Drinking: It Can Spin Your World Around

It's not easy to "Just say no" when my friends are drinking

Television and radio make it sound easy to "just say no", but it may not be so simple for you. You're facing some real pressures. Your friends may want you to drink with them, you may be stressed out at home, school or work, or you may be looking to alcohol as a way to make people like you. But remember only you can make decisions about what you do or don't do. This is your chance to be your own person. If you feel you need help to say no, then get the support you need. Talk to your family doctor or another adult you can trust.

When is drinking a problem?

Drinking is a problem if it causes trouble in your relationships with other people, your school or social activities, or how you think or feel. A drinking problem usually starts just by drinking now and then. People often start drinking when they feel stressed or because their friends drink. Drinking may make you think that you will forget about your problems or make you feel more liked by others. But after the party or the next day, you're still the same person with the same problems and possibly a new one -- needing a drink.

What causes a hangover?

As you drink, your body tries to make up for it. It "turns up" all of its senses. When the alcohol begins to wear off, these HEIGHTened senses cause shakiness, headaches and nausea. Everything may seem louder, bigger, faster.

If I were 21 no one would care

Not true. Even adults get warnings about the risks of alcohol. The major difference is that alcohol is illegal for people under age 21. Also, the younger you start drinking, the earlier alcohol can affect how you feel now and how you'll feel when you're older.

How much alcohol is really in a drink?

Beer usually has 3% to 5% alcohol. Wine has 9% to 16%. Hard liquor usually contains the highest levels (up to 50%). Most states consider someone to be "under the influence" or intoxicated (meaning drunk) at 0.10% blood level of alcohol. For a man who weighs 150 pounds, this might mean as little as 2 to 4 beers (12-ounce cans) in an hour. For a woman who weighs 120 pounds, this might mean as little as 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 beers.

Why should I say NO to a beer or drink?

Because alcohol is a drug and you can become addicted to it. It changes the way your mind and body work. Even one beer can slow your reactions and confuse your thinking. This means that anything that requires concentration and coordination -- like driving -- is more dangerous when you've had a drink. Alcohol also changes the way you act. It can make you let go of your inhibitions -- the feelings that normally keep you from doing things you know are risky or even dangerous. So a couple of beers might make it easier for you to talk to a cute guy or girl or be the life of the party. But it can also lead you to make bad decisions -- like having sex before you're ready or driving when you've been drinking. You might try to tell yourself, "It won't happen to me." But we all know people who've said that -- and then ended up in the hospital, or worse.

What problems does alcohol cause?

Alcohol can ruin your health. The more you drink, the more damage is done. You can get alcohol poisoning if you drink too much too fast. As the level of alcohol in your blood rises, the chemicals in your body can cause vomiting or seizures, or you may pass out. Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most well-known effects of alcohol abuse. Cirrhosis stops the liver from being able to clean the toxins out of your body, which can cause a type of poisoning. Alcohol can also cause stomach ulcers that can lead to internal bleeding. If you drink when you're pregnant, your baby could be born with birth defects.

Other things alcohol can do

• Make you gain weight
• Make you feel sick and dizzy
• Make your breath smell bad
• Make you throw up
• Make you clumsy and slur your speech
• Make your skin break out
• Make you feel out of control

The coffee myth

Don't believe the myth that coffee can make you sober. Coffee will only make you a wide-awake drunk. It won't help you think faster or speed up your reactions. And coffee may hold the hidden danger of making you think you're alert when you really aren't.

How do I know if I have a problem?

Ask yourself the following questions to find out if you may have a problem with alcohol. If you answer yes to any one of them, you may have a drinking problem.

1. Do you sometimes drink more than you mean to?
2. Have you tried and failed to cut back on your drinking?
3. Do you ever have hangovers?
4. Have your problems at school, work or with your family increased?
5. Do you keep drinking even though you know it's causing you problems?
6. Do you drink when you're stressed out?
7. Do you drink alone?
8. Can you drink more than you used to be able to?
9. Do you sometimes feel guilty about drinking?
10. Do you feel uncomfortable when you haven't had a drink?
11. Do you ever have blackouts after you've been drinking?
12. Do you regret things that you say or do when you've been drinking?

How can I stop drinking?

The first step is to admit you have a problem and to get help. Talk to your family doctor, a school counselor, your family or your minister or priest. The phone book is a good resource for Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups that help people quit drinking.

This handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this handout applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.

Visit familydoctor.org for information on this and many other health-related topics.

Copyright © 2000 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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