Alcohol Awareness Week

Alcohol awareness week takes place from the 15th to the 21st of November 2021 and is co-ordinated by Alcohol Change UK -  for more information click here. The theme of the week is alcohol and relationships.

Alcohol and relationships are closely linked, when excess drinking can negatively affect relationships, or  when a relationship stands in the way of individuals taking action on their own drinking.

Drinking at home, glass measures are more. Do you know your units?

By cutting down, you’ll feel some immediate benefits like feeling better in the mornings, being less tired during the day, your skin may start to look better, you’ll start to feel fitter, and you may stop gaining weight. Support to help you track your alcohol are available, to find one that suits you click on the link 10 Alcohol Tracking Apps For iPhone (thegreatapps.com)

But there are also significant longer-term benefits to your health and wellbeing:

Mood

There’s a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxious and low. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can exaggerate this, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally.

Sleep

Drinking can affect your sleep. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you from sleeping deeply. So, cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.

Behaviour

Drinking can affect your judgment and behaviour. You may behave irrationally or aggressively when you’re drunk. Memory loss can be a problem during drinking and in the long-term for regular heavy drinkers.

Heart

Long-term heavy drinking can lead to your heart becoming enlarged. This is a serious condition that can’t be completely reversed, but stopping drinking is an important part of preventing it getting worse.

Immune system

Regular drinking can affect your immune system. Heavy drinkers tend to catch more infectious diseases. So, by cutting back on alcohol your immune system will be improved. Regularly drinking just above recommended levels can be harmful. The recommended weekly limits are no more than 14 units spread out evenly over 3 or 4 days over a week.

Alcohol’s hidden harms usually only emerge after several years. And by then, serious health problems can have developed. Liver problems, reduced fertility, high blood pressure, increased risk of various cancers and heart attack are some of the numerous harmful effects of regularly drinking above these recommended levels.

Inspire Wellbeing has provided tips and advice around managing your relationship with alcohol click here