Alcohol Use and Abuse

• Do you have a problem with alcohol?    
  • Benefits of moderate drinking?
  • Patterns of problem drinking
  • Types of alcohol problems
  • The problem of denial
• Who is at risk?
  • Family history of alcoholism
  • Genetic factors
  • Psychiatric disorders
  • Early experiences with alcohol
  • Cultural and ethnic differences  
  • Social environment
• The consequences of alcohol abuse and dependence
  • An enormous toll
  • The health consequences
  • Drinking and driving
  • Alcohol and violence
• Smoking and alcohol: A risky combination
  • Reasons for quitting
  • Unique risks for women
  • Smoking cessation aids
  • How to find support
• Women and alcohol
  • Differences in metabolizing alcohol
  • Factors putting women at risk
  • Greater health consequences
  • Different treatment paths
• Drinking and older adults
  • Two possible scenarios
  • A hidden problem
  • Medications and alcohol: A hazardous mix
• Alcohol use among teens and young adults
  • Binge drinking
  • Talking to kids about drinking responsibly
• SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: A 7-part plan toward recovery
• Working with a therapist  
• Medications to help you quit drinking
  • Medications for co-occurring psychiatric disorders
• When a loved one is a problem drinker
• Resources
• Glossary

The problem of denial

Drinking problems are insidious. Many people who suffer from them don’t believe that anything is wrong. They may think they’re drinking to cope with a particularly stressful period in their lives. In their minds, the stress is the problem, not the drinking. They can stop drinking whenever they want, they say — but they don’t.

Denial is a common obstacle that prevents many people with drinking problems from making the connection between their drinking habits and the trouble in their lives: emotional difficulties, family arguments, or problems at work. Many people with alcohol abuse or dependence can’t see that they’ve lost control over their drinking.

Denial can also extend to the people around problem drinkers, who may have a difficult time recognizing or accepting that a family member, friend, or co-worker has a drinking problem. In organizations such as Al-Anon, family members and friends of people who are dependent on alcohol seek help with the difficult task of recognizing the symptoms of alcoholism and facing their loved one’s drinking problem.

People may be reluctant to admit their problems with alcohol because of the stigma that our society attaches to alcoholism. Although medical research has long established that alcoholism is a chronic medical illness requiring maintenance treatments (similar to hypertension or diabetes) to achieve abstinence and thereby maintain good health, many still perceive it to be a personal failing or a sign of moral weakness. The shame people feel about drinking often reinforces their compulsion to drink — and prevents them from getting treatment. In fact, effective treatments are available and those with problem drinking patterns are more likely to seek help when others are supportive of this.