Alcohol Awareness newsletter

Alcohol
Awareness
When Does Alcohol
Abuse Become Alcoholism?
You might know someone like Terry. She has
a good job and always makes time for her
family and friends. She even does volunteer
work at her children’s school. In short, she’s a
really great person.
Terry also abuses alcohol.
It’s not easy to pinpoint the moment when someone
starts having a problem with alcohol. Instead of
clear lines, there are shades of gray between social
drinking, alcohol abuse and alcoholism. For some
people, abuse begins before they – or their family –
know it’s happening.
In Terry’s case, one glass of wine after dinner
turned into four. To keep her family from
worrying, she hid the empty wine bottles.
Covert behavior like this is one sign that someone
has a drinking problem.
} When Does Alcohol Abuse
Become Alcoholism?
} Helping Kids Say “No” to Drugs
and Alcohol
} Recognizing the Signs of Alcoholism
} How Genetics Can Influence Your
Risk of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Heavy drinkers may appear to function day to day yet still
be putting themselves and others at risk. Learn how to
recognize problem drinking.
Knowing your limits
For men, experts define heavy drinking as more
than two drinks per day on a regular basis. For
women, it’s an average of more than one drink per
day. But it may still be hard to tell when drinking
has become a problem.
Drinking is common in our culture, and some
people do it without harmful effects. For others,
drinking escalates until they lose their health and
put themselves and others in danger.
The reasons for these differences are complex.
People with a family history of alcoholism are
more likely to have addiction problems. So are
those who face depression or some other mental
illnesses. Your upbringing and social environment
may also make a difference.
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In This Issue:

Alcohol Awareness
Losing control
Alcohol abuse on a small scale can lead to full-blown
alcoholism. People who continue to abuse alcohol often
find they have to drink more to get the same effect. This
warning sign of alcoholism is called tolerance. In time you
may need a drink just to feel normal. These signs add up
to dependence – a hallmark of alcoholism.
It’s best to uncover problems before they get that far. Your
drinking may be putting you at risk for alcoholism if:
You know alcohol is damaging your relationships and your
health, but you drink anyway.
You repeatedly neglect important work and family
functions – for example, missing your kids’ events or
deadlines at work.
You have legal troubles, such as getting arrested for
driving under the influence (DUI) or being drunk
and disorderly.
Getting help
The effects of alcoholism can be devastating. Heavy
drinkers are more likely to have heart disease, liver
disease, depression and several types of cancer. Family
and work relationships usually suffer. And of course,
drinking too much alcohol on even one occasion can
lead to injuries or death from a car crash, drowning or
other type of accident.
When Terry’s family realized she was losing control of
her drinking, they persuaded her to get help. Your
doctor is a good place to start finding the counseling or
treatment you need. You can also contact the National
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service
at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Helping Kids Say “No”
to Drugs and Alcohol
Believe it or not, your kids listen when you tell
them about the hazards of substance abuse.
Learn to talk to them about the dangers.
Teens have a way of making their parents feel pretty
useless at times. But whether you know it or not, you
are the biggest influence in your children’s lives when
it comes to drugs and alcohol. About 2 out of 3 kids
ages 13 to 17 say that one of the main reasons they
don’t do drugs is that their parents would be
disappointed in them.
Here are some ways you can help your kids avoid
tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs:
Know their friends.
Teens are usually offered drugs by friends. Get to know
your children’s friends and their parents. Ask where your
kids are going when they leave the house, who they’ll be
with, and what they’ll be doing. Let them know you’ll be
checking on them.
Be involved.
The “danger zone” for drug use is between 4 p.m. and
6 p.m. So try to be there when your children get home
from school. If you can’t be there, call. Get them involved
in supervised after-school and summer activities. Bored
kids are more likely than others to get in trouble.
Talk to your kids about drugs.
Tell them often that you don’t ever want them to use
tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. Listen, too. If you’re a
good listener, your child is more likely to talk to you
about drugs.
Establish rules.
Set a curfew and enforce it. Let your kids know what the
consequences will be if they drink or do drugs. Reward
good behavior.
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Alcohol Awareness
Be a good role model.
Kids learn a lot by watching their parents. If you have a
substance abuse problem, get help so you can set a good
example for your children.
Teach your kids how to handle peer pressure.
One strategy kids can use to stay clear of drugs and alcohol
is REAL: Refuse, Explain, Avoid, Leave.
} Refuse. A simple “no” often works.
} Explain. A teen might say “I can’t risk getting kicked
off the team” or “Smoking makes me sick.” Be firm but
polite.
} Avoid. Teens can decide to stay away from parties where
drugs are likely to be used.
} Leave. If teens are feeling pressured, they can learn to
just walk away. Or they can suggest another activity, such
as playing a sport or going to a movie.
