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Is it OK to Drink While Pregnant?

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Is it OK to Drink While Pregnant?

is it OK to drink while pregnant

Risky Behavior: Drinking While Pregnant

If you were to ask any John Q. Public: is it OK to drink while pregnant? Most if not all people would respond with a resounding No! But this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the medical profession began to recognize what was to be called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). There followed a widespread social awareness of what was to become thought of as a major public health risk.

But has this issue been over-exaggerated? More recently, people have begun to question the issue of whether or not it is safe to drink while pregnant.

A Distinction About Drinking While Pregnant

We are not talking about heavy drinking or binge drinking. For decades, researchers have known that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects. But the potential effects of small amounts of alcohol on a developing baby are not well understood.

Although heavy drinking during pregnancy can obviously be harmful, the risks of light and moderate drinking aren’t as clear.

Also, it is known that drinking any amount of alcohol within the first trimester of pregnancy is not safe to do – we’re not talking about binge drinking; what we’re discussing is light or moderate drinking, that is, 1 – 2 drinks in a given day with no more than 2 days in a week where alcohol is consumed and only after the first trimester.

Things to Consider Prior to Drinking While Pregnant

The problem with drinking alcohol during your pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe. Also, other factors must be considered such as individual’s body make-up and chemistry. For example, some women have higher levels of the enzyme that is needed to break down alcohol, therefore, if a pregnant woman with low levels of this enzyme drinks, her baby may be more susceptible to harm because the alcohol will be in her system for a longer period of time.

The Flip-side of the Argument: Ok to Drink While Pregnant

According to a British study, children born to mothers who drank moderately while pregnant did not show signs of balance problems when they were 10; trouble with balance is a good indicator of problems with brain development in utero. And a study conducted in Denmark reported that light to moderate drinking early in pregnancy was not associated with declines in intelligence, attention or self-control in children at age 5.

Trends: Women Choose to Drink While Pregnant

Given the uncertainty of how much is too much and how little is okay, some moms-to-be choose to not drink while pregnant altogether.  But a recent CDC study found that about one in eight pregnant women in the U.S. report that they had a drink while pregnant in the past month. For whatever their reasoning, more and more pregnant women are choosing to drink alcohol.

Possible Benefits to Drink While Pregnant

The relaxing properties of a glass of wine, as well as the health benefits of red wine itself, is what is leading some pregnant women to indulge in a glass here and there. Many of these moms-to-be said that their doctors actually advised them to have a drink, especially late in their third trimester, for the relaxing qualities alcohol has. When weighing the risks of maternal stress to the baby with light to moderate drinking, some doctors are saying a little is OK.

A study asked more than 12,000 new moms if they drank during pregnancy and how much. The study followed the children through their early years in order to assess their behavior. The result was a finding that the children of moms who drank moderately during pregnancy actually had fewer behavior and cognitive problems than the kids of the moms who didn’t drink at all.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.slate.com/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://healthland.time.com/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcoholism in College

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Alcoholism in College

College drinking is extremely widespread: about four out of five college students drink alcohol. About half of college students who drink, do so by binge drinking. The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.

College Drinking: Trending Toward Alcoholism in College Students?

A new study shows that 6% of college students meet criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence or alcoholism and 31% meet the clinical criteria for alcohol abuse. The study also found that more than two of every five students report at least one symptom of these conditions, putting them at increased risk of developing a true alcohol disorder.

More than 14,000 students at 119 4-year colleges were surveyed by researchers who then based their findings on these responses. Researches included questions that are based on criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol disorders as set forth by the American Psychiatric Association. Alcohol disorders include alcohol dependence, the most severe, to alcohol abuse, a less advanced, although still serious disorder.

Binge Drinking and Alcoholism in College

Binge drinkers (heavy episodic drinkers) and especially those who frequently binge drink, are at an increased risk of developing one of these alcohol disorders. Heavy episodic drinkers are defined as men who had five or more—or women who had four or more—drinks in a row at least once in a two week period before completing the survey questionnaire. The definition of a frequent heavy episodic drinker is someone who has consumed these amounts at least three times in the previous two weeks.

