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3 zucchinis, shaved into noodles with a spiral slicer
1 package enoki mushrooms, trimmed
and separated
4 shitaki mushrooms, (soaked and sliced)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, cut into thin strips
20 snow peas, cut into thin strips
1 pound mung bean sprouts
½ lime, juiced
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce
1 tbsp dulce seaweed
½ cup almond butter
½ cup semi-dried tomatoes
1 lime, chopped (including peel if organic)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
7 dates, pitted
¼ cup olive oil
2 small Thai chillies or 1 jalapeno
1 ½ tbsp shredded or zested fresh ginger’
1 to 2 tablespoons of braggs or tamari, plus extra if desired
1 ½ tsp live sea salt, plus extra if desired.
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Place all the Pad Thai ingredients in a bowl and let them marinate for 30 minutes.
STEP 2
For the sauce, blend the hiziki, almond butter, sundried tomatoes, lime, garlic, dates, olive oil, chillies, ginger, braggs and sea salt with ½ cup water until creamy.
PALLADIUM PRIVATE is a holistic mental health retreat in the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland, specialising in treating the underlying causes of mental ill-health including; alcohol dependency, anxiety and depression, drug dependency, PTSD and trauma. Our team of passionate, authentic professionals create and deliver customised BioPsychoSocial programs for each of our clients to give them the tools to create and navigate their life with freedom and joy.
For more information or to speak with one of our friendly team, phone 1300 573 095
Drugs by nature are addictive. In the last article in this series, we established that alcohol is legal drug. Its consumption is promoted as fun, inclusive and relaxing. Is it any wonder then that the brain – which is conditioned to seek more pleasure – works right into the hands of the lucrative alcohol industry and gradually develops a dependence on this addictive drug? Once alcohol consumption has become intrinsically linked with our social interactions, emotional responses and coping mechanisms, it is incredibly easy for alcohol use to develop into misuse, then dependency and addiction.
What causes alcohol addiction?
Taking the drug (in this case alcohol) creates withdrawal, which leads to anxiety and desire for more of that drug to alleviate the feelings and physical symptoms created by the withdrawal – even in small amounts. The infamous hangover – a socially acceptable, often humorous yet highly debilitating condition – is actually the body suffering withdrawal from the drug alcohol.
A hangover is the body desperately trying to rid itself of a dangerous toxin, while the amygdala is crying out for more alcohol to alleviate the uncomfortableness of running out. In short, drinking alcohol leads unavoidably to physical withdrawal symptoms. The primitive part of the brain (that damned amygdala!) screams out for more of the drug to alleviate its discomfort. This then makes us consciously uncomfortable in the form of obsessive thoughts and cravings. Hence the vicious cycle of addiction repeats.
Stopping the physical intake (detoxing) is the first and easiest step
What??!?! I hear you say. It may be hard to entertain, but the physical cravings for alcohol are short-lived –just five to seven days. It is actually the deep seated (mostly subconscious) emotional cravings that are the most powerful to overcome. There is an incredible difference between these two types of cravings.
The body’s physical cravings for alcohol are – once again – controlled by that primal, reptilian part of the brain, the amygdala. For most people suffering from a severe alcohol addiction, the acute withdrawal stage from physical addiction lasts between five and seven days. The Healthline website has a great timeline HERE if you’d like to explore this in more detail.
PLEASE NOTE: A supervised detox for severe addiction is recommended as the effects of acute withdrawal can be life threatening in some cases).
How long will it take alcohol to leave my system?
Blood: up to 12 hours
Urine: 3-5 days
Hair: up to 90 days
Why is it so hard to stop drinking?
Why does that bottle of wine or beer call your name from the fridge after a long hard day?
Why does the thought of a wedding without alcohol sound like a form of horrific torture?
Why is it near impossible to put the bottle away when you’d only planned to have two glasses?
Why – when you set the rule you won’t drink on weekdays – does Thursday night seem close enough to the weekend to give in?….
