Navigating Alcohol Misuse and Recovery
Each year in the United States, close to 30 million adults and approximately 800,000 adolescents live with alcohol use disorder and its subsequent mental and physical effects on their health. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers have risen due to pandemic-related stressors that can lead to alcohol misuse.听
鈥淎lcohol consumption among adults increased by 14% from 2019 to 2020,鈥 , vice chair for Addiction Psychiatry at 麻豆高清 and the program director for Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. 鈥淲omen, in particular, exhibited a 41% increase in alcohol consumption over a 2019 baseline.鈥听
There鈥檚 no specific amount of alcohol you have to consume to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. Rather, doctors look at certain behavioral criteria, including if you are:听
- Drinking more than intended听
- Drinking that interferes with daily life activities, or that causes you to miss out on events you enjoy or spending time with people you love听
- Often drinking to the point of being physically ill afterward听
- Finding yourself in unsafe or illegal situations during or after drinking (such as drinking and driving)听
- Having your thoughts consumed by alcohol听
- Trying to abstain from alcohol but being unable to do so听
Regardless of if you鈥檙e living with a fully developed addiction or are on the fringe of one beginning stress left unchecked can lead to people turning to alcohol to help them cope.听
鈥淚 think self-medication and the self-medication hypothesis of addiction helps us understand that a lot of the reason that alcohol use becomes problematic is to help relieve stress,鈥 says Dr. Avery. 鈥淎nd as a society, we've been under a ton of stress these last couple years.鈥听
Mixing Alcohol and Medication听
One notable danger of alcohol misuse is the effects of consuming alcohol and taking certain medications together. You鈥檝e probably noticed warnings on the labels of your medication telling you not to mix those meds with alcohol. Even some herbal supplements or at-home remedies can interact poorly with alcohol. Heed those warnings: The effects can range from mild to life-threatening.听
Side effects of mixing alcohol with these medications include:听
- Drowsiness, lightheadedness or dizziness听
- Decreased breathing, pulse or blood pressure听
- Significant impairment of judgment听
- Loss of coordination听
- Increased fall risk, particularly for older adults听
- Organ damage (particularly the liver)听
- Loss of consciousness, coma or death听
Women are at greater risk of experiencing these side effects than men because their blood processes alcohol differently. Older individuals, for similar reasons, are at higher risk for side effects due to their bodies breaking the alcohol down more slowly than younger people. Additionally, many health issues also become more common with age, which increases the chances that individuals are taking medication that will react poorly with alcohol.听
It can be tricky to avoid combining alcohol and medication. Some medications, such as popular liquid cough and cold medicines, contain up to 10% alcohol. The last thing you want to do in that case is add more. Even medications you think should be fine to take alongside alcohol could potentially have serious interactions.听听
You don鈥檛 even have to consume the medication and the alcohol at the same time for the interactions to occur since side effects linger. Check all labels carefully for warnings, and when in doubt, ask a pharmacist or your primary care doctor.听
Resources for Recovery听
Working toward or through recovery from alcohol addiction is different for everyone. No one鈥檚 experience will exactly mirror that of another person struggling with addiction.听听
鈥淚 think we used to think that recovery from alcohol use or sobriety was abstinence,鈥 says Dr. Avery. 鈥淎nd still, a lot of people when they say sobriety or resolution of an alcohol use disorder, they're often saying that they don't drink at all anymore. But we now are a little more flexible in our definition of what healthy alcohol use looks like these days.鈥听
When it comes to socializing, the pressure to drink alongside your peers is very real. Fortunately, there are alternatives that can help curb both the external and internal pressure.听
鈥淭here are good alternatives these days in terms of drinks that are increasingly tasty,鈥 says Dr. Avery. 鈥淭here are those non-alcoholic beers, non-alcoholic cocktails or even just getting a seltzer and having something to hold in your hand can be enough for a lot of folks.鈥听
Resources available to help people on their recovery journey are beginning to more accurately reflect the needs of individuals as well.听
鈥淚 think all providers here鈥攆rom your primary care physician to your psychiatrist鈥攁re willing and able to address problematic alcohol and other substance use,鈥 says Dr. Avery. 鈥淔or those needing more intensive care though, we certainly have outpatient options that are utilizing technology, as well as inpatient substance use treatment for those who are really struggling.鈥疶he Midtown Center for Treatment and Research is an outpatient program that evaluates and treats chemically dependent individuals and their significant others.鈥听
Other include:听
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is perhaps the most well-known option, and is an in-person program that involves a 12-step program and a sponsor听
- Zoom programs are available online and while many of these programs are similar to AA, they are available virtually, broadening their accessibility听
- Peer-based groups like SMART Recovery and others are free, mutual-support groups focused on recovery from addictive behaviors听
鈥淭here are also better medications to treat alcohol use disorder now,鈥 says Dr. Avery. 鈥淭here are medications that help you drink less and medications that help cement abstinence. And these medications you can get from your internal medicine doctor.鈥听
Whatever the path to a healthy relationship with alcohol looks like for you, 麻豆高清 can help. Ask your primary care provider what resources may be right for you.听
Your doctor is a great resource when you鈥檙e in recovery. Don鈥檛 have a doctor? Find one today.听听