Further Findings of Alcoholism in College

Students who attend colleges with heavy drinking environments are more likely to be diagnosed with abuse or dependence. Male students are at greater risk than females. Nearly one in 10 college men under age 24 met a 12-month diagnosis of alcohol dependence compared to one in 20 college women under age 24.

Community Impact of Alcoholism in College

Each year, drinking affects college students, as well as college communities, and families.  And it’s clear that there is a relationship between alcohol and crime. The consequences of drinking include:

Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.

Assault: More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

Sexual Abuse: More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 receive unintentional injuries while under the influence of alcohol.

Academic Problems: About 25% of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

Health Problems: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem.

Suicide Attempts: Between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.

Drunk Driving: Each year an estimated 3,360,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol.

Prevention: Alcoholism in College

Research strongly suggests that prevention strategies geared towards particular groups, specifically individual students, the student body as a whole, the college itself and its surrounding community, can help reduce the frequency and quantity of college drinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://alcoholism.about.com/

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drunkorexia

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Drunkorexia

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, those aged 18-24 with eating disorders have the highest rate of death—12 times higher than the average.

The statistics on drunkorexia are staggering. Drunkorexia is the slang word used mainly by college students to describe someone who restricts food calories to make room for all those alcoholic drink calories they will be taking in at the campus party later that night. Drunkorexia may also include purging food and alcoholic drink to avoid the calories. Despite the known risks of these behaviors, the statistics still show that 30% of women between 18 and 23 diets so they can drink and not just drink but drink more.

A recent Southeastern University study of first-year college students found that 14 per cent restricted calories before drinking, six per cent of that number doing so in order not to gain weight. A startling 70 per cent were female. According to the CBC, 35 per cent of people with substance abuse issues also have eating disorders. The statistics pare down drunkorexic to one out of five college students.

Drunkorexia most of often begins with a fear of gaining weight from alcohol and is very prevalent among college-aged women; not to mention more dangerous too. This doesn’t mean that men don’t engage in drunkorexic behaviors at all, because some of them do. In extreme cases, the behaviors associated with drunkorexia are related to bulimia and/or anorexia, in which the alcohol is a catalyst making it easier to vomit or it helps to manage eating anxieties. Individuals don’t have to have eating disorders to be considered drunkorexic though; individuals without eating disorders that restrict their intake of food before going out can still struggle with drunkorexia.

Unfortunately for the sex that drunkorexia most commonly affects, females, it is also significantly more dangerous. Because women weigh less they have fewer metabolizing enzymes and less body water to dilute the alcohol with. A martini on an empty stomach immediately sends alcohol shooting into the system making the blood sugar levels shoot up. The result of this is an entire upheaval of the body’s metabolism which can cause serious instability. Those with eating disorders or with disordered eating patterns essentially disintegrate from the inside out. Alcohol consumes their vitamins and nutrients need to survive and this can lead to serious health problems such as fainting, cognitive impairment, and hypoglycemia.

The dangers of being drunkorexic don’t stop there though. Cutting food calories to take in more drink calories is very risk. Not only can drunkorexia make an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia worse it can also severely affect the individual’s emotional, mental, and physical health.

•             Drinking on an empty stomach gets you drunk faster, which in turn reduces your self-control and predisposes you to make bad decisions

•             Binge eating may also be experienced because the person is extremely hungry and may be unable to control their urges

•             Purging often follows after these spurts of binging on food

•             Reducing food caloric intake puts a person at risk of not getting the nutrients needed to function properly

•             Self-starvation and alcohol abuse can also lead to blackouts, alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related injury, violence or illness.

•             Drinking on an empty stomach can make the drinker more vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage.

•             Drinking on an empty stomach can also have a detrimental impact on hydration of the body being able to hang onto minerals and nutrients which can exacerbate symptoms of malnutrition and cognitive problems.

The long term effects are even more severe and the worst case scenario results in an early death. Long term effects of drunkorexia are: osteoporosis, brain damage, cirrhosis of the liver, cardiac problems and death. But this isn’t stopping the drunkorexics. In fact there is a new trend to hit the drunkorexic scene that involves smoking alcohol to get drunk without even needing to consume the actual liquid.

