By Sparklle Rainne (They/Them)| Updated April 11, 2022
When is Alcohol Awareness Month?
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. It aims to promote awareness surrounding alcohol use disorder (AUD), including symptoms, prevention, and treatment for the condition. 2019 statisticsreport that 14.5 million people in the United States alone above the age of 12 experience alcohol use disorder. The matter has continued to grow in recent years, with alcohol consumption rising throughout the coronavirus pandemic. So, what exactly is alcohol use disorder, and what are the effects of alcohol on the body? What can you do to prevent alcohol use disorder, and what can you do if you or someone else in your life needs help? Let’s talk about it.
Defining Alcohol Use Disorder
Understanding the symptoms of alcohol use disorder can help you gain awareness of the signs of alcohol use disorder in yourself or other people, which is one of the goals of Alcohol Awareness Month. Symptoms of alcohol use disorder can include:
· Patterns of drinking more or longer than you intended.
· Wanting to cut down or stop drinking but being unable to do so.
· Impacted work, difficulty at school, or trouble in family life caused by drinking.
· Continuing to drink despite the act of drinking contributes to problems in your personal life, such as interference with your family life or causing difficulty with fulfilling obligations.
· Disengaging in activities that would typically be important or enjoyable to you to drink.
· Continuing to drink despite concerns such as feeling down, depressed, anxious, or experiencing a memory blackout.
· Patterns of getting into situations where drinking increases your chances of getting hurt (for example, driving under the influence, using heavy machinery, swimming, unsafe sexual activity, and more).
· Increased tolerance for alcohol (needing to drink more than before getting the intended effect/to get the effect you want/ed).
· Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when the effects of alcohol wore off. For example, shakiness, restlessness, G.I. distress, racing heart, sweating, or a seizure.
Mild alcohol use disorder is defined by the presence of two to three symptoms. In contrast, moderate alcohol use disorder is defined by four to five symptoms, and severe alcohol use disorder is defined by the presence of six or more symptoms. If you notice two or more of these symptoms in yourself, or if you feel that you may have concerns related to alcohol for another reason, it is important to reach out for help.
Effects of alcohol on the body and brain
Alcohol misuse can impact all areas of life and well-being. Possible effects of excessive alcohol in the body, including the brain, include but are not limited to:
· Headaches.
· Dehydration can be severe.
· There is an increased risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and stroke.
· An increased risk of some kinds of cancer, which include but are limited to liver cancer and esophageal cancer.
· I. Issues (ulcers, nausea, indigestion, and vomiting).
· Pancreatitis.
· Liver problems include but are not limited to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and fatty liver.
· Difficulty with memory, including both long-term and short-term memory.
· An increased risk of dementia.
· Trouble sleeping or changes in sleep.
· Changes in appetite.
· Mood changes.
· Mortality.
Drinking too much alcohol can negatively affect your immune system, work, education, and interpersonal or familial relationships. Getting help for alcohol use disorder is crucial and can be life-changing. Recovery from alcohol use disorder is possible, and there are diverse support methods out there.
Getting help for alcohol use disorder
Getting help for alcohol use disorder will look different for everyone, and your course of treatment, or that of your loved ones, may vary based on a range of different factors. The recovery process can include detox, inpatient or outpatient treatment through a program for substance use disorders, ongoing therapy, medication, peer support (via support groups and other methods), support from family, and more. Treatment may also look different as time goes on. For example, it’s common that a person may first attend detox to move through the detox process safely, then move to inpatient treatment, and proceed to outpatient treatment or support once they’re ready.
If co-occurring conditions or concerns are present, those may also be addressed in treatment. Co-occurring conditions are common in those with alcohol use disorder and may include but aren’t limited to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders*, and anxiety. Dual diagnosis programs may be advantageous in these cases. Ongoing self-care and connection to supportive people are typically helpful and important parts of maintaining recovery.
To find treatment for substance use disorders like alcohol use disorder or learn more about the treatment options available to you, go to https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/.
*Eating disorders are serious. Please call or text the National Eating Disorder Association Helpline at 1 (800) 931-2237 if you or someone you know has an eating disorder or believes they might. The helpline is available 24/7.
Prevention and healthy coping skills
One goal of Alcohol Awareness Month is prevention, which may come in education, early intervention, and other supportive factors, like the implementation of healthy coping skills. Here’s what you can do:
· Check-in with yourself. Think about why you drink and if you have a healthy relationship with alcohol. Know that you don’t have to wait for the signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorder to worsen before you make a change or seek support.
· Get screened. Screenings are short, and they can help you better understand your relationship with alcohol. One of the most frequently used tools in screening for alcohol use disorder is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
· Limit or stop drinking. Heavy drinking and binge drinking are major risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorder. It can be beneficial to surround yourself with others who do not drink or for whom drinking isn’t a central part of social connection. You may consider making your household an alcohol-free zone, so it isn’t easy on the hand. You don’t have to drink even if those around you do so. There are several ways to find alcohol-free communities, individuals, and spaces online or near you and spaces for those who are sober-curious.
· Identify healthy coping skills. We all need healthy coping skills to help us navigate stress and other concerns in life. Coping skills may include but aren’t limited to spending time outdoors, journaling, breathing exercises, thought reframing, yoga, walking, spending time with positive people in your life, art, and other hobbies, or meditation. Managing stress is often a crucial part of caring for your mental health, so this is something to keep in mind.Connect with a support system.
· Building your support system matters, and like coping skills, a support system is something that all of us need. A support system can include friends, family members, medical and mental health professionals, people in a support group you attend, remotely or in a face-to-face setting, and more.
· Know your risk. Alcohol use disorder can impact anyone. However, certain populations, such as low-income between the ages of 18-and 25 or who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, are also at an increased risk of alcohol use disorder. Alongside heavy drinking and binge drinking, other risk factors for alcohol use disorder include but aren’t limited to a diagnosis of another mental health condition, trauma, and family history. If you experience a mental health condition symptoms or think that you might be, connect with a medical or mental health professional who can help, such as a therapist or your primary care doctor.
Alcohol use disorder impacts the person who experiences it and those around them. If a loved one is in treatment, you might attend therapy sessions with them, such as in cases where family therapy is a part of their treatment. With that being said, reaching out for help can be important in keeping yourself healthy while you support a loved one. With this in mind, therapy may be helpful if you have someone who lives with an alcohol use disorder. You can find a therapist to work with in person or online, and no matter what option you choose, you deserve to get the support you need. There are also support groups for people who have a loved one, such as a partner or family member, who lives with alcohol use disorder.
Online therapy
Online therapy is effective in helping individuals facing a broad range of concerns that impact mental health. You can find a therapist to work with online but looking for someone in your area who offers remote sessions or signing up for an online therapy platform like BetterHelp. BetterHelp is a convenient and cost-effective way to get support from a licensed mental health professional. It’s easy to sign up, and you can cancel services at any point in time if you need to. BetterHelp has continued to improve throughout the years, and there are over 20,000 licensed professionals who offer therapy on the platform. **
