- drink alcohol: 35 to 39 year olds drink more
- From when is one considered alcoholic?
- is a glass of wine already in the evening dangerous?
- who is particularly endangeredto become alcoholic?
- Are Alcohol breaks useful?
Drinking alcohol is normalized and accepted in our society. Larger groups almost always drink alcohol at celebrations, birthdays, etc. But many individuals also treat themselves to a glass of wine or a beer after a stressful day. When can it become dangerous and when am I considered a drinker?
Drinking alcohol: When are you alcoholic?
According to data from the KKH commercial health insurance are above all increasingly affecting workers in their 30s and 40s. The number of KKH-insured employees with excessive alcohol consumption from 2011 to 2021 nationwide increased by around a third (32 percent), in the 35 to 39 age group by as much as 88.5 percent. One or the other probably asks the question: When does one become an alcoholic?
General practitioner and media journalist Dr. Christoph Specht explains opposite RTLthat it is important to clearly separate two terms. “Once the risky consumptionyou get involved very quickly and I’m sure one or the other of us is already part of it, and then just like that the alcohol addictionthat’s already the step up.”
Risky consumption is about the amounts we consume. But is the glass of wine in the evening already reprehensible? “We’ve gotten used to it and many then quickly slide to the next level, into dependency – and there are several criteria. They don’t all have to be fulfilled at the same time, such as this tolerance development: This means that it always has to be more in order to get the corresponding effect. You can’t do some things like you used to because of the alcohol,” explains Specht. When these things come together, it’s called alcohol addiction.
Is just a beer or a glass of wine dangerous in the evening?
“Yes, you have to take that seriouslybecause the jump from risky consumption to addiction is relatively small,” says Specht. But he also explains that most people don’t slip into addiction. Genetics, the environment and other factors play an important role here.
Recommended book: Fighting alcohol addiction: For a new life without alcohol!
However, one should not forget that “Even the smallest amount of alcohol is always a cytotoxin, for every cell in the human body. That is and remains a poison.”
It is true that one hears and reads again and again that a glass of red wine is good for the blood vessels, but before this good effect can take place, you have to drink so much that the alcohol destroys it again.
Who is most at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol?
According to the study by the commercial health insurance company, the Alcohol consumption of 35-year-olds and older particularly increased. Specht sees them as a reason for this Pandemic. During this time, people would have sat at home a lot and sometimes treated themselves to a glass or two by themselves.
Book tip: Sober – About drinking and happiness
“With the youngsters we have in the pandemic saw a completely different effect – namely the reverse. Alcohol consumption went down during the pandemic,” says the expert. The young people did not have the opportunity to meet friends and therefore drank less alcohol.
“You can see that some people get into this alcohol consumption through society. Here in Germany it is relatively high compared to the whole world. We are not in the top position, but we are quite high up.”
Are alcohol breaks recommended?
Many are probably wondering whether it makes sense to take alcohol breaks at all. Here the expert has a clear opinion. “In any case. Any break is good. Even taking a day or two off a week is good.” He explains that any break is helpful for the body, and especially the liver, to recover.
For further reading: Alcohol Addiction: These two questions will debunk if you drink too much