If physical cravings and the alcohol itself can be eliminated in just one short week, why is it so hard to stop drinking when we try to give up? Addressing the deeply rooted beliefs and comfort-seeking habits we have subconsciously developed around alcohol – this is the life changing, missing link in the recovery process. This is the deep mental and emotional work needed to successfully overcome addiction to alcohol.
The key to recovery from alcohol addiction
Self-awareness is the key that opens the door to a successful recovery. If you have made it this far in the discussion, you most likely already had an inkling that alcohol had become a problem in your life. Many people push on regardless and deny there is a problem at all, so well done! Self-awareness is critical and you have it. What next? As we just discussed, stopping the physical consumption of alcohol is next, allowing the physical cravings to be experienced, to pass and to end. The cycle of physical addiction has now been disrupted.
Then the heavy lifting begins! We need to bring to light and acknowledge the core, underlying false beliefs you have around alcohol that have enabled its emotional, habitual hold over you. These beliefs are most often operating completely at the subconscious level. Some of these beliefs may include:
EXAMPLES OF SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEFS
I need alcohol to calm my social anxiety
People don’t find me interesting/funny/intelligent without alcohol
I’m too self-conscious to enjoy sex without alcohol
I hate this task / I need a drink to do this
I can’t handle this situation without drinking
It won’t be fun without alcohol
I’m missing out if I don’t drink
Drinking will make this feel better
I deserve a drink
Alcohol is always there for me, it’s my friend
etc. – these deep beliefs will be personal to you
Identifying these automatic thoughts and subconscious beliefs can be a confronting yet rewarding process. Once they are identified and brought into your consciousness, you then have the incredible opportunity to re-write your core values and beliefs. This life changing work is at the heart of a successful recovery from alcohol addiction.
How can I change my core beliefs around alcohol?
Palladium Private has developed a highly effective, carefully balanced holistic BioPsychoSocial program that uses a cognitive approach to examine each individual’s thinking patterns and responses to life stimuli. Our psychotherapists seek to uncover and modify the subconscious conditioning and thought processes that have developed in relation to each client’s historic and current life situation and events. By successfully doing so, this eradicates false beliefs and habitual behaviours that previously operated on autopilot.
At Palladium Private we teach that the belief system – which is completely unique to each person – acts as the direct platform for our thoughts, actions, responses and behaviours. We refer to this process as the mind-body connection. It is incredibly powerful. Not only do we live according to our belief system, it often goes unexamined or unquestioned throughout our lives. Using a holistic BioPsychoSocial approach to uncovering these belief systems in a guided, supportive, safe and focused environment has given so many of our past clients the key to life-long recovery from addiction.
Please visit our YouTubechannel to watch success stories from some of our previous clients.
Emanuele and his team take a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles in order to promote awareness and initiate together the transformative process. Palladium Private’s BioPsychoSocial program approaches a range of treatment modalities from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, to Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and the Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
To answer that question, we’re not going to ask you to count the number of drinks you consume on any given day or week and refer you immediately to your GP. Instead we’re going to help answer this question for you by defining exactly what an alcoholic is – or isn’t in this case.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “alcoholic” as:
So the applicable answer there is the noun – suffering from alcoholism. Let’s ask the Oxford Dictionary to define Alcoholism for us next:
Now we’re getting somewhere. Defining alcoholism as addiction to the consumption of alcohol makes sense. According to that simple logic, we could safely assume that a person who is addicted to smoking cigarettes would also have a similarly associative noun. Let’s ask the Oxford Dictionary what the definition of a Tobaccoholic is:
Nothing there.
What about a Heroinolic?
Nothing.
Iceolic?
Again, nothing.
Gambolic?
Still nothing.
Sexaholic?
Nope.
The examples listed above all relate to substances and behaviours that are highly addictive. This is because consuming these substances or undertaking these activities activates the reward centre of the brain, triggering a shortcut that causes a powerful surge of dopamine – “The Happy Chemical”. Dopamine is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that – along with serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin – regulates how happy we feel.
