One question that we’re often asked by people who reach out to us is “Is it bad to drink everyday?” Before we break down this question, and the real question hiding behind it, there’s a few things we need to go over.
Is Drinking Alcohol Everyday Bad?
Before we can dig into this question and the subtext, we need to make sure we’re clear on some definitions. When you ask is it “bad”, that can mean a lot of different things. For example…
- Is it morally a bad thing to do?
- Is it bad for your health?
- Is it bad for your personal relationships?
- Is it bad for your career?
- Is it bad for your family?
- The list goes on…
It helps if we start by deciding what “bad” means, which can sound very nitpicky, but it can get derailed into a deep philosophical conversation so we’ll just stick with this: Something is bad if it’s causing a negative impact in your life or the lives of those around you. Now, the problem is that you could have somebody who drinks everyday and it’s tearing their life apart, they’ve lost their job, they’re about to be homeless… and you can have someone else who drinks everyday and it’s not causing any discernible negatives in their day to day life. So, would we say that drinking everyday is equally bad for both of those people? Probably not, no.
This is where some real self-introspection comes into play because it’s possible for alcohol to be having a negative impact on you without you really realizing it, or fully realizing the magnitude.
You would have no idea how many alcoholics tell us that their lives are perfectly in order, meanwhile we’ll speak to their spouses or loved ones to learn that that’s really not the case, and the alcoholic is living in a bit of a fantasy world without realizing the damage they may be causing to those around them.
To summarize: Something’s bad if it’s having a negative impact, or has the potential to lead to negative outcomes if left unchecked.
But that doesn’t mean that you should be drinking every single day just because you’re managing to keep your life in order at the moment.
How Much Do You Drink Daily?
There’s also a difference between getting completely sloshed every single day, or having a glass of wine with your dinner. Alcohol affects people differently, so five drinks for one person could be the equivalent of one drink for someone else, but generally speaking if someone is drinking a lesser amount, like just enough for a tiny buzz or to go with their food, it’s not nearly as bad as someone who is getting wrecked on a regular basis to numb themselves to reality.
This Is What Makes Things So Difficult When It Comes To Getting Help!
You have no idea how many people avoid reaching out for support and help for their drinking problems because they’ve been conditioned to think that they’re a-ok, as long as they have their job, their families are happy, and they’re able to keep up appearances. Now, they could make the argument that they’re in much better shape than the person whose world is falling apart, but there’s absolutely a spectrum when it comes to alcohol.
Is It Bad To Drink Beer Everyday?
We briefly touched on the daily drinking who likes to have a glass of wine with their dinner, but what about someone who likes to have a beer or two everyday while watching the news?
Let’s Not Get Too Tangled In The Weeds, Here’s The Quick Version:
That was a lot of words to say that “it really depends,” but if you’re here for quick and actionable info about drinking everyday, here’s what you need to know:
Some people are able to drink frequently and not really suffer any negative effects…
But the amount of people who fit in that category is MUCH smaller than the amount of people who THINK they fit into that category,
- So if you’re here, questioning whether you should be drinking everyday or not,
- Ask yourself if you could stop right now, and not drink for the next month,
- Or even the next year.
- Would you be able to pull that off, no problem?
- Give it a try.
Your reaction to that challenge will give you some big hints. If you drink everyday, and you genuinely think you can stop, give it a try. If the idea of stopping seems absurd to you, ask yourself why. Maybe it’s absurd because you haven’t felt any negatives from drinking daily, but maybe it’s absurd because alcohol has become such a ritual and a staple in your life that you can’t imagine a day without it – and perhaps that’s time to start thinking about things a bit more?
Please note: If you’re a heavy alcohol user and you suddenly stop drinking cold turkey, this can lead to a serious health crisis, so you should consult with your doctor, another healthcare professional, or a rehab facility who are equipped to deal with this. It’s something that needs to be planned ahead of time, to ensure that the process goes smoothly and safely and that you have all of the supports that you need.
Invisible Damage of Drinking Everyday
Let’s talk about the folks who have a little bit to drink everyday. It might not seem like a problem, and it might not be out of control at all, and that’s entirely possible! But would you grant that it’s also possible for something to become such a habit that even if it isn’t causing huge and noticeable problems, that it could still be contributing to some negativity? Think of it like “death by 1000 papercuts”, where one drink is fine, but the culmination of drinking everyday can lead to issues. The big question is why drink everyday?
We hear from people who tell us that they just like the taste of different alcohols, they enjoy exploring the flavors, and they’ll have one drink that they really sip and appreciate. Of course, they enjoy the way it makes them feel, too.
Beyond that, a drink everyday could translate into roughly 10-20% more calories on top of whatever you’ve already eaten or drank that day, and that can add up into weight gain very quickly. It’s a sneaky way that some people will end up putting on pounds, since one drink can be the rough equivalent of having to spend 30 or so minutes on the treadmill.
This extra weight, and the extra strain on the heart and liver, are not ideal for health purposes, either. But this can be said about a lot of things, whether it’s extra cheese on your sandwich, or any type of late night snack when you’ve already had enough food for the day. This isn’t unique to alcohol, but it’s still a problem that can be heightened by drinking these caloric beverages on a daily basis.
