For those of you who acknowledge you need to cut down alcohol consumption, but haven’t thus far, what would it take to change your mind/compel you to action?
Blood tests saying I'm outside the normal range on a few key metrics and it's almost certainly because of alcohol consumption.
-this time last year
I’m not sure such metrics exist, at least unequivocally due to alcohol.
What did you have in mind - liver tests?
I rely on the blood work testing for liver enzyme levels and in answer to your question about what would it take to cut down that's pretty much it.
I used to drink a lot of whiskey, probably 4-6 a night on weeknights and some good heavy pours, a little more on weekends. Had my first full on physical at this time and my doc told me my enzymes were high and I made a drastic cut back immediately. But I did not quit, just moved over to trying to drink more red wine instead of whiskey and cutting it down to initially 2-3 before building it back up to the 3-4 range. That was right around 15 years ago when I was in my late 30's. Since then I get an annual physical and everytime the nurse calls me with my results she says the same thing "doc says whatever you are doing keep doing it".
If I get another bad blood test or anything my doc tells me that's not generic in nature but specific to my health saying it's causing issues I would cut back or even eliminate. Otherwise not seeing an issue or reason to, I'm not gaining weight, can't even remember the last time I was sick, low blood pressure, low resting heart rate,etc,etc. If/when those things change so would my drinking habits.
I applaud those who recognize an issue and cut back. My dad was an aclcholic and it wrecked havoc in his life and likely ultimatly cost him life and that still did not impact me like the 3 years I worked in a liquor store when I was trying to put myself through college. I used to refer to the drive through line as the "trail of tears", drinking like most of my customers did is no way to live life. Ideally alchohol should be a complement to life and the things you enjoy, not what your life is centered around.