The brain is an incredibly sophisticated data input and memory processing device. It is designed to experience, respond, remember and repeat positive experiences in the most effective way possible. It also uses these same abilities to help you avoid any negative experiences it has experienced in the past. Hence, by consuming substances that artificially spike the brain’s feel good chemicals, the brain learns to shortcut the natural process of dopamine production and go straight to the easy source – in this case alcohol.
The Amygdala – the part of the brain that regulates emotions – quickly creates a conditioned response to regular consumption of alcohol that forms the basis of an addiction. Why wait for a gentle release of dopamine from watching a child play or receiving a compliment from a loved one when it can get an instant super surge from a large glass of wine or a comforting pint of beer?
Now we know the basics of how addiction works, let’s reject the inaccurate label of an Alcoholic. Along with its degrading and inaccurate stereotype of a filthy, ranting, crazy man living under a bridge, protectively cradling his 2L flagon of port in a brown paper bag….
Going forward with this discussion, any references to the term alcoholic will be encased in inverted commas and we will use these alternatives – alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction or alcohol misuse.
So am I an “Alcoholic”?
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN “ALCOHOLIC”
Now we are in agreement there is no such thing as an “Alcoholic”, you might also be surprised to learn there are some outstanding character traits people with alcohol dependence issues often have in common. Highly functioning people with an alcohol addiction are likely to be:
Over achievers
Above average intelligence
Consistently employed and sought after
Well-liked and empathetic
Skilled at compartmentalising their lives
Well groomed and presented
Highly articulate
Skilled multi-taskers
Ambitious
Self-analytical
Loyal
Not quite the stereotype we see in the movies is it? There’s no shame in those characteristics listed. Quite the opposite. Does this list resonate with you? The reality for most people with an alcohol dependency is that they’re highly functional, productive members of society who suffer silently with the effects of their addiction behind closed doors.
Is alcohol a drug?
We have already established that alcohol – along with heroin, tobacco, sex, shopping, marijuana etc – are all substances and activities that cause unnaturally powerful spikes in the brain’s “happy chemicals”. With regular use, these habits form well-worn neuropathways that form the basis of an addiction.
Any substance or behaviour that causes unnatural changes in the brain’s finely tuned balance of chemicals is defined as a drug. Let’s consult our trusty Oxford Dictionary again on the definition of a drug:
Once again, we need to tear down a stereotype to get to the truth.
Is alcohol legal? Yes
Was it always legal? No
(remember Prohibition – a nationwide ban on alcohol in the US from 1920-1933?)
Is alcohol socially acceptable? Yes
Are Mums encouraged to relieve their stress at wine o’clock? Yes
Are corporates encouraged to unwind from a stressful week with messy Friday night drinks? Yes
Is a barbecue without beer in Australia a barbecue? Debatable
Therefore, it is a drug. A highly addictive drug. It’s a highly marketable, highly taxed, totally legal drug of addiction. It was designed to be addictive and marketed to be the answer to all our problems and the partner for all our celebrations. Has alcohol done exactly what it was designed to do – snuck into your life and made itself comfortable without your knowledge? Perhaps far too comfortable?…
Emanuele and his team take a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles in order to promote awareness and initiate together the transformative process. Palladium Private’s BioPsychoSocial program approaches a range of treatment modalities from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, to Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and the Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
AFL Executive Darren Birch opens up about Burnout, Depression & Recovery
An unbearable pressure
COVID-19 is forcing some of us to slow down, face extreme financial pressure with job losses or re-evaluate our connection with friends, family and an uncertain future. Yet others find themselves under even greater pressure to perform in their corporate roles as they restructure or adapt their business, products, services and marketing models to deal with the current crisis. Prioritising our mental health at a time like this can easily mean it’s relegated to the bottom of the To Do list.
Has the pressure been building for some time?
