As the cost of living bites and everybody feels a bit less well off, some people may turn to homebrew to save money on alcohol. Here we need to be careful as it is possible to create some really strong alcoholic drinks from our own homes.
While it is always good to try and embrace new hobbies and look for ways to save money, in recent years, this sentiment has translated into many people buying and using home brewing kits to try and make their own alcoholic drinks.
While it may seem harmless enough, there is a risk associated with these homebrewing kits.
First of all, the quality of the beer and its safety for human consumption has not been verified by professionals. This means that home brewing kits could have all sorts of bacteria in them, potentially making you sick when you drink them.
Alcoholic drink regulations exist for a reason: to keep you safe. Home brewing takes away the oversight that is there to make sure you are safe to drink and so that you know exactly how much alcohol is in each drink.
When you take away this oversight, you risk losing control over the amount of alcohol and bacteria you regularly put in your body.
This may not sound too bad but given time, it can easily become a danger to you and lead to alcohol addiction.
Will Drinking at Home Become the New Normal?
The last few years have changed how people drink; unfortunately, it is not for the better.
Between people not being able to go to pubs as much and the cost of alcohol going up, it is becoming increasingly common for people to remain home to drink.
While there are still social drinkers who will only really go to the pub for their alcohol, more and more people are staying home to drink.
This has been the new normal for years due to factors outside others’ control. And while in some ways this is not a bad thing as it discourages regular drinking as a form of socialising, it encourages drinking alone.
Drinking at home is steadily replacing the old normal of going to the pub or club every day. While any form of excessive drinking is bad, it should be done in the company of others. Humans need to socialise to stay healthy.
With the rise of drinking at home, we also see a rise in isolation. People without a reason to leave their homes normalising dangerous behaviour as it is so easy.
The Problems with Drinking at Home
Drinking at home may not seem all that bad, and it isn’t in moderation. The issue is that it often isn’t done in moderation.
Drinking alone often leads to binge drinking as there is no one to monitor your alcohol intake. This is made even easier by the large size of home brewing kegs, some of that can be more than two litres.
It is far easier to binge drink when you are refilling a glass rather than opening a new can or bottle each time. Soon you may find the keg empty without realising how much you have drunk.
Drinking at home also goes hand in hand with the rise in depression we have seen in the last few years. When you cannot go anywhere or do anything, it is easy to feel hopeless and try and use alcohol to feel better.
Home drinking is often used as a way to self-medicate for many of the following reasons:
- Anxiety
- Stress after work
- Loneliness
- Struggling to sleep
- Bad living environment
- Domestic abuse
Whatever the reason for home drinking, it is on the rise partly due to how accessible it is.
Another problem with drinking at home is if you do it around your family, specifically around children.
Exposing children to alcohol abuse from a young age is more likely to lead them to experiment with substances younger. It can also take a toll on their mental health.
Even if drinking doesn’t make you angry or violent, it still changes you in a way that will impact your children.
Drinking at home can also impact your relationship with your spouse or partner. People who drink excessively are more likely to commit acts of domestic violence against their partner than those who do not.
They are also more likely to cause tension in relationships due to their drinking, whether from financial troubles involving alcohol or through changed behaviours.
Drinking at home can also put you in danger of hurting yourself and being unable to access help.
When you drink, it is very easy to partake in risk-taking behaviours such as drunk driving. If you are alone, there is no one to stop you from doing this. There is also the potential of you experiencing an overdose or alcohol poisoning, as it is more commonly known.
You can’t access the medical attention you may need if you are alone.
Signs of Alcohol Addiction
You must be aware of the signs of alcohol addiction if you regularly drink. The sooner you spot that you have developed an addiction, the sooner you can get treatment.
The earlier you do something about addiction, the better, but it is important to remember that it is never too late to start working to overcome an addiction.
The signs of alcohol addiction include:
- Withdrawing away from others to drink alcohol
- Prioritising alcohol overwork and leisure activities
- Planning your day around when you can next have alcohol
- Experiencing anxiety, paranoia, irritability and mood swings if you go too long without alcohol
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
- Putting yourself in danger to access alcohol
- Regularly binge drinking
- Developing a high tolerance to alcohol needing you to have more and more to feel any effect
- Experiencing a declining mental or physical health
- Drinking against doctor’s advice
How We Can Help at Asana Lodge
At Asana Lodge, we can provide you with all the treatments and support you need to achieve long-term recovery.
With us, we can help you learn how to safely manage your addiction and adapt your lifestyle, which allows you to stay sober for the rest of your life.
If you are ready to start your recovery journey, all you have to do is call us at 01908 489 421, and we will handle everything from there.
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