Lithuanian toxicologist outlines three signs it's time to stop drinking alcohol

Many individuals consume alcohol in ways that are detrimental to their health, relationships, and overall well-being, even if they do not meet the clinical criteria for addiction. Toxicologist G. Laubner-Sakalauskienė highlights that this harmful consumption pattern is far more widespread than diagnosed dependency.

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We often think the problem is only addiction. However, there are far more people who consume alcohol harmfully than those who have already been diagnosed with addiction. They are not yet sick, but alcohol is already causing real harm to their health, family, and environment.

Laubner-Sakalauskienė identifies three key indicators that signal a need to re-evaluate alcohol consumption. The first is continuing to drink despite acknowledging the negative consequences on one's health, relationships, or mood. "If you know it harms you, but you still choose to consume, it's worth stopping and asking yourself why that is happening," she advises.

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If you know it harms you, but you still choose to consume, it's worth stopping and asking yourself why that is happening.

The second sign is when alcohol becomes a central focus in daily planning. If thoughts about when and where to obtain or consume alcohol dominate plans for evenings, weekends, or holidays, it suggests alcohol is playing an overly significant role in life. The third indicator involves the detrimental effects on daily life, such as deteriorating sleep quality, increased conflicts with loved ones, difficulties at work, declining health, or repeated failed attempts to reduce consumption.

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Try not drinking alcohol for three months. Not a week or a month. Only then will many people feel for the first time what quality sleep, better concentration, more energy, and clearer thinking really look like.

To help individuals recognize the impact of alcohol, Laubner-Sakalauskienė recommends a simple experiment: abstain from alcohol for three consecutive months. She posits that this extended period allows people to truly experience the benefits of quality sleep, enhanced concentration, increased energy, and clearer thinking, which are often diminished by alcohol consumption. She stresses that addiction is a treatable medical condition, not a sign of weakness, and encourages seeking professional help.

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Addiction is not a lack of willpower or a character flaw – it is a disease that can be treated.