What You Should Know About Social Drinking

Do you love meeting up with some friends for a drink at the bar after a long day? While social drinking with friends and family can seem like a harmless pastime, you still need to be cautious, as it can lead to alcohol dependence. Here are a few things that you should know about social drinking.

Arrange Safe Transportation

First, always make sure that you’ve arranged for safe transportation after your night of drinking. You don’t want to be overconfident about your abilities to drive safely and put yourself and others at risk while you’re on the road after drinking. If someone in your party isn’t planning on drinking, have them be the designated driver to ensure everyone gets home safely. 

If not, have someone who won’t be out drinking with you, such as a spouse, parent, or neighbor, meet you at a designated time to drive you home. Arranging for safe transportation can help you to avoid any accidents that could occur when driving under the influence.

Know Your Limits

Next, know your limits when it comes to drinking alcohol. Everyone has a different limit on how much or what types of alcohol they can drink before they become drunk or dependent. Individuals who are dealing with high-stress situations or emotional trauma might be more susceptible to drinking too much and becoming drunk more easily. For example, abuse survivors have twice the rate of alcohol and drug dependency. 

Receiving therapy can help you to cope with those stressors and traumas in healthier ways. So, be familiar with your own limits for how much you should be drinking alcohol, and alert your party to those limitations so they can help you to avoid drinking excessively.

Avoid Alcohol Dependency

Finally, avoid alcohol dependency when you’re socially drinking. When you’re in a fun, social setting, it can be easy to forget how much alcohol you’ve had to drink, and you can easily become dependent upon alcohol in those settings. If you notice that you’re starting to have the urge to drink larger quantities of alcohol more often, you might be developing an alcohol dependence. In these situations, avoid having alcohol in your house for casual social drinking. Additionally, try to curb how often you go out to social drink.

So, if you have a regular habit of social drinking, remember the risks and dangers that come along with doing so. Make sure that you arrange for safe transportation, know your limits, and avoid alcohol dependency. This can help you to be healthier and safer when you’re choosing to indulge in alcohol.

Did you enjoy reading this article? Here’s more to read: Factors That Make You More at Risk for Addiction