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Consequences of a DUI

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Consequences of a DUI

Consequences of a DUI

Driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI), is a serious criminal offense. A DUI can cost you money, your driving privileges, even your freedom. But there are other consequences of a DUI as well. Besides the legal repercussions, a DUI can have emotional, social, and even relationship consequences.

Consequences of a DUI: Legal

The penalties and requirements for drunken driving vary somewhat from state to state. However, due to the effort of advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, all 50 states have passes laws intended to crack down on drunk driving by increasing penalties and consequences of a DUI.

You are still innocent until proven guilty in this country, but if you took a breath or blood test that recorded your blood alcohol content at 0.08 or above, you will be convicted of drunk driving. It does not matter if you did not appear intoxicated, if you have a BAC of above 0.08, you can be convicted under the “per se” laws in all 50 states.

Once you are convicted of drunk driving in court, you will be ordered to pay a fine, court costs, and will have your driver’s license revoked for a period of time. In some states, you will face jail time. From state to state, the amount of fine and the length of license revocation and the jail time will vary. However, in every state, the consequences of a DUI include a fine and license revocation.

Consequences of a DUI: Social

The consequences of a DUI also include social consequences. Your revoked license can cause you to have difficulties getting to work or school or to social events. Your peers may judge or ostracize you for getting a DUI. You may not get a job, be passed up for career advances, or be denied admission to the school you want to attend.  A DUI will increase your insurance rates and it may increase your mortgage or other loan rates.

Consequences of a DUI: Emotional

Some of the consequences of a DUI are emotional consequences. You may feel sad, angry, or ashamed. Those that get into traffic accidents while under the influence are prone to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder often includes experiencing flashbacks and unpleasant memories of the crash scene. PTSD can interfere with a person’s thoughts and awareness.

Another of the emotional consequences of a DUI involves being branded a criminal. In the time it takes for someone to be pulled over and arrested, they have gone from viewing themselves as an upstanding member of society to a common criminal. When you get handcuffed, put in the back of a cop car, taken to the police station, have fingerprints and mug shots taken, and put in a cell, it can be devastating emotionally.

Consequences of a DUI: Relationship

You can also experience relationship consequences of a DUI. Most people who are convicted of a DUI don’t even realize that their actions can negatively affect their relationships with other people. Loved ones may feel betrayed, disappointed, worried, or sad.

http://www.myduiattorney.org/dui-tips/emotional-impact-of-dui.html

http://www.wedodui.com/FAQ/Consequences-of-a-DUI.aspx

http://www.duifoundation.org/support/emotional/

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

How many drinks are too many?

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How many drinks are too many?

How many drinks are too many?

“I usually have about three glasses of wine every night,” Laurie tells me. “I never really think about it. It’s an automatic thing when I get home, and I don’t get drunk.”

“My husband has three or four beers when he gets home on weekdays, and he drinks more when he doesn’t have to work the next day.” Michelle says. “Is that too much?”

Sometimes it can be hard to judge your own alcohol consumption, or even to judge the alcohol consumption of a loved one. It may be difficult to know how many drinks are too many.

How many drinks are too many? Factors

There are a lot of factors that determine how many drinks is too many including body weight, body fat, hydration, initial blood sugar, stomach content etc. Typically a “serving” of alcohol is 8 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce (one shot) of liquor. Once alcohol is absorbed, it enters the blood stream and is distributed in the body’s tissues. Alcohol is broken down by the body at the rate of 0.5 OZ per hour in the average person. This translates into about 1 drink per hour.

Alcohol use affects a person’s behavior and functioning. When a person begins to consume more alcohol than their body can eliminate (i.e. more than one drink per hour) their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) begins to rise. Most people are fairly functional at .08 BAC however some will have noticeable impairment. Generally a night of “Heavy drinking”, or to the point where a person blacks out, generally is from a BAC around .18-.22. Most people will become unconscious at .22-.25 BAC. A BAC over .25 can cause long term loss of brain function, induce heart attacks, and so on.

How many drinks are too many? Individual Concerns

However, that is just the science of drinking. What also determines how many drinks are too many depends on what you are most afraid of. If it is alcoholism, than limiting yourself to one drink per night will keep most women out of the danger zone. If you are pregnant, than total abstinence is the way to go.

