepted part of our society, for many it can lead to broken relationships, brushes with the law and for some service members, major career setbacks.
If drinking is so common and accepted, how do we know if we have a problem with alcohol? Many people mistakenly believe that if they don’t drink every day they don’t have a problem. Actually, both maintenance drinking (drinking every day) and binge drinking (drinking excessively when you do drink) can suggest a problem with alcohol.
The effects of drinking on home or work life may also provide clues, although you may not see this. A problem relationship with drinking isn’t always clear to the person doing the drinking.