Problems with alcohol
6. Assessing the effects of drinking
Most people probably have more than one answer to the question 'why do you drink?' and it can be quite enlightening to sit down and weigh up the pros and cons of what happens when we do. This is also an important part of any decision to change drinking behaviour.
A typical set of answers might be as follows:
The good and bad things about my drinking
| Good |
Bad |
| I find chatting easier |
It costs money |
| It relaxes me |
Hangovers |
| It tastes nice |
Makes my wife stressed |
If you would like to change your drinking it is sensible to plan how you might be able to get the good things that drinking gives you from other sources. We tend to drink because of the positive things it gives us and if these suddenly disappear from your life completely it will be harder to keep motivated to maintain the change that you have made.
Try using a form like this to plan ahead:
Changing my drinking patterns
| Reason for drinking |
Tick if it applies to me |
Other ways I might achieve this |
| To relax |
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| To give confidence |
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| Because friends do |
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| To help sleep |
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| For company |
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| Boredom |
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| I like the taste |
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| Because I'm angry |
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| To cope with worries |
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| To celebrate |
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