With a high-flying dream career, a precious family at home and all the pressures of life on his shoulders, Darren Birch was at his breaking point. After 20 years experiencing atypical symptoms of undiagnosed depression, Darren reached the point where fear of failure in his career, as a father and as a husband, led to him experiencing corporate burnout and seeking treatment that has changed his life.
Darren’s depression did not manifest in the usual ways – he was not unmotivated, unable to leave his bed most days and experiencing terrible lows – in fact he was highly functional, yet experiencing few emotions at all. A combination of art therapy, psychotherapy, physical therapy, natural surroundings and true rest at Palladium Private allowed him the inward focus to assess and reset.
How does workplace stress contribute to burnout, anxiety and depression?
Toxic stress makes people feel pointless, like a cog in a wheel, taken for granted. To feel valuable as humans, we need to feel we are contributing to a greater good or cause. Corporate burnout is typified by a feeling of lack of control. You may feel you are not able to influence workplace decisions, or your work is not being recognised and utilised effectively because the overall procedural structure of the organisation is unwieldy. Or your exhausting daily experience may be due to personalities, flaws and damaging traits of close or powerful colleagues.
The longer you experience these factors on a daily basis, the greater the chances are you will develop corporate burnout. Unfortunately, anxiety, stress and depression are unhappy bedfellows of burnout.
On the other hand, not every stressful workplace causes corporate burnout. Certain types of stress actually have a positive effect on employees and can lead to outstanding performance, job satisfaction,personal and professional growth. However, this is not the norm in most of today’s fast paced workplaces.
Seeking help to treat burnout
Are you experiencing some of the symptoms above? If so, take these warning signs seriously and reach out. If you continue to grit your teeth, push on and stoically “get through it”, it will be unsustainable over the long term. You are pushing your mind and body to run on empty. Eventually,your tank will run out of fuel and every aspect of your life will sputter to a grinding halt with a hiss and a bang. Before you reach that point, turn the focus solidly on yourself and seek help.
Why do Palladium Private programs work?
At the heart of Palladium Private’s holistic, BioPsychoSocial program is a cognitive approach,meaning it examines an individual’s thinking patterns. Our psychotherapists seek to modify or change the individual’s conditioning and thought processes in relation to historic, current or future events in their lives. In successfully doing so, this reduces and eradicates stress and its related conditions.
At Palladium Private, we teach that the belief system – which is unique to each person – acts as the direct platform for our thinking, responses, and behaviours. We refer to this process as the mind-body connection. Not only do we live according to our belief system, it often goes unexamined or unquestioned throughout the rest of our life.
You can reset and regain your life like Darren did
If you are reading this and resonating with Darren’s story and the symptoms of burnout above, don’t worry – it is not too late! Recovery is possible no matter how overwhelmed you’ve become. It’s far too easy to be so overcome by the situations surrounding us, we can no longer see a way forward. Undertaking a BioPsychoSocial program at Palladium Private, such as the one Darren engaged with, is a surefire way to re-align your personal values, career aspirations and contentedness with life.
Find out more about the BioPsychoSocial programs offered at Palladium Private:
CALL OUR TEAM or SEND US AN EMAIL
Helpful Free Resource
If you or someone you love is suffering from corporate burnout, addiction, anxiety or depression and needs immediate help, please use the link below to access a FREE 12-page PDF booklet with practical insights and tools to read at your leisure: The Underlying Cause of Anxiety & Depression
When you or someone you love has a problem with drinking, it can affect not only that person but everyone around them. Those who have an alcohol dependency often prioritise drinking above spending time with the people they care about the most. If this sounds all too familiar, read on to discover how to get help with a drinking problem.
There’s a key difference between indulging in one too many drinks on special occasions and having a real problem with drinking. Those with alcohol dependency may exhibit many signs and symptoms, but generally, having an alcohol dependency means that an individual will use alcohol as a coping tool and drink to excess regularly on a recurring basis. Rather than alcohol adding to their quality of life, alcohol reduces the quality of their life, usually to the detriment of their personal relationships, their health and other responsibilities.
