Cutting Down on Your Drinking
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People with PTSD often drink to try and block out reminders of their trauma. It can be difficult to realise that you are drinking too much. If you or other people are worried that you have started drinking too much alcohol, it might be helpful to stop and think about how much you’re drinking each week and why.
It is easy to start drinking too much alcohol without realising it during times of stress. It is useful to be aware of this and to monitor your drinking habits. You might believe that alcohol helps with blocking reminders of trauma. But alcohol will only make things more difficult in the long run.
Here’s what Michael had to say about his experiences of cutting down on his drinking
“I'd always enjoyed a glass or two of wine with a meal before the accident. But after the accident, I found it was one thing that could really help take the edge off how I was feeling. I started to drink more. Eventually I was up to drinking a bottle of wine a day and I think it was my wife that said I should think about cutting down. She was a bit worried about it. When I started therapy I realised that drinking was making my problems worse not better. I started to cut down. I still enjoy that glass of wine on a Friday night, but that’s about it. It's much better.”
Alcohol and PTSD
- Being diagnosed with PTSD increases the risk of developing an alcohol problem.
- Alcohol can make many of your symptoms and problems worse. For example, alcohol can make it more difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep and can make any anger problems worse. Alcohol can also increase feelings of depression, emotional numbness and hyperarousal.
- Drinking too much alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of PTSD treatment. It can make the hard work you are doing trying to get better less effective.
- Keeping a normal routine helps you recover from PTSD. Alcohol is something else which stops you living the life you did before the trauma.
- Drinking too much alcohol is often worrying for your family and friends. If you are drinking more than you should, it might be for them that you choose to cut down. Alcohol can cloud your judgement. It can make you act in ways you would not normally act. You might later regret things you said or did.
Alcohol self test
The simple questionnaire below was developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is used to spot drinking habits that are bad for your health.
Answer each question honestly and add up your score. The score for each is given in brackets after your choice of answer.
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
Never (score 0)
Monthly or Less (score 1)
2-4 times a month (score 2)
2-3 times a week (score 3)
4 or more times a week (score 4)
2. How many alcoholic drinks do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
1 or 2 (0)
3 or 4 (1)
5 or 6 (2)
7-9 (3)
10 or more (4)
3. How often do you have 6 or more drinks on one occasion?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
4. How often during the past year have you found that you drank more or for a longer time than you intended?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
5. How often during the past year have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of your drinking?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
6. How often during the past year have you had a drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
7. How often during the past year have you felt guilty or remorseful after drinking?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
8. How often during the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because of your drinking?
Never (0)
Less than monthly (1)
Monthly (2)
Weekly (3)
Daily or almost daily (4)
9. Have you or anyone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
No (0)
Yes, but not in the past year (2)
Yes, during the past year (4)
10. Has a relative, friend, doctor, or health care worker been concerned about your drinking, or suggested that you cut down?
No (0)
Yes, but not in the past year (2)
Yes, during the past year (4)
Add up your score. A total of 8 or more indicates harmful drinking behaviour.
Whether or not you drink is your choice. If you have scored 8 or more you are likely to be risking your health and should think about cutting down as soon as possible. Even if your score is lower than 8, drinking more than you did before the trauma is an unhelpful way of trying to deal with your problems.
Please read through the information below to understand more about using alcohol and trying to cut down the amount you drink.
Sensible drinking
‘Sensible drinking’ is defined as a drinking at a level that has a low risk of causing problems for you or other people. It is difficult to say how much exactly someone can safely drink. The effect of alcohol is different depending on age, sex, size and health. It is also different depending on when and how you drink.
Government guidelines suggest a limit for sensible drinking of 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 units per day for women. You might want to cut down so that what you’re drinking falls in these limits. The following is given as a rough guide to what this means:
· 1 pint of strong lager = 3 units
· 1 pint of ordinary lager, bitter or cider = 2 units
· 175ml glass of wine = 2 units
· 1 alcopop = 1.5 units
· 1 measure of spirits = 1 unit
· Small glass of wine = 1.5 units
Cutting down on how much you drink can have lots of positive effects. We recommend that you follow these tips to take control of how much you’re drinking.
Ten tips to help you cut down on your drinking
1. Monitor your drinking – keep a record of how many drinks you have each day. Add it to the bottom of your Activities Diary. It will help you to monitor how much you’re drinking each week and whether or not you are drinking an unsafe amount.
2. Give your body a rest - have at least three alcohol free days a week to give your body a break. If you find this hard, you may be developing an alcohol problem.
3. Tell others you are cutting down - and ask them to support this choice.
4. Break the habit - recognise when you drink. Sometimes you might just be thirsty rather than really wanting an alcoholic drink. Drink a soft drink first, and see if you still want an alcoholic one after. If you drink to unwind, think about doing something else instead (see the ‘relaxation’ section for some alternatives). Get out of the habit of drinking when you’ve had a bad day. Do not drink when you’re angry or upset.
5. Don’t drink to help you sleep - it will only wake you up as it starts to wear off.
6. Buy smaller glasses to use at home or buy a drinks measure – it can be surprising how small a unit is. Consider buying small bottles of beer instead of cans or buying miniature bottles of wine rather than opening a whole bottle.
7. Notice any changes in the effects of your drinking – such as arguments about alcohol with family, more hangovers or time off work. These could be signs of a problem.
8. Slow down your drinking - sip slowly. Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks such as water or fruit juice.
9. Don’t drink on an empty stomach — have something to eat to limit how quickly alcohol gets into your bloodstream.
10. Don’t give in - cutting down or giving up drinking isn’t always easy. Get support from people who care about you and keep trying.
It is now time to try the ‘Quick Quiz’! Don’t worry if you can’t answer correctly first time, the aim is to help you understand more about cutting down on your drinking. Feel free to come back and read this information again.
Click here to open the quiz
