Therefore, seeking professional counsel and treatment is essential for a sustainable recovery. The human body metabolizes alcohol at a relatively constant rate, and the liver processes the alcohol at a consistent speed, regardless of the source or form of alcohol. People with higher socioeconomic status may be more likely even to drink more than people from under-resourced communities. You don’t necessarily need to be drunk for alcohol to affect your decision making abilities. And when your ability to make decisions is impaired, you’re no longer in control. Even though alcohol can lower your inhibitions, it’s also considered a depressant.
Disparities in and Influences on Alcohol Use: A Social–Ecological Framework
The worst of these stimulations is the one that screws with your sleep. I write it to help you make an informed decision on if it’s even necessary in your life and how much it is literally hindering you. Try getting some movement in, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in a hobby you enjoy. These strategies will not only lower your stress but support your overall well-being.
Myth: You’re not in danger of health or addiction problems if you only drink alcohol socially.
- Finally, given the changing demographic landscape of the United States, including a larger and more diverse immigrant population, interventions and treatment options should also reflect the growing needs of certain groups.
- I suspect I would have learned the value of healthy stress management years sooner if I hadn’t been in the habit of finding relief in a bottle.
- If you think you might be consuming too much, are using alcohol to cope with physical or mental health symptoms, or just want to cut back, talk to your doctor about strategies that can help.
- Anyone of any race, country, gender, and more can develop a substance use disorder.
- It is in this task of community healing that hope is rekindled, and it is this hope that initiates and drives the healing process.
- Some people think that those addicted to opioids or other substances must have engaged in drug abuse or risky behaviors in the past.
In the newest Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs release, 45 prior studies that stated alcohol protects from heart disease were modified for age, past alcohol usage, and last heart wellness and re-analyzed. Lindsay Damoose, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Sharp HealthCare, helps debunk six common myths about alcohol and substance use. Many people successfully overcome addiction and lead fulfilling and substance-free lives. At times addiction is portrayed as an incurable and lifelong condition. This leads people to believe that once someone becomes addicted, there is no hope for a full recovery.
Myth #3: Alcohol Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Cultural humility understands that it’s impossible to fully understand everything about a culture that you’re not a part of. Instead, mental health professionals can ask questions and allow clients to teach them about their cultural identities and values. A strong cultural identity doesn’t always protect people from substance use. For example, a 2017 study found that white youth who had a higher ethnic identity were more likely to misuse substances such as cannabis and alcohol.
It’s OK for me to give up my alcohol use and smoke marijuana instead.
Or call a cab, or your mom, or your local congressperson, provided you’re close enough to him or her to ask for a lift. What makes your life suck in the morning may have less to do with the order of drinks, and more to do with the total alcohol and congener content of the drinks you’re throwing in the mix. Congeners are toxic byproducts of certain drinks, and typically the darker the drink, the higher the congener count. As a coach and advocate for shift workers, my goal is to provide practical, evidence-based strategies that empower individuals to thrive in their roles.
Myth 9: Mixing energy drinks and alcohol is OK
- By committing to providing culturally responsive outreach and treatment services, mental health professionals can ensure that people of all cultural groups receive adequate care for substance use disorder.
- There are many myths and misconceptions about alcohol use, but the reality is that there is no “safe” amount you can drink.
- Treatment interventions should be designed with input from the community.
Alarmingly, according to two nationally representative samples, trends in alcohol misuse increased among both men and women and African-American and Hispanic youth over the decade between 1991−1992 and 2001−2002. For some people who drink, it takes quite a few drinks to “get a buzz” or feel relaxed, and they may be less likely to show signs of intoxication compared to others. These individuals tend to drink more, socialize with people who drink a lot, and develop a tolerance to alcohol, i.e., it takes more and more alcohol to feel or act intoxicated. Someone who misuses alcohol, especially over the long-term, can experience permanent liver, heart, or brain damage. And all people who drink regardless of the amount need to be aware that critical decision-making abilities and driving-related skills are already diminished long before a person shows physical signs of intoxication. Asians, on the other hand, generally are thought to have higher abstention rates compared with other racial and ethnic groups, especially when they are integrated within their ethnic cultures (Cook et al. 2012).
The effect of colonization on substance and alcohol use
- Substance use treatment should be based on evidence-based practices and consider each individual’s medical history, substance use patterns, co-occurring disorders, and personal preferences.
- In addition to the physiological effects, the fallout from drinking is a stress of its own.
- This section underscores the importance of relying on evidence-based information and compassionate support when addressing this critical public health issue.
- For example, researchers might continue to compare marketing and advertising strategies within specific neighborhoods to more fully understand targeted marketing’s influence on alcohol use.
Addiction recovery involves various approaches, such as counseling, behavioral therapies, support groups, medication-assisted treatment, and holistic myths about alcoholism interventions. This belief is often based on the assumption that different types of alcohol have varying properties, and mixing them creates a potent concoction. Examples could include mixing beer and wine together or different spirits. For example, fentanyl, a potent opioid prescribed for severe pain after surgery or injuries, can also cause euphoria, tempting some people to misuse it recreationally.
How to Reduce the Stigma of Addiction
It involves an inability to control your alcohol consumption, regardless of its negative effect on your life or health. But there’s still a lot of misinformation about alcohol and alcohol use disorder. Addiction involves changes in brain chemistry and is not a voluntary decision.
A number of social and cultural factors predict increased alcohol use, including discrimination and its related stigma. The role of discrimination and stress in health-related risk behaviors, including alcohol use, is well established (Dawson et al. 2005; Hatzenbuehler 2009; Paradies 2006). The stress and coping framework frequently is applied to explain the influence of discrimination and stigma on health (Krieger 1999; Pascoe and Smart Richman 2009; Walters et al. 2002).