Most people do not know they suffer from alcoholism until a loved one confronts them or the effect of alcohol puts them into a dangerous or negative situation. Depending on your relationship with alcohol, your ‘limit’ will vary with others around you. Sometimes peer pressure gets to us especially in a college setting, or out at a party, and we drink more than we can handle. Most of us can relate to these types of situations, but it is our future decisions that determine whether or not we have an alcohol dependency problem. Typically the risk of becoming an alcoholic is inherited, and the risk for alcoholism is four times greater for children of alcoholics than nonalcoholics. If you know family members suffer from alcoholism you should make it your priority to not drink too much, and always drink responsibly.
What is considered Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is the uncontrollable urge to drink, and the inability to stop drinking once you have started. Alcoholics need to drink to avoid feeling withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, anxiety, nausea, or shaking.
1. Sensitivity to Alcohol
Everyone differs on how much alcohol they are able to handle, which is why we shouldn’t compare the amount of drinks we have to our friends or family. Individuals that have Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent tend to have a mutation in their alcohol-metabolizing genes that make them more sensitive to alcohol. It is important to drink less if you are more sensitive to alcohol so you avoid sickness, alcohol poisoning, or putting yourself in dangerous situations.
2. How much is “a drink”?
Depending on your alcohol of choice, one drink depends on what you are consuming. According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 12 fl oz. of beer, 5 fl oz. of wine, and 1.5 fl oz. of liquor are all considered one drink. Men are advised to drink no more than four drinks in one day, while women should not drink more than three drinks in one day.
3. Short term Effects
Drinking too much alcohol can change your mood, personality, and make it hard to remember what you did the night before. After a night of heavy drinking you may suffer from a hangover, which will make you feel dehydrated, have a headache, nausea, and mental fogginess. You may also fall asleep very quickly but the quality of your sleep will decrease due to the interference with REM (rapid eye movement) and you may feel as though it is hard to concentrate the next day.
4. Long Term Effects
Drinking heavily overtime can lead to organ damage and memory problems. You may also lose relationships with friends and family that does not support your drinking habits. Alcohol changes your serotonin levels that regulates mood, which can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
5. Some Signs You May Not Have Noticed
- Memory loss – Blacking out regularly and not remembering your actions the night before
- Denial – Not believing you have a problem, lying about how often or how much you drink
- Unable to deal with your problems – Using alcohol to help ease the pain of problems or difficulties you face in your everyday life
- Mood Swings – Changes in your personality or behavior
- Tolerance Level – The amount of drinks you can tolerate before getting drunk will increase
- Physical Symptoms – Once the alcohol wears off you might sweat, crave more alcohol, become anxious or irritable
If you know you cannot control your drinking, or a friend/family member cannot control their drinking beginning to go to Alcoholic Anonymous is a great option. You will be surrounded with people that suffer from the same feelings you do and have a support group you can always turn to when you feel you may relapse into your old habits. Getting your life back, your family and friends back, and feeling healthy and rejuvenated is exactly what you need and deserve.
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