So, how can you or those you love get help with a drinking problem?
Getting informed about alcohol dependency
To begin with, it’s important to get informed about alcohol dependency to understand just why you or someone you love are turning to alcohol. Read our article to familiarise yourself with the symptoms of alcohol addiction.
How to get help with a drinking problem
Alcohol is so ingrained into Australian society and culture that those with a drinking problem may not even realise it, or maybe in denial. Whereas alcohol may have been a part of socialising for enjoyment, it now becomes a tool used to avoid issues, mask pain or suffering or relieve social anxiety. If you have recognised that you may have a drinking problem, this is a positive step forward in the right direction. It can take a huge amount of courage to take the first step in deciding you need treatment. The sooner you fully confront the issue, the sooner you can get help with a drinking problem and start out on the road to recovery.
Whatever treatment route you choose, support is crucial. The quickest way to get help is to voice your concerns with a trusted friend, family member, or health professional.
But in order to embrace either a healthy relationship with alcohol and/or an alcohol-free life, you need to face the underlying causes behind your alcohol dependency, which means learning healthier coping strategies. At Palladium Private, we enable people to firstly to be aware of and then understand their underlying issues. Secondly, we provide and help entrench coping mechanisms that the person can apply instead of utilising alcohol to cope with. As the person goes through life and is faced with adversity, they are equipped with new methods to help overcome any pain or suffering, without needing to turn to alcohol to cope.
How to get help for loved ones with a drinking problem
As alcohol is such an accepted and natural way to socialise, many alcoholics mask their symptoms and rationalise potential harmful behaviours. It can be particularly difficult trying to confront someone with alcohol dependency, but the best place to start is by having an open, honest conversation.
Approach your loved one when they are sober and in a stable, calm state of mind. Always reassure the person that they are loved by friends and family. Rather than accusing them or becoming threatening, try to voice your concerns from a place of love, and remain calm at all times.
Mention that you may be worried about them as you believe that drinking may be playing too big of a role in their lives. Try to have specific examples on hand of when drinking may have interfered with their lives including their work, or their relationships with friends and family.
You may not have success the first time you open up the conversation, but it’s important that the person feels loved and is aware that there is help available. Be aware of treatment options before your chat, so you can discuss them if needed. Ideally, you should explore treatment options and decide on what outcome you want to achieve from the discussion before you begin.
What does an effective treatment plan look like?
At Palladium Private, we arm alcohol dependants will the tools to better manage with stressors in their lives, making them less likely to turn to alcohol. We provide a set of coping mechanisms that can be used to break the cycle of dependence permanently.
We cannot change what happens to you in life, but we can teach you how to respond to events in a healthy way, which will cut off negative cycles of behaviour like alcohol dependency.
Our programs offer treatments that create long-lasting changes because our therapies go right to the root of the problem.
To find out more about our treatments and to get help with a drinking problem, contact us today to get started on the road to recovery.
Emanuele Latino
Program Director & Psychologist
Emanuele has a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles, in order to promote awareness and initiate together the transformative process. His treatment approaches range from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
In Australia, heavy drinking is often considered normal, so spotting the signs of a drinking problem isn’t easy. Drinking alcohol is deeply ingrained into our culture from a young age. In fact, in some social circles, refraining from drinking alcohol may be considered out of the norm.
This and the fact that we all respond to alcohol differently makes it extremely difficult to recognise a drinking problem when we see one. Luckily, there are some tell-tale drinking problem signs that can indicate if you or someone you love has a dependency on alcohol.
In this article, we’ll explore common drinking problem signs so you can find out if you may be drinking too much, and decide if you need to seek help.
How much drinking is too much?
According to NIAAA, heavy drinking is classified as consuming the following:
Women; more than 3 drinks on any day or 7 per week
Men; more than 4 drinks on any day or 14 per week
According to this classification, many Australians may be said to be drinking heavily on any given night of the week, however, those who may be experiencing alcohol dependency drink heavily regularly. Alcohol dependency is classified as the recurring overuse of alcohol.
