Page 20 - Oct - Dec 2023 Edition

AFRICA RETREAT CENTRE By Mwebaze Isharaza (“Isha”)

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR OR SOMEONE ELSE’S DRINKING?
There is an old saying that “If you need to control it, it is probably out of control”. This is certainly
true for most people who are concerned about their drinking. Are you drinking more than you
planned to? Are you drinking more frequently than you previously did? Is alcohol taking a more
significant role in your life? Have friends or colleagues raised concerns about your drinking? Have
you experienced memory blackouts when you cannot remember or account for some
segment of time after you started drinking? Have you woken up wondering how you got home
(or wherever it is you find yourself)? Have you found yourself planning how and where you will
catch a drink for the day? Do you drink and drive? Have you put yourself and others in danger
because of your drinking? Have you been told that you become a completely different
personality after a few drinks? Have you attempted to quit alcohol for a given duration or entirely
and changed your mind before accomplishing this? All these and more scenarios may be an
indication that alcohol is beginning to interfere with your life. You may be already struggling with
a condition known as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). This is often also referred to as alcoholism.
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition involving frequent or heavy alcohol use. People with
alcohol use disorder can’t stop drinking, even when it causes problems, emotional distress or
physical harm to themselves or others. According to the Uganda Alcohol Report 2022, about
7% of the country’s population (3,290,000) are struggling with Alcohol Use Disorders. This number
represents about 26% of alcohol drinkers.
SIGNS OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDER INCLUDE:
• Blacking out or not remembering things that happened
• Continuing to drink even if it causes distress or harm to you or others
• Drinking more or longer than you planned
• Feeling irritable or cranky when you’re not drinking
• Frequent hangovers
• Getting into dangerous situations when you’re drinking (for example, driving, having
unsafe sex or falling)
• Giving up activities so you can drink
• Having cravings for alcohol
• Having repeated problems with work, school, relationships or the law because of
drinking
• Needing to drink more and more to get the same effect
• Not being able to stop drinking once you’ve started
• Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from drinking
• Wanting to cut back but not being able to
• Obsessing over alcohol

A person with alcohol use disorder also might experience symptoms of withdrawal when they
cut back or stop drinking, such as:
• Anxiety • Depression • Irritability • Nausea, dry heaves • Racing heart • Restlessnes
• Shakiness • Sweating • Trouble sleeping • Seizures • Seeing things that aren’t there
(hallucinations) • Delirium tremens • Coma and death

18