This is not to say that if you have, say, two drinks a night, you are alcoholic or slightly alcoholic. For some people, two drinks a night isn’t a big deal, for others, the same amount can compel them to overindulge.

The key to recognizing a problem with drinking is deciding whether it has a detrimental effect on your life. That is the important part in determining how many drinks is too many. If you find yourself habitually making inappropriate comments, acting out sexually, driving dangerously, blacking out, or waking up with a hangover, these are signs of a problem, no matter how infrequently you drink.

Alcoholism is usually diagnosed by control, compulsion, and consequences. If you find yourself drinking more than you intend do, are preoccupied with drinking, or suffer negative consequences from drinking, then you probably have a problem that requires professional help.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Binge Drinking Facts

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Binge Drinking

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is also known as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking usually serves the sole purpose of becoming increasingly intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Binge drinking rapidly brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. The definition of binge drinking for women is when they consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours and for men it is 5 drinks in about 2 hours. People who engage in binge drinking are not usually alcohol dependent but it can quickly turn into alcohol dependence if it is done on a regular basis.

Here are some binge drinking facts according to different national surveys:

  • Around 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the last 30 days.
  • It may seem like binge drinking would be more common in college students and while it is true they commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes actually involved adults age 26 years or older.
  • Binge drinking is also more common in men with it being twice more prevalent in them than in women.
  • Binge drinking is fairly common among all people. One in six U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month. Not just that but they also drink eight drinks per binge.
  • Over half of all the alcohol being consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • Binge drinking is more common in households that have incomes of 75,000 dollars or more a year.
  • Nearly all, 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.

One of the biggest facts about binge drinking is that it can severely and negatively affect those who engage in it. Binge drinking comes hand in hand with many health problems such as:

  • Binge drinking because of the level of intoxication in individuals can cause unintentional injuries. These unintentional injuries include car crashes, falls, burns, drowning.
  • Binge drinking can also cause intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
  • Binge drinking can quickly and easily lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
  • Binge drinking can also lead to a lack of inhibition and risk taking behavior which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy.
  • Binge drinking for those who are already pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in the unborn child.
  • Binge drinking can also cause high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
  • Binge drinking just as any drinking, can cause liver disease, neurological damage, sexual dysfunction and poor control for those who have diabetes.

Believe it or not but the negative effects of binge drinking don’t just affect the people who are drinking. Binge drinking costs everyone money.

  • Binge drinking and drinking too much, costs the United States a whopping 223.5 billion in 2006.
    That is $1.90 a drink from losses in productivity, health care, crime and other expenses.
  • Binge drinking also cost federal, state, and local governments about 62 cents per drink in 2006 while the federal and state income from taxes on alcohol only totaled 12 cents per drink.

Binge drinking is very harmful not only to the individual and those who know the individual but it is harmful to the community. The bad things we hear about that happen when someone is drinking are usually due to some form of binge drinking. Not only that but the facts about binge drinking can easily lead to a larger and more serious alcohol dependency which will require outside help to overcome.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm 

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking

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Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking 

We live in a society where having a drink or two is as normal as going for a run, doing yoga, meditating, sleeping, going grocery shopping, or taking a stroll down the block. Drinking has evolved from an option (or recreational activity of sorts) to being a habit; and a bad one at that. We’ve glamorized and portrayed alcohol as a normal part of everyday life. Alcohol has ingrained itself into our society and to inform people on the dangers of alcohol when we’ve be told that it’s “normal” behavior to consume it and “live it up” is not easy. So, we won’t attempt to shove down your throat the perils of drinking alcohol, instead we just want to share our thoughts on how you can drink alcohol safely. Here are our top 3 rules to safe drinking:

