Quem não tem ou teve algum parente com problemas decorrentes do álcool? Por isso, todos nós precisamos estar alertas!

Many people do not recognize their consumption of alcoholic beverages as problematic, and many signs may go unnoticed even if they indicate the beginning of a problem. Knowing the signs can help you identify the problem (whether it’s you or someone close to you) faster and therefore seek change sooner.

Keep the past year in mind and reflect (on yourself or someone else) on these signs:

• Were there times when you ended up drinking more, or longer, than you intended?
• More than once I wanted to reduce or stop drinking, or try, but couldn’t?
• Have you more than once been involved in situations during or after drinking that increased your chances of getting injured (such as driving, swimming, using machines, walking in a dangerous area, or having unprotected sex)?
• Did you have to drink a lot more than before to get the desired effect? Or did you find that your normal number of drinks had much less of an effect than before?
• Have you continued to drink even though it made you depressed or anxious or aggravated another health problem? Or after a memory blackout?
• Spent a lot of time drinking?
• Have you continued to drink even though it was causing problems for your family or friends?
• Have you found that drinking – or getting sick from drinking – often interferes with the care of your home or family? Or caused work problems? Or school problems?
• Have you given up or cut out activities that were important or interesting to you, or that gave you pleasure, to drink?
• Have you been arrested more than once, detained at a police station, or had other legal problems because of alcohol?
• Did you find that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, trembling, restlessness, nausea, sweating, racing heart, or seizure? Or did you have hallucinations? 

To answer these questions and receive feedback, go to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Doctors diagnose the disorder when a patient’s drinking causes harm or suffering. There is no need to wait for harm or suffering, being aware of the signs helps to control the use or seek help to control or even stop drinking alcohol.

Drinkers Only Per Capital Consumption Map is at Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH).

Here is a link about the effects of alcohol on the body and brain: The Effects of Alcohol on the Body.

References:

Rethinking Drinking | NIAAA | NIH at https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Whats-the-harm/What-Are-Symptoms-Of-Alcohol-Use-Disorder.aspx< /a> Accessed February 14, 2021

Interactive map of WHO at https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/alcohol-drinkers-only-per-capita-(15 -)consumption-in-litres-of-pure-alcohol Accessed February 14, 2021

The effects of alcohol on your body from Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health /alcohol/effects-on-body Accessed February 14, 2021