Tommy Recovery Coaching

5 Warning Signs of Problem Drinking

The sober curious movement reached new heights with the fourth season of Emily in Paris, the Netflix hit series about a young American woman working as a marketing executive in France. Although the series caters to audiences who enjoy seeing Emily Cooper navigate a glamorous and exciting life in Paris, the fourth season introduces an aspect of maturity in which she reconsiders her drinking habits. As a trend hunter, Emily conducts research about the sober curious movement and pitches her winery client on launching a non-alcoholic beverage. Along the way, she learns to recognize signs of problematic drinking, which include the following.

1. Drinking Too Much

The early seasons of Emily in Paris focused on culture shock tropes, including social drinking in Paris, where it’s common for a party of three or four to sit at a restaurant and finish a bottle of wine for lunch. Emily initially thought it was too much, but then she found herself asking for more and getting tipsy before returning to the office. If you’re frequently drinking more than planned, Encinitas addiction recovery specialists will tell you this is an early sign.

2. Higher Tolerance

Our adaptive neurochemistry enables tolerance to ethanol. Enjoying the effects up to getting a buzz is normal. The problem begins when your usual drinking routines don’t get you there anymore. You don’t want your brain to adapt to this situation because your brain may interpret it as a reward, thus leading to increased consumption and higher tolerance. When this happens, your risk of engaging in risky behaviors, such as driving under the influence, is higher because the tolerance clouds your judgment.

3. Terrible Hangovers

Catching a buzz may not cause you to feel like a wreck the next day, but getting very drunk will. The severity of a hangover is proportional to your tolerance and how much you have to drink. If you have time to nurse hangovers and recover, the problem isn’t severe. If you have to call in sick for work or miss a deadline, this is a sign you’re ignoring moderation.

4. Getting Drunk Alone

Becoming a lonely barfly who stumbles home after the pub closes or staying home to get drunk because you won’t bother anyone are surefire signs of deleterious effects from liquor. Drinking alone can make it easier to develop dependency, more so when your intention is to evade social accountability. Many alcoholics don’t realize solo drinking often creates feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and alienation.

5. Cravings & Lack of Self-Control

In 2017, Hollywood star Ben Affleck attended an Oscars ceremony with his sober lifestyle coach. Before the event, Affleck had completed various stages of rehabilitation from alcoholism, and he publicly admitted he struggled with the process because he experienced intense cravings. During recovery, he learned he lacked sufficient self-control to embrace moderation, and he retained a sobriety coaching specialist to help him overcome this common obstacle to recovery. 

If you’re concerned about a loved one’s level of drinking but don’t know where to turn, a good place to start is with an interventionist. Encinitas residents can trust the expertise and experience of the compassionate team at Sober Lifestyle Coaching. Our interventions are guided by love and compassion for the addict to ensure he or she doesn’t feel attacked or judged. In addition, our interventions are well structured and appropriate for coaxing a willingness to change in your loved one who may resist accepting help such as treatment, detox, or rehab. As part of our comprehensive intervention services, we also offer the support of a dedicated Sober Companion to accompany your loved one on the journey to recovery, providing the care and guidance he or she needs in daily life. To learn more about how we can help you or someone you love, call us today.