Recognizing the
Signs of Alcoholism
Do you worry that you or someone
you love may have a drinking
problem? Learn how to recognize
the signs of alcoholism.
Having a glass of wine with dinner every night or
drinking a few beers at a ball game doesn’t mean that
you have an alcohol problem – does it? Drinking in
moderation – up to one drink a day for women and no
more than two drinks a day for men – may be no cause
for concern. But unless you examine your drinking
habits, how can you be sure?
It can be hard to tell how alcohol is affecting your life.
For one thing, people often have a hard time admitting
they drink too much. But ignoring how you use alcohol
can do serious harm to your health.
Why worry?
Heavy drinking raises your risk of certain types of stroke
and cancer. It also can cause other diseases and conditions,
including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), pancreatitis,
stomach ulcers, malnutrition, and problems with your
immune system.
Your alcohol use also can put others at risk. For instance,
drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol
syndrome – a range of various birth defects. It can also
cause serious physical, mental, and behavioral problems for
your baby. Drinking and driving puts everyone on the road
in danger.
A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02 percent can
impair driving skills. If a 160-pound man drinks just two
beers, his BAC will be twice that amount, or 0.04. Driving
starts to be impaired at this level. Smaller people can reach
this level by drinking even less.
Review your risk
At every age, men are more likely than women to have
drinking problems. Alcoholism also runs in families.
However, having a parent with alcoholism doesn’t always
mean you’ll have it, too.
Have a heart-to-heart
Ask friends and family about how they view your drinking.
They may have noticed that you’re anxious or depressed.
Or they may see that you’re not sleeping well, you lack
self-esteem, or you’re not doing well at work. Plus, you
may have been in traffic accidents or gotten tickets
because of your drinking. These are all possible signs
of a drinking problem.
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Alcohol Awareness
Ask yourself these questions:
} Have I ever felt I should cut down on my drinking?
} Have people annoyed me by criticizing the amount of
alcohol I consume?
} Have I ever felt guilty or bad about my drinking?
} Have I ever had a drink first thing in the morning to
steady my nerves or get rid of a hangover?
} Even one “yes” answer may be a sign of a drinking
problem. More than one “yes” makes it more likely that
your drinking is a problem.
Reach for recovery
Talk with your doctor if you’re worried about your
drinking. Alcoholism can be treated with therapy.
Sometimes medication is prescribed for withdrawal and
cravings.
Successful recovery depends on abstaining from alcohol
for the rest of your life. This sounds like a tall order, but
avoiding events with alcohol and keeping alcohol out of
your home can help. So can the support of your family
and friends as well as others who are recovering from
alcoholism.
How Genetics Can Influence Your
Risk of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Your family history offers important insight into your risk of becoming addicted
to alcohol or other drugs.
It’s easy to think about inheriting the positive traits of
your relatives. After all, who wouldn’t want the gene that
gave Mom her perfect smile or Uncle Mike his all-star
skills on the basketball court?
But what if your dad – or his dad – lived much of his life
with an alcohol problem? Evidence shows there is a link
between genes and substance abuse. In fact, an estimated
40 percent to 60 percent of what makes a person
vulnerable to addiction is linked to genetics.
Some of these factors include:
} Mental health. Disorders such as depression raise
your risk.
} Environmental factors. Risk goes up when you’re
around others who have substance abuse problems. The
lifestyles of your parents and other family members are a
strong influence.
You might be worried that genes linked to alcoholism
may have been passed on to you. But keep in mind there
are ways you can reduce your risk.
What’s the connection?
When it comes to alcohol, research has found that some
genes affect both how much people consume and their
risk of becoming dependent on it. Other genes affect
dependence alone. Statistically, children of alcoholics are
about four times more likely than the general population
to have an alcohol problem in their lifetime.
These numbers might suggest that your fate is set if
there’s a history of drug or alcohol issues in your family.
But it isn’t. No single factor – including your genetic
makeup – determines your risk of addiction. Many things
come into play, and they often interact. In general, the
more risk factors you have, the greater the danger.
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} Age at first use. The earlier you start using drugs or
alcohol, the greater your risk of becoming addicted to
them.
} Method of administration. Smoking a drug or
injecting it raises the odds that you’ll get hooked.
Protect yourself
} Discourage underage use. Alcohol use by minors
and the use of illicit drugs (by anyone) are illegal and
should be avoided. Talk with your kids about the risks.
And be a good role model.
} Drink in moderation – if at all. If you choose to
drink, it’s best to have no more than one drink a day
if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man.
Be aware that drinking in moderation may be harder
for someone who has a family history of alcoholism.
Avoiding alcohol entirely may be the best policy for
some people.
} Talk with your doctor. He or she can tell you more
about your risk of addiction or help you if you think
you have a problem.
© 2012 United HealthCare Services, Inc.
UHCEW571621-000
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