Alcohol Awareness Month:
Am I An Alcoholic? Quiz

Table of Contents

The National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence sets aside one month of the year to focus on alcohol addiction. This year, the NCADD has designated the month of April as the alcohol awareness month for 2022.

There are several reasons why setting aside one month to focus on alcohol addiction issues is useful. One reason is to simply raise awareness of the pervasive use of alcohol. Another reason is to bring attention to the overuse of alcohol. Drinking too much can drastically affect a person’s life. It can also affect their family, their friends, and their job.

Focusing on the issues that can occur from drinking, first begins with defining alcohol addiction. It’s also important to learn about the signs of alcohol addiction. Noticing the signs can be a helpful turning point in a person’s life. It’s often the first time a person begins to realize they have a problem.

Learning more about the risks that often come with drinking can be helpful as well. It can help a person understand their substance abuse could eventually have a negative impact on their life.

Alcohol Addiction Defined

Today’s medical figures1 now use the term “alcohol use disorder” for someone with alcohol addiction. If a person is pronounced as having the disorder, its severity is labeled as mild, moderate, or severe. While most people are familiar with the term ” alcoholic” or “alcoholism”, alcoholism is a subset of the disorder. Using the newer term, an alcoholic would be diagnosed as someone with a severe alcohol use disorder. A severe disorder means drinking causes them both physical and mental health harm. It also greatly disrupts their ability to function around family, friends, at work, and in public.

Signs of Alcoholism

Sometimes a person may find that one or two of their behaviors fits an “official” symptom of alcoholism. However, this doesn’t mean they should view themselves as an alcoholic. In general, alcoholism is something that develops over time. A diagnosis of alcoholism is likely to occur only after a person fits most of the behavioral and physical symptoms. The behavioral signs include:

  • Being unable to stop drinking even though it causes legal, social, and/or economic problems
  • Avoiding/missing work, social, family, and/or other activities due to drinking
  • Making excuses to drink and/or being unable to control the amount
  • Drinking alone, eating poorly, neglecting personal hygiene
  • Becoming violent or angry when asked about drinking habits

Real physical signs and health issues often occur after chronic drinking. Physical signs include:

  • Developing health issues such as alcoholic ketoacidosis 2 or cirrhosis of the liver
  • Having alcohol cravings
  • Blacking out or having memory lapses after drinking
  • Having tremors the morning after drinking
  • Having withdrawal symptoms (e.g., vomiting, shaking, upset stomach) if not drinking

Risks Associated With a Drinking Disorder

Even if a person’s drinking habits don’t fit the description of alcoholism, the severe form of the disorder, they can still have a drinking problem. Mild and moderate cases of the disorder have risks too. When a person drinks regularly and/or heavily, they have a greater risk of:

  • Alcohol poisoning
  • Being involved in a violent event
  • Injuries (e.g., car accidents, falls, burns, drownings)
  • Miscarriage, stillbirth, or fetal alcohol spectrum if drinking occurs during pregnancy
  • Risky sexual behavior

Over time, even if a person is not fully an alcoholic, it can still affect them in other ways. Long-term drinkers are more likely to have:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Learning and memory problems
  • A poor immune system (which increases the risk of illness)
  • Increased risk of certain cancers
  • Increased risk of liver disease, digestive problems, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease
  • Family issues, job loss, problems with relationships

Alcohol Addiction Stats

There is data showing nationally, that drinking in young people is going down. That’s the good news. However, young people still pick alcohol as their number one drug. In addition, drinking is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined.

One surprising statistic in the nation, over 14.5 million people — at ages as young as 12, have some level of alcohol use disorder 3. Another stat — over 65 million in the U.S., report either drinking heavily or binge-drinking in a one-month period.

Clearly, there is a need to raise the alarm about the dangers of drinking too much.

How to Observe Alcohol Awareness Month

While some people practice abusing drugs unknowingly, some are aware of their doings. Several factors can also contribute to these harmful practices.

  • Don't Drink Alcohol For a Weekend

    NCADD encourages the public to go 72 hours without alcohol during National Alcohol Awareness Month. You and your family can participate while making sure to monitor signs of discomfort of craving within three days.

  • Keep the Conversation Going

    During this month, you as an individual can initiate conversation about alcohol use when no one is willing to talk about it. Speaking with friends and family can help spread awareness of alcohol abuse and addiction.

    If you're a parent with kids approaching the legal drinking age, it can be useful to discuss alcohol misuse with them to prevent bad drinking habits. Let them know that life comes with challenges, anger, stress and peer pressure and they should not look to alcohol to cope with life events.

  • Throw 'Clean' Gatherings

    You and your friends can use the time of April to throw clean parties, alcohol free parties to raise awareness. Invite colleagues, neighbors and family to enjoy special settings absent of alcohol. Other options to serve instead of alcohol can include kombucha, sods, or non-alcoholic beer.

Resources and Information

Alcohol Use – Facts and Resources

Alcohol Use and Your Health

Alcohol Use Disorder

Fetal Alcohol Exposure

Harmful Reactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines

Risky Drinking Can Put a Chill on Your Summer Fun

Understanding Binge Drinking

Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose

Using Alcohol to Relieve Your Pain: What are the Risks?

Women and Alcohol

Takeaway

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This especially holds true for recovery from a drinking problem. Admitting to such a problem and reaching out for help is a great first step. Others started their journey with this first step and had great success in reaching the other side. Now, they enjoy a life free from substance abuse and they’re full of hope and optimism for their future.

Everlast Recovery Center wants everyone dealing with a substance problem to have the same success. Please contact us for more about our award-winning drug and alcohol rehab centers.

Sources

  1. Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved April 9, 2022 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder
  2. Alcoholic ketoacidosis. Retrieved April 7, 2022 from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430922/
  3. Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Abuse. Retrieved April 7, 2022 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://recovered.org/alcohol
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