When it comes to your own drinking habits it’s hard to be objective. Your emotions run high and you are very good at rationalizing your decisions. You might even spend a large portion of your time and energy denying that you have a problem with alcohol.

The lines of what constitutes an alcohol dependency or alcoholism are pretty fuzzy. A person who has a problem with alcohol might not be a full-fledged alcoholic but they will experience a deterioration in their everyday lives and they are at an increased risk for dependency later on.

To help you determine whether you need to ease up on your drinking – or give it up completely – here are some examples of experiences that you may have if your habits are unhealthy.

1: You frequently black out.

You may share stories with your friends of nights you can’t remember. You might even think they’re funny. But they should scare you. There are moments of your life where you have no idea what is happening to you, or what you are doing. If this is something you experience regularly and that you think is normal, you need to step back and re-evaluate. This is a major red flag.

2: Random hookups are a regular thing.

It might seem like a normal part of college culture – or even pop culture. When you’re under the influence of alcohol, going home with someone might seem like the normal way to end the night. But engaging intimately with people you barely know is a good way to open yourself up to a whole host of trouble.

3: You have unexplained injuries.

This one ties in with the first point. If you’re waking up with random injuries that you can’t explain, you have a problem! When alcohol starts to create visible and physical problems in your life, it’s time to part ways.

4: You do whatever it takes to get the next drink.

This one especially applies if you engage in drinking while under the legal age limit. Sometimes getting your next drink isn’t as easy as walking up to the fridge and grabbing a cold one. It may be an indication of a serious problem if you find yourself going out of your way just to get another drink.

5: You act like it’s always five o’clock.

If you find yourself drinking at inappropriate times – like before or during class, or before or during work – this could be a significant indicator of a drinking problem. Not to mention, your tolerance goes WAY UP and you have to drink more and more just to get the same buzz.

6: You constantly have to apologize for things you did while drunk.

This part probably sucks the most, especially if you can’t remember what you did that requires an apology. Drunk you is not the same person as sober you. Drunk you can often hurt the people that you’re closest to, and make decisions that sober you would never do.

7: Your relationships start to suffer.

This ties in with the above point perfectly. If you’re always doing and saying things that hurt the people around you, your relationships will take a toll. If you care more about getting drunk than you do about your friends, you need to re-evaluate.

In the grand scheme of things these experiences listed above may seem like little blips. But if they occur often enough, they could derail your life. If you find that these situations are regular occurrences in your life, you need to step back and consider saying goodbye to alcohol forever. Your life depends on it.