Common drinking problem signs
Alcohol affects us all differently, so what is normal to one person with a drinking problem may be different from the next. Some people are classified as high-functioning alcoholics; when drinking heavily, they remain responsible and productive. Others, on the other hand, struggle to function normally as a result of alcohol dependence and may experience a significant negative impact on their work, school or home life.
It’s important to note that, typically, no individuals with alcohol dependency will look the same, however, no one is exempt from the fact that drinking heavily over a long period of time will result in the inability to maintain a quality life, meet your responsibilities and have good health.
Mental and social signs of a drinking problem
Losing interest in regular normal activities or hobbies
Choosing to drink, instead of dealing with normal obligations or activities
Feeling irritable and moody
Becoming overly concerned with when your next drink will be
Drinking alcohol in the mornings, or to cope with a hangover
Encouraging others to drink with you
Prioritising drinking over other aspects of your life that were formerly important, such as events with family and friends, work, or other hobbies
Becoming isolated from friends or family
Physical signs of a drinking problem
Drinking alone, or hiding your drinking
Feeling hungover, even when you’re not drinking
Withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating, fatigue, feeling nauseous, loss of appetite, headaches and being unable to sleep when you’re not drinking
The need to drink more alcohol to get drunk than you used to
Worried you might have a drinking problem?
Ask yourself these questions to find out. If you answer yes to more than one of these questions, you may have a drinking problem and it may be time to seek help.
Do you often drink alone as opposed to drinking with other people?
Do you drink in the morning before school, study, or work?
Do you drink as a result of feeling emotional, stressed or to forget about your problems?
Are you having problems at work, home or at school as a result of your drinking?
Have you ever tried to hide the fact that you are drinking, or lied to friends or family about how much you drink?
Have you ever tried to stop drinking, or reduce the amount you drink, but found that it was extremely difficult or impossible?
Do you ever have blackouts while drinking?
Do you find yourself getting drunk when you drink, even when you planned on only having one or two drinks?
Have other people raised concerns about your drinking?
Have you continued to drink even though you know you may be drinking too much?
How to get help for a drinking problem
Over an extended period of time, heavy drinking or alcohol addiction can cause problems. Not only is the alcoholic at risk of injury through accidents by performing high-risk activities while drunk, such as drink-driving, having unsafe sexual encounters or blacking out, but the long-term physical and emotional effects also don’t paint a pretty picture, either.
Long-term heavy drinking can lead to health problems like liver disease, some forms of cancer, memory loss, and can worsen conditions like diabetes. Drinking heavily while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome.
If the above signs of a drinking problem sound familiar to you, there’s a chance you or someone you love may have a drinking problem. We believe that alcohol dependency stems from underlying issues. Thereby, by assisting you in gaining an awareness of the underlying issues and then develop coping mechanisms to respond to issues in your past or currently in your life, you’ll be better equipped to deal with triggers rather than turning to alcohol as a solution.
To find out more about our alcohol dependency treatments, contact us today so we can help you break the cycle of alcohol dependency and live a happier, healthier life.
Emanuele Latino
Program Director & Psychologist
Emanuele has a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles, in order to promote awareness and initiate together the transformative process. His treatment approaches range from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
In today’s world, it’s surprising just how easy it is to hide an alcohol addiction. For some people, developing alcohol addiction may become obvious very quickly, whereas for others it may be easily disguised, especially if they spend a lot of time alone, or mask their alcohol dependence amongst social events.
The definition of alcoholism or alcohol dependence means a person is unwilling or unable to control their drinking habit to the point where they are dependent on alcohol in order to feel good. An alcoholic may even need alcohol to go about their normal daily activities. Read on to discover some of the signs of alcoholism.
What are the signs of alcoholism?
There are many signs to look out for if you suspect someone you love may be dependent on alcohol, ranging from the mental to physical and social signs. It’s important to note that, as everyone experiences alcohol differently due to a range of factors, no two alcoholics are the same. Some may display different signs than others.