  1. Do not engage in underage drinking. The drinking age in America is 21 years old for a reason and even at this age millions of people abuse alcohol by binge drinking or engaging in reckless behavior while intoxicated which puts themselves and others in danger. The human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25. That means that a person is truly not considered an adult until age 25. The brain is still growing and developing until the age of 25 yet people are allowed to ingest alcohol which affects the development of the human brain. We’ll safely blame that on a mixture of societal and governmental doing. Drinking prematurely can affect the development of your brain so it’s crucial that you do not engage in underage drinking. Just wait, it’s not worth the risk of getting caught by your parents, doing poorly in school, becoming sick or getting in trouble with the law. Be smart and be safe, just wait.
  2. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When you become 21 and are able to drink, if you choose to drink, do so responsibly. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When alcohol enters your body is slows downs your motor skills and thus impairs your ability to operate any type of vehicle. People who are intoxicated can barely walk straight so imagine how it’d be if they tried to drive a car. It just doesn’t sound too smart, does it?
  3. Do not binge drink or consume more than 1 alcoholic drink per hour. Alcohol like everything else should be consumed in moderation. Our bodies are not never-ending vessels that can handle large amounts of alcohol. Think about it, if we overeat we will get sick and/or throw up. Our bodies have limits when it comes to what we put in it. The body only needs enough food and liquids to keep it alive. Alcohol, though it has some benefits, can do us more harm than good if taken in large amounts, especially over a long period of time. When we ingest alcohol it goes into our blood stream, pumps into our brain throughout the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and the limbic system.  In the brain, alcohol latches onto the membrane of cells. It affects the neurotransmitters sent between different cells. These messages control what a person thinks, does and feels. By inhibiting some messages, and encouraging others, alcohol changes behaviors and thoughts.

This article is for informational purposes only. We’re not trying to tell anyone what to do but we just want to spread information on how to make the best choices when deciding to drink any alcoholic beverages; even those labeled non-alcoholic. Oh, yeah they do have alcohol in it so be careful.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Binge Drinking

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Binge drinking is a scary way to drink. Binge drinking is very dangerous to a person’s health and can cause serious damage quickly to a person’s body.

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.

Two large glasses of wine may not seem like very much. But drinking six units of alcohol in a short space of time – an hour, say – will raise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and could make you drunk very quickly. Drinking the same amount over several hours and accompanied by food for example will not have the same effect on your BAC.

Some studies show that drinking a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time may be significantly worse for your health than frequently drinking small quantities.

Getting very drunk can affect your physical and mental health:

  • Accidents and falls are common because being drunk affects your balance and co-ordination. You’re also more likely to suffer head, hand and facial injuries. Binge drinking has also been linked to self-harm .
  • In extreme cases, you could die. Overdosing on alcohol can stop you breathing or stop your heart, or you could choke on your vomit.
  • Nearly a third (29%) of alcohol related deaths are a result of alcohol related accidents. These deaths are more common among 16–34-year-olds.
  • Binge drinking can affect your mood and your memory and in the longer term can lead to serious mental health problems.

More commonly, binge drinking can lead to anti-social, aggressive and violent behavior.

Am I a binge drinker?

Even if you don’t drink alcohol every day, you could be a binge drinker if you regularly drink:

  • If you drink specifically to get drunk
  • more than the daily amount in a single session
  • If you drink quickly.

If you find it hard to stop drinking once you have started, you could also have a problem with binge drinking and possibly alcohol dependence.

Signs you may need help with your binge drinking

Binge drinking is very much related to alcoholism, but the presence of binge drinking doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has a severe alcohol addiction. The binge drinker may simply have unsafe drinking habits.

However, as alcoholism is a serious disease and alcohol abuse can damage the body even in a single binge drinking session, it’s best to recognize the signs of dependency.

  • A person who is alcohol dependent may experience “shakes,” chills, and other physical symptoms.
  • Alcoholics will also allow their habit to begin interfering with their families, careers, and other aspects of their day-to-day lives.
  • Binge drinking will become regular, and binges may be extreme.
  • Many alcoholics begin to develop a tolerance. This causes them to engage in more and more serious binge drinking sessions with greater consequences to their bodies and lives.

All binge drinking is best avoided, but binge drinking can become alcoholism when it occurs on any sort of a regular basis. It’s also important to note that there’s no “right” age to binge drink. While binging may be more common among certain social groups, for instance younger males, it’s dangerous and can lead to addiction at any age, so it’s important to seek treatment.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

College Drinking Statistics

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College Drinking Statistics

College drinking statistics have rarely wavered since it became apparent that most college kids were drinking. The college drinking statistics may seem high to you if you have never seen them before but the truth is, as most of us know, a majority of students drink in college.

