When is it too much?

Disclaimer: For simplicity’s sake, I’ll use the words alcohol and drugs interchangeably, as alcohol is indeed a drug and alters the mind.

Aerial view of several empty beer bottles

Often people wonder if their (or their friend or loved ones) partying, drinking or drugging is too much.  In my experience, the best question to ask first is “Am I getting more from this than it is taking from me?”. Other things to consider: is your sleep being impacted, is your health? Are you missing work or is your work performance suffering? To look at substance use going from use to abuse then to dependence is a gradual progression, and fortunately it doesn’t always have to progress from one phase to the next.  

When evaluating if substance use is a problem, it can be helpful to focus on specific criteria.

Here are some areas to consider: 

1. Frequency and amount – drinking more often or larger amounts over time than intended

2. Limiting – desire; unsuccessful efforts to cut down, control or quit use

3. Withdrawal – physical discomfort experienced when the substance is leaving the body and no longer providing the high

4. Cravings – strong urges to use the substance, and sometimes it is the only thing you can think about

5. Tolerance – having to use more of the substance to reach the desired effect that the lower doses gave you when first using

6. Danger involved – not only the method of use like IV (intravenous), driving or operating machinery intoxicated and possibly endangering others, but also considering the environment where it’s being consumed and/or purchased

   
   

If the above resonates for you or fits the person in question, take action by speaking to your therapist and be 100% honest about your drug consumption. Ask your friend to speak to their therapist, or help them find a therapist to talk to if they don’t already have one. Finding a therapist who can help assess and support with taking the next steps, as well as going to a substance abuse treatment center for an assessment to figure out a course of action are both helpful steps to deviate from too much. 

*Some info is taken from the DSM-V and adapted for better ease of the reader’s understanding and comprehension.