Drinking in excess is always a problem. But many Americans drink in a “gray area” middle ground – not too much, not too little… or so they think. In truth, they might be gray area drinkers, which can be dangerous in and of itself. What exactly is gray area drinking, and how do you know if you drink in the gray area between moderation and excess? Read on to learn more.
What is Gray Area Drinking?
Simply put, gray area drinking is any alcohol consumption that falls between moderate drinking and risky or excessive drinking. Because this definition isn’t explicit, it can be tough to know whether you are a gray area drinker or not.
According to the National Institutes of Health1, moderate drinking includes:
- No more than one drink per day for women
- No more than two drinks per day for men
Meanwhile, binge drinking is drinking four or more drinks in one sitting for a woman or drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for a man. People are heavy drinkers if they binge drink five days or more per month.
So, if you only have one drink per day, you’re healthy? Not necessarily. Drinking regularly, even if it doesn’t technically meet the standards for binge drinking, can still be problematic. In addition, the negative symptoms or side effects of gray area drinking can be more difficult to spot, leading to drinking habits progressing over time.
Symptoms of Gray Area Drinking Habits
You can often know whether you participate in gray area drinking by looking for certain signs and symptoms2. These include:
- Physical side effects of your drinking habits, like hangovers
- Building up a progressive tolerance to alcohol, such that you must drink larger quantities to get desired effects
- Having anxiety about your drinking. For example, you might wonder whether people think you drink excessively
- Using alcohol intentionally as a tool to relax or to have a good time in social settings
- Being unable to not to drink or stop drinking for extended periods, like weeks or months
If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself or others, it might be a good idea to consider gray area drinking treatment through an alcohol rehabilitation program.
Does Gray Alcohol Consumption Need Treatment?
Gray area drinking is not a medical condition. Indeed, you don’t necessarily need medical attention if you are a gray area drinker. However, alcohol use disorder is more of a spectrum that it is a “yes or no” condition. In other words, you don’t have to hit your personal rock bottom to need help with your drinking habits.
If you think you are a gray area drinker, or if you think someone you love is a gray area drinker, it might pay to adjust those drinking habits appropriately. Furthermore, if you require help changing your drinking habits, participating in an alcohol recovery program is wise.
You don’t have to be addicted to alcohol in a medical sense to qualify for alcohol recovery. There’s also no shame in seeking treatment for a potential problem before it worsens; in the long run, that might even be smarter than the alternative.
Pop Culture Can Make Gray Drinking Worse
Pop culture can further complicate the issue because scenes and habits in movies, novels, and music videos make gray-area drinking seem common and even acceptable.
Even worse, many pop-culture portrayals of drinking reflect a harmful idea: you can’t have fun unless you have a glass of alcohol in your hand. Many people struggle with drinking precisely because they think that having several drinks per week is normal, especially if they require those drinks for everyday activities or behavior.
Pop culture is wrong on this point. Any level of drinking can be harmful to your health, and gray area drinking is certainly worse for your health than having an alcoholic beverage every once in a while.
Getting Help for Drinking Too Much
If you think you need help with drinking or you want to assist a loved one with their drinking habits, it’s important to contact licensed therapists or alcohol rehabilitation programs right away. An alcohol recovery program can provide many different types of assistance with gray area drinking, including:
- Providing you with medical assistance if necessary
- Teaching you healthy habits
- Helping you recontextualize your relationship with alcohol (e.g., realizing that you don’t need to have a drink in a social setting to have fun with others)
- Building up an awareness of your drinking habits and how they may lead to future health consequences if you don’t change them
It’s much better to tackle gray area drinking before it progresses to alcohol addiction or substance abuse disorder. If you leave your drinking to develop or worsen, you might find it much harder to quit the habit later on than it is right now.
Contact Clear Life Recovery Today
In the end, gray area drinking can be just as dangerous as excessive drinking in the long term, especially if you let it get out of hand. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact Clear Life Recovery today. Our knowledgeable therapists and counselors can help you progress through our alcohol recovery program and teach you positive, life-changing habits for the better.
Sources:
[1] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking
[2] https://www.forbes.com/health/body/what-is-gray-area-drinking/