Drinking is a continued problem for most colleges. Nearly 73% of the students drink every now and then. That is nothing in comparison to the college drinking statistics that say 1 in 4 aged (18-34) students binge drink which means they drink four or more alcoholic beverages in a few hours.

Frightening Freshman

The average male freshman consumes 7.39 drinks-which can mean a bottle of beer, glass of wine, shot or mixed drink-per week. The average female freshman has an average of about 3.86 drinks per week. This is better in comparison to some of the binge drinking statistics in the past for college students.

College drinking statistics affecting grades

31% of college students miss a class due to drinking and 22% have failed an exam or essay due to drinking. Around 159,000 of the nation’s college freshmen will drop out of school because of drinking or using drugs.

Sex

Also when it comes to college drinking statistics, alcohol and sex go hand in hand. College drinking has been involved in 90% of all campus rapes, where either the rapist or the victim was intoxicated. It is heavily involved with one night stands and most hook ups on college campuses. Around 70% of college kids say that they had unplanned sex when they otherwise wouldn’t have because they were drinking. While under the influence of alcohol or drugs 20% of college students didn’t take any precautions even though they may do so normally while sober.

Underage Drinking

College drinking statistics don’t only apply to those of drinking age either. College begins when young adults are 18. This gives way to the college drinking statistic that 63% or 2 out of 3; the underage college students reported drinking in the past 30 days and 42% had five or more drinks.

Part of the problem with college drinking and the reason college drinking statistics are so high is because of the availability of alcohol to those of age and underage. Also many places market their drinks to the college audience, making it cheaper and easier to get it. Another part of the problem is that college students underestimate their drinking. It’s easy to not think you are drinking a lot when everyone around is drinking the same amount. It’s automatically assumed that drinking and college go hand in hand. College drinking statistics also are saying that college student’s supersize their alcoholic beverages meaning that the volume of the alcohol is increased with the cup size. The college student’s idea of one drink is much larger than it actually is. For example if a college student drinks out of a keg they may consider one cup, one drink, regardless of its size.

Either way college drinking statistics are not slowly declining but are rather staying the same or climbing upwards and this has a significant impact not only on the students health but also their education.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Too Many Hangovers May Be A Problem

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If you have ever had a hangover you know that it is truly unpleasant and a result of making poor choices the night before. 75% or more of those who drink alcoholic beverages experience hangover symptoms the next morning. Too many hangovers like this may be a problem.

Typical symptoms of a hangover are headache, upset stomach, vomiting or nausea, a bad taste in your mouth, depressed mood, lack of interest in doing normal things the next morning, and a lapse of memory regarding events from the night before. Some individuals feel a sense of guilt over behavior or events that happen during their drinking. When this happens often and you feel you have been having too many hangovers there may be a problem. There are many contributing factors to the occurrence of a hangover. The most obvious factor is the consumption of too much alcohol. Then there is the lack of sleep, drinking on an empty stomach, drinking too much in a small amount of time, having a dehydrated body, and being in poor health.

Too many hangovers may be a problem not only because of the deterioration of your health but also because of the effects it will eventually have on your work performance, school performance, and performance when it comes to life in general. Too many hangovers may also be a problem because it is a sign that you cannot control your drinking to the point that you can stop before you have a hangover. Hangovers being caused by drinking too much alcohol are a sign that you need to either stop drinking or seriously moderate your drinking. If you find that you continue to have negative symptoms due to drinking and too many hangovers then there may be a problem.

Hangovers are not a problem if they only happen once in awhile. While it is true that 75% of people who drink alcoholic beverages experience hangover symptoms that does not mean they are experiencing them frequently. Too many hangovers may be a problem if they persist, especially if you always have a hangover after you drink. A hangover is a sign that your body need to recover from the amount you were drinking and if you are drinking enough to be experiencing too many hangovers then your health, mind, body, work, school, and vocations could be in jeopardy of being hindered or lost all together.

Too many hangovers may be a problem but the way to truly find out is to try and limit your drinking or stop drinking all together and see how it goes. If you find you cannot do either of these things then your constant hangovers may be a more serious problem than you thought initially. If your hangovers turn out to be more of a problem than you expected the next step would be to seek outside help from some kind of alcohol counseling, treatment, or self-help group in your area.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.