I’ve received a number of questions over the past few months about substance use & abuse so we have decided to make this our focus for May. This isn’t going to a judgemental or preaching set of posts, nor is it intended to make anyone feel guilty about their use of substances. We are just going to give you the facts and so you can make informed decisions, trusting that you can make the right decisions for you.
First of all, let’s distinguish between use, habit & addiction. We all fall somewhere along this scale when it comes to substance use. You may well be thinking “Hang on a minute! I don’t take drugs!” But I’m afraid you do. Some people think of Drugs as being a list of illegal substances like cocaine. However, it also includes a full range of substances like alcohol, both prescription & over-the-counter medicines, and substances that you will have in your kitchen like caffeine. Therefore, a habit of starting the day with a coffee or tea makes us substance users. Of course, habitually starting the day with a tea or coffee isn’t likely to get in the way of living your life in quite the same way as addict struggling to get through the day without using something like heroin but it is none the less somewhere along the same scale. So, our first appeal to you is to shift the conversation away from them & us – Those who use & those who don’t. We all use our drug of choice. We are going to start our May-range of posts on one of the most popular, not just in Ireland but globally: Alcohol.
With the exception of caffeine, alcohol is the most widely used drug in Ireland & globally. In 2018 just under €7.5 Billion Euro was spent on alcohol in Ireland meaning that €1553 was spent on alcohol for every man, woman & child in Ireland.
Every year there are between 7,500 & 9,000 new cases of people presenting for treatment for alcohol abuse in Ireland but this number is curtailed by the availability of services – The actual number of people developing alcohol dependence issues is thought to be far greater. Alcoholism is said to occur when the body becomes dependent or ‘addicted’ to alcohol. Continued use of alcohol is ongoing despite the negative consequences of drinking such as deteriorating health, job loss, relationship issues & psychological problems. Awareness of any related issues is often not enough to prompt the user to stop drinking.
Self-Assessment: The Mayo Clinic suggest you may be misusing alcohol if you answer ‘Yes’ to any of the following questions:
• Do you need to drink more in order to feel the effects of alcohol?
• Do you feel guilty about drinking?
• Do you become irritable or violent when you are drinking?
• Do you have problems at school or work because of your drinking?
• Do you think it might be better if you cut back on your drinking?
The cause of alcohol abuse is unknown but alcohol use disorder usually develops over time & is known to run in families. It develops when you drink so much that chemical changes in the brain occur. These changes increase the pleasurable feelings gained when drinking, prompting you to drink even more, