[Weekly Diary①] Even When Treated Abnormally... I Quit Drinking

Building Relationships... Drinking Alcohol More Than 3 Times a Week
Gradually Eroding Health, Memory, and Time
Let's Choose 'Abstinence' Instead of 'Moderation'

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] “You’re quitting drinking?”

On the evening of the 20th, at a dinner with friends, I mustered the courage to say I was quitting drinking, but what I got in return was loud laughter. I expected it, but I was immediately treated as ‘abnormal.’ When I seriously repeated that I was quitting drinking, those around me showed puzzled reactions. There were playful comments like “Stop making promises you won’t keep and just drink,” but the most common response was “Why on earth?”

In Korean society, alcohol is an indispensable element in building human relationships. The practice of forming relationships through drinking starts at the age of twenty. People called my university friends who often went to drinking gatherings ‘madangbal’ (social butterflies). After getting a job, alcohol became even more important. People praised so-called ‘judang’ (heavy drinkers) not only for their social skills but also for their work abilities. Since I liked meeting people and wanted to be told I was good at my job from my university days, I naturally drank with people more than three times a week as soon as I started working. Having lived this way for nearly two years, it’s understandable that people don’t believe my declaration to quit drinking.

When I said I was going to quit drinking, everyone just responded playfully.

In such an environment, quitting drinking is perceived as giving up ‘human relationships.’ Furthermore, people saw it as giving up on work. When I said I was quitting drinking, someone said, “Won’t you get bored?” They also worried, “You’re a reporter; won’t it be hard to meet people?”

“Quitting drinking means giving up relationships,” they say... but health, memory, and precious time must be protected

However, it was necessary to be alert about alcohol. First, there is the issue of physical strength. Having been diagnosed with fatty liver in the past, I easily felt fatigued due to continuous drinking. Even minor worries made me drowsy quickly and my concentration faltered. Still, I kept drinking. No matter how hard the day was, drinking made me feel less tired. When I couldn’t sleep, a can of beer seemed to help me fall into a deep sleep.

Second is the issue of memory. Recently, I couldn’t remember where I put things or what the topic of conversation was if it was interrupted. Anyone who enjoys drinking would empathize. Drinking and memory are correlated. Alcohol destroys memory cells and damages brain blood vessels, hindering the energy supply needed for memory. Continuous drinking can lead from forgetfulness to alcohol-related dementia.

I took an alcohol use disorder screening test and the result showed that I am in the high-risk drinking group. On the other hand, I was relieved that alcohol dependence was not indicated.

In fact, I belong to the ‘high-risk drinking group.’ After taking the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Korea (AUDIT-K), I scored 19 points, indicating a pre-alcoholism stage. It was explained that physical health problems or behavioral issues could already arise. In AUDIT-K, for men, 0?9 points indicate normal drinking, 10?19 points risky drinking, and 20 or more alcohol dependence. For women, 0?5 points is normal drinking, 6?9 points risky drinking, and 10 or more alcohol dependence.

※Want to take the AUDIT-K test? Try using Tongyeong City Public Health Center.

The most important thing is time. A lot of time was wasted drinking. For example, suppose one drinking session lasts from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., a total of 4 hours. Since I drank at least three times a week, that’s 12 hours wasted per week. Over a year, that adds up to 624 hours spent drinking. If this lifestyle continues every year until the end of life, it goes without saying. I thought that if I had spent that time reading, walking, exercising, or watching movies, my life could have been richer.

Alcohol is as harmful as cigarettes. It not only weakens liver function but can cause memory loss and physical harm. Unlike cigarettes, where there is only the word ‘quitting smoking’ and no ‘moderation,’ among drinkers, the term ‘moderation’ is mainly used. From now on, I plan to record the small changes in myself and society that come from ‘quitting drinking’ rather than just ‘moderating’ it.