We’ve already talked about the symptoms of alcoholism, but it’s not always easy to tell when someone else has a drinking problem and is clever about hiding it.
So, here are some of the tell-tale signs of alcoholism in people you know.
Sign 1: They don’t want to cut back on drinking
The first sign of alcoholism in someone you love is that they probably don’t want to stop drinking, or cannot. This includes things like:
Making excuses for their drinking habits, such as only drinking due to important events, peer pressure or stress
Getting irritated or angry when people bring up their excessive drinking habits
Refusing to cut back on drinking, or finding ways to pretend to cut back while still drinking a lot
Getting agitated when asked questions about drinking even while sober
Sign 2: They drink first thing in the morning, or drink to get over a hangover
Some drinkers will drink alcohol first thing in the morning, as a coping mechanism to deal with daily activities like work or school. Others may be drinking early in the day to deal with hangover symptoms from the day before.
Either way, this is a dangerous habit to fall into and can be a clear sign of an alcoholic. You may be able to smell alcohol on the drinker’s breath in the morning, and they may be keeping alcohol in their room or at their desk at work.
Sign 3: Their drinking has interfered at work or in school
The effects of alcoholism can cause ongoing mental and physical issues, which can impact performance at work, school or other daily activities. A drinker may be experiencing ongoing hangovers or alcohol withdrawals, including physical sicknesses such as nausea, weakness, shakiness, and fatigue. On top of this, alcoholism can also cause ongoing mental symptoms such as irritability, moodiness, delusions or long-term mental health problems.
Naturally, these symptoms can make it hard for an alcoholic to successfully perform well at work or school, and this may lead to warnings, demotions, punishments at school or a decline in performance.
Sign 4: They hide drinking habits or feel ashamed of drinking
An alcoholic will often hide their drinking habits, so it can be tricky to determine how much they may be drinking, or if their drinking is even a major issue. Luckily there are some clear signs of alcoholism that drinkers may display, such as:
Unexplained scrapes and bruises from injuries while drinking
Developing a strong tolerance to alcohol which increases over time
Brushing teeth at strange times of the day or using mints and gum to mask the smell of alcohol
Becoming difficult to contact, or being unreachable for days at a time
Loss of motivation and energy
Constant or unexplained lateness
Money troubles, borrowing money, stealing items or selling personal items to get more money
Forgetfulness or sleepiness
Moodiness
If some of these signs sound familiar and you feel that someone you know may be showing signs of alcoholism, it’s important not to accuse them and approach the issue gently. At the same time, it’s crucial that the drinker knows that they have a loving, caring and open-minded support system. For more information on the treatment for alcohol dependency or to get help for you or someone you love, click here.
Emanuele Latino
Program Director & Psychologist
Emanuele has a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles, in order to promote awareness and initiate together with the transformative process. His treatment approaches range from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
A tequila-fuelled night of partying every once in a while may seem like a good idea at the time, but even one night of binge drinking can have harmful effects on your body. Drinking too much alcohol in one session, or in a short space of time like over a long weekend can cause acute inflammation of the pancreas, stomach, and liver.
The long-term effects can be even worse and not all the effects of binge drinking are immediately obvious. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why binge drinking can be harmful to your health, and why you shouldn’t let a casual binge drinking tendency become a habit.
What is binge drinking?
Firstly, what is binge drinking? Binge drinking is classified as drinking more than five standard drinks within two hours for men and more than four standard drinks within two hours for women.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 47% of Australians aged 18-24 drink more than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion at least once a month and 18% drank more than 11 drinks on a single occasion at least monthly. Older Australians were still consuming harmful quantities of alcohol but were simply consuming less alcoholic drinks over a longer period of days as opposed to binge drinking.
Not all binge drinkers are alcohol dependent, but it is important to know the signs of alcoholism to understand if a regular habit of drinking too much has transformed into full-scale alcohol addiction.
