You cannot go to the grocery store, pharmacy or picnics without seeing alcohol. It is on television and in the movies. For most people, it is part of their culture. Because alcohol can be so accessible, millions of people are using alcohol regularly.
With more people drinking alcohol, more people develop problems related to alcohol.
What is a drink?
Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink. Different types of beer, wine, or malt liquor can have very different amounts of alcohol content. For example, many light beers have almost as much alcohol as regular beer – about 85% as much.
Here’s another way to put it:
Regular beer: 5% alcohol content
Some light beers: 4.2% alcohol content
That’s why it’s important to know how much alcohol your drink contains. In the United States, one "standard" drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in:
12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol
5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol
1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol
How do you know how much alcohol is in your drink?
Even though they come in different sizes, the drinks below are each examples of one standard drink:
12 fluid ounces of regular beer (about 5% alcohol)
8-10 fluid ounces malt liquor or flavored malt beverages such as hard seltzer
5 fluid ounces of table wine
3-4 fluid ounces of fortified wine (such as sherry or port)
2-3 fluid ounces of cordial, liqueur or aperitif
1.5 fluid ounces of brandy or cognac
1.5 fluid ounces shot of distilled spirits (gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey, etc.)
Thus, a "shot and a beer" is essentially two beers. Having three shots of tequila is equal to drinking three beers.
The effects of alcohol
How quickly alcohol affects a person varies based on age, sex, weight, food consumption before drinking and usage of alcohol. Some of the more common effects can include:
Impaired motor movements, such as the ability to walk and fine motor skills
Slurred speech
Impaired judgment and reasoning
Impaired memory
Slowed reaction times
These are just some of the more immediate effects of alcohol when it is first consumed. The more someone drinks, the more pronounced these impairments become. People have experienced “blackouts” when they cannot recall their actions while intoxicated or passed out in places or situations that put them at risk. In some cases, excessive drinking has led to alcohol poisoning and death.
When is alcohol a problem?
Many people drink alcohol. Some people may only have one drink and usually when there is a special occasion like a wedding. After that, they may have no other contact with alcohol, and consuming alcohol is hardly on their mind.
But then other people drink more regularly. They may drink alcohol daily, twice a week or twice a month. It is something that they find themselves thinking about often.
Someone who abuses alcohol regularly will demonstrate the following symptoms:
Work productivity has decreased or suffered
Excessive absences or increasingly late to work or school
Neglecting your responsibilities at home
Taking unnecessary risks, like drinking and driving
Having black-outs when you do not remember what happened when you were drinking
Arrests or legal problems
Getting into physical fights or more verbal arguments with family or friends
Drinking continues despite health problems attributed to alcohol use
For some people, the use of alcohol has become more steady and widespread. Their use of alcohol moves from abuse to dependency. The symptoms of Alcohol Dependency are:
Tolerance has increased, and it’s necessary to drink more alcohol to get the same effect
When not drinking, there are withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, shakes, hand tremors, anxiety, sweating, and/or headaches
Cravings or desire for alcohol makes it difficult or impossible to control or stop alcohol use
Spending more time engaging in alcohol-related activities such as drinking, purchasing alcohol and recovering from the last use
Excessive absences at work or school and decreased productivity that result in disciplinary actions, such as warnings, suspensions, terminations or expulsions
Use of alcohol replaces other enjoyable activities
Alcohol use continues despite recurrent or chronic health problems attributed to alcohol use
Risk factors
Some factors can increase the risk of some people abusing alcohol and/or developing a dependence on it.
Family history: Having family members, like parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings who abuse drugs and alcohol, can increase your chances of developing problems with alcohol and/or drugs. Research has shown a genetic link that can predispose someone to developing a problem.
Age of onset: The younger you are when starting to use alcohol, the greater the likelihood that you will have problems with alcohol when you are an adult.
Gender: Men are three times more likely to develop problems with alcohol than women.
Psychological: People with mental health-related issues like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia are more likely to use alcohol to self-medicate their problems.
Other substance use: Using other drugs like nicotine in cigarettes and illicit drugs can make you more susceptible to developing an addiction to alcohol.
Environmental factors: If you live in an area where alcohol is more readily accessible, have people around drinking constantly, or where drinking heavily is part of the cultural norm, the chances of developing a problem with alcohol are greater.
Friends: The people you associate with can also influence your drinking habits. If your friends are heavily into drinking alcohol, you are more likely to develop a problem with alcohol.
Stress: Being overwhelmed with stress such as financial, legal, or family-related issues, and if you have difficulty managing stress, the likelihood of developing a problem with alcohol can increase.
Some of these factors alone may not be enough for someone to develop a problem with alcohol, and they are certainly not absolute causes. However, a lot of these risk factors can play against each other. For example, if you are overwhelmed with some stresses like finances, there is plenty of access to alcohol, and you learned to deal with stress by avoiding it, the result may be you using alcohol to deal with the stress.
Hazards of alcohol use
For people who have problems controlling their drinking, they feel there are some benefits to their use. They may like the sensations that it gives them. They may like how it relaxes them, how they feel more confident in social situations, or it may simply help them sleep more peacefully. Whatever their reasons for using alcohol, some costs must also be considered and weighed. Those costs can be:
Higher rates of being terminated from employment
Difficulty finding employment
Higher rates of domestic violence
Legal and financial difficulties
DUI offenses
Cirrhosis of the liver
High blood pressure
Depression
Alcohol-related dementia
Memory-related problems, including increased confusion
Erectile dysfunction
Nutritional and vitamin deficiencies
Increased risks for certain types of cancer
Increased risk for neuropathy that can affect sensation and motor coordination
Treating alcohol abuse/dependency
Many different treatment options are available once you realize that you have a problem with alcohol. When you go into treatment, abstinence from alcohol will be required, and the treatment options will work with you to maintain that goal. Which treatment option you need will depend on the severity of your alcohol use, and if you need to detoxify from the alcohol. Other treatment options include:
Self-help/support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Smart Recovery
Outpatient counseling, such as individual counseling and intensive outpatient programs
Medications management can be part of other treatment options
Partial hospitalization programs
Residential treatment programs
Most insurance policies pay for outpatient counseling only in part; some exclude psychiatric treatment altogether. Check with your insurance plan to determine what degree the professional requires and how much your co-pay or deductible will be.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
