April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcoholism is a primary illness or disorder characterized by some loss of control over drinking, with habituation or addiction to the drug alcohol, causing interference in any major life function (e.g. health, family, job, spiritual, friends, legal).

The Medical Definition of Alcoholism — published by the Journal of the American Medical Association:
” Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial .”

Warning Signs of Alcohol Abuse

If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may have a problem with alcohol:

• Do you drink alone when you feel angry or sad?
• Does your drinking ever make you late for work?
• Does your drinking worry your family?
• Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won’t?
• Do you ever forget what you did while drinking?
• Do you get headaches or have a hangover after drinking?

Courtesy of Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Strategies to Cut Back or Quit Drinking
There are many strategies you can try to cut back or quit drinking. To get started:

• Keep track of your drinking and set a drinking limit.
• Try to avoid places where heavy drinking occurs.
• Ask for help from a doctor, family, or friends.
• If you keep alcohol in your home, keep only a limited supply.

Click here for handout on how to cut back on drinking

Teens and Alcohol

Serious problems can arise when teens use alcohol. Teens that use alcohol are:
• 5 times more likely to attempt suicide
• 4.5 times more likely to get into a serious fight
• 3.5 times more likel to carry a weapon
• 3 times more likely to be hospitalized with a mental health prolem
• 3 times more likely to have a conduct disorder
• 1.5 times more likely to get into an accident, injure, or poison themselves.
• Almost twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners
Source: National Comorbidity Survey

Teen Quiz: Too Smart to Start – Click Here

Additional Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions about Alcohol & Public Health
CDC.gov
Mayo Clinic
www.alcoholism-and-drug-addiction-help.com
Healthfinder.gov
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Journal of the American Medical Association
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
WebMD