Did you know that 1 in 3 Australians have an unhealthy attitude to alcohol?
According to Alcohol Think Again, around a third of Australians drink alcohol at levels that exceed the Australian Alcohol Guidelines and risk alcohol-related disease or injury. Are you one of them?You can find out by calculating how much you drink on average (more about that in a bit) or by taking the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) questionnaire. It only takes a minute. Give it a try.
Did you know drinking more than four standard drinks a day is risky?
The National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Alcohol Guidelines tell us that adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four on any one day.Exceeding these limits puts your health and wellbeing at risk.
Did you know alcohol doesn’t actually help you relax or sleep?
Do you use alcohol to unwind at the end of a hard day? You’re not alone.According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in 2020, 40 per cent of Australians reported drinking alcohol to cope with stress. But while alcohol might help you feel calm initially, or even confident, when it wears off and your brain tries to restore its chemical balance, you’re more likely to feel irritable and anxious.
Alcohol affects the quality of your sleep too, so it’s easy to see how you could get caught in a self-perpetuating cycle of tiredness, stress, anxiety, irritability and alcohol consumption.
Did you know excessive drinking can cause fatal beriberi?
Thiamine (vitamin B1) is important. It helps regulate your metabolism and nerve, muscle and heart function. But drinking excessively hinders your liver’s ability to store thiamine.This deficiency can cause a range of issues, from loss of appetite, constipation and fatigue to blurry vision, nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness. What’s more, a prolonged lack of thiamine can lead to serious health conditions, including beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, both of which can be fatal.
If you’re worried that your drinking is causing some of these symptoms, ask your GP for a health screen and blood test.
Did you know the three Ds can help you manage your urge for a drink?
The three Ds (delay, distract, decide) are tactics you can use to combat the urge to drink alcohol – a great first step if you’d like to moderate your drinking.The urge to drink usually lasts about 20 minutes, so if you can delay or distract yourself when you experience the urge to drink, there’s a good chance you can decide not to have that drink after all.
Walk the dog. Watch your favourite comedy show or hit the gym. Do a mindfulness exercise, such as listening to guided meditation, writing in your journal or doing breathing exercises. Whether you use a physical activity or mental distraction, find a way to do the three Ds that works for you. The key is to delay and distract yourself until the urge passes.
If you’re worried about your drinking, help is available. Search for community alcohol and drug services in your area or call the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015. For more information about DAWN and how we can help you, call 08 9388 5000 or visit www.sjog.org.au/dawn.