So, what are some of the reasons binge drinking is harmful to our health?
Accidents and injuries
When binge drinking, drinkers not only have poor coordination, but they exhibit extremely poor judgement and functioning. This can lead to fatal accidents and injuries, especially when an extremely intoxicated person decides to drive, swim, operate machinery, get in a physical fight or do anything else which requires careful use of judgement. Even something as innocuous as crossing the road can be dangerous when someone has a problem with binge drinking.
To make matters worse, getting injured while drinking can lead to complications; a life-saving operation may need to be delayed while alcohol is still in the body, and a person’s immune system is weakened and much more prone to infection.
Accidents and injuries
When binge drinking, drinkers not only have poor coordination, but they exhibit extremely poor judgement and functioning. This can lead to fatal accidents and injuries, especially when an extremely intoxicated person decides to drive, swim, operate machinery, get in a physical fight or do anything else which requires careful use of judgement. Even something as innocuous as crossing the road can be dangerous when someone has a problem with binge drinking.
To make matters worse, getting injured while drinking can lead to complications; a life-saving operation may need to be delayed while alcohol is still in the body, and a person’s immune system is weakened and much more prone to infection.
Alcohol poisoning
Binge drinking can lead to death or permanent brain damage by alcohol poisoning. Symptoms include loss of consciousness, trouble breathing, slow heart rate and loss of gag reflex, which can lead to choking if the person vomits while intoxicated.
Unplanned pregnancies or STIs
Binge drinking can seriously impair an individual’s ability to make smart decisions, which can mean poor choices when it comes to sexual encounters. This can lead to unplanned pregnancies and even lifelong sexually-transmitted infections.
Liver disease
Heavy, long-term alcohol use can lead to alcoholic liver disease, including inflammation of the liver and cirrhosis.
Increased risk of cancers
Over a long period of time, heavy alcohol use can increase the risk of many different types of cancer, such as cancer of the liver, mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus, colon, and rectum. An increase of just a few drinks per week can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Impact on mental health
Aside from the physical impacts, long-term heavy drinking can also have a negative impact on a person’s mental health. Heavy drinkers are at a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
Increased risk of heart attack
Binge drinking also has an impact on cardiovascular health. Heavy drinking puts pressure on the heart, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat.
Increased risk of stroke or Dementia
Heavy drinking has an impact on the brain and nervous system, too. Aside from impaired balance and coordination, long-term alcohol use can increase the risk of stroke and the development of Dementia.
Violence including homicide, suicide and domestic violence
Binge drinking can lead to violent episodes, including homicide, suicide and domestic violence. Many violent cases involve alcohol in some capacity.
Alcohol dependence
While binge drinking is bad for our health in and of itself, it can also lead to more serious issues. Binge drinking encourages the development of poor drinking habits. Alcohol dependence starts to occur when people use drinking as a coping mechanism to deal with issues they may be facing. The successful avoidance of issues through frequent binge drinking can lead to alcohol dependence.
It’s important to understand the signs of problem drinking early on, so you can recognise when you or someone you love may need to seek help.
To read more about alcohol dependence, click here, or if you are already concerned that you or someone you know may have an addiction to alcohol, contact us today to discover our treatment options.
Emanuele Latino
Program Director & Psychologist
Emanuele has a compassionate approach to clients’ struggles, in order to promote awareness and initiate together with the transformative process. His treatment approaches range from Gestalt, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Dialectical and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, ACT, Neuropsychotherapy, Sensorymotor Psychotherapy and Cape Cod Model for Couple Therapy.
PALLADIUM PRIVATE is a holistic mental health retreat in the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland, specialising in treating the underlying causes of mental ill-health including; alcohol dependency, anxiety and depression, drug dependency, PTSD and trauma. Our team of passionate, authentic professionals create and deliver customised BioPsychoSocial programs for each of our clients to give them the tools to create and navigate their life with freedom and joy.
For more information or to speak with one of our friendly team, phone 1300 573 095
