Know your score quiz, higher risk score - video transcript for Jess Mookherjee
This is the transcript for the video that is part of the results of the know your score quiz.
A short video presentation by Jess Mookherjee, Public Health Consultant at KCC. Jess will tell you your score, and talk about the risks associated with your current level of drinking.
Jess: “Hi. The questions you just answered asked how much you drink and if you've had any problems with your drinking. Your score indicates that you are at higher risk and your drinking is causing some harm.
Drinking at this level you could be experiencing low energy, problems sleeping, memory loss, depression, sexual difficulties, injury and relationship problems at work and home.
There is also a very real chance that you will develop one or more of over 200 health problems caused by drinking too much alcohol. For example heart problems, liver disease and how your blood flows around your body such as high blood pressure which can cause stroke. Drinking too much is also linked to getting an infectious disease such as TB and HIV/AIDS.
Developing these conditions because of drinking too much means alcohol causes death and disability quite early in life. These conditions often creep up on you without any sign, people who get liver failure often find out too late and the average age of death from liver disease is 55 years old.
There is a possibility you are developing alcohol dependence with this score, if you are concerned that your drinking is taking over, you probably could do with some extra support. Please contact your GP or use the links in this tool to other organisations you can talk to.
Some people who are feeling low say that drinking alcohol gives them a lift. Is that you?
Alcohol very quickly can make you feel ‘mellow’ or calmer. Have you noticed anything like that? Some people take a drink to give them extra confidence in uncomfortable social situations. Many people who have used alcohol says it boosts their anxiety in social situations. They describe alcohol as ‘bad friend’ – it makes you feel ok in the short term but over time it steals a lot from your life, and it can lead to depression.
There have been some recent studies done with people who are depressed and when they stopped drinking they realised that their mood improves.
You don’t have to stop drinking completely, and it’s really easy to reduce your alcohol use in a number of ways: Simply alternating your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks on a night out will reduce your drinking and save you some money. If you are feeling bored or stressed, have a workout instead of drinking, or something else that’s enjoyable.
Not everyone drinks! There are about 12% of us in the UK who don’t drink. Try to think of some non-alcohol related activities that you can do, a trip to the cinema for example. If you think you might have an underlying anxiety or depression that you feel you are trying to solve with alcohol then support services are available. Sometimes we drink to quench our thirst; remember this and so have a non-alcoholic drink to quench that thirst.
Alcohol is full of calories! It’s easy to forget just how much sugar can be in an alcoholic drink and there will be even more if we choose to have it with a mixer as soft-drinks are also high in sugar. Combined with a trip to the kebab or pizza place at the end of a night out, it’s very easy to pile on the weight by drinking too much!
Drinking to low risk guidelines means having two clear days alcohol free and drinking no more than 14 units a week. There are also times when even one or two units can be too much such as if you are taking certain medications, it could make you drowsy or they may not work as well when combined with alcohol.
Thousands of people successfully reduce their alcohol use every year. In fact, in the UK generally we are drinking less than we used to. I'm sure you can make some changes to reduce your risk levels, good luck and thank you for taking time to know your score, and help and support is available. If you think other people could benefit from knowing their score please share this tool.”
The final frame of the video is the animated Know Your Score logo over the web address for further details: kent.gov.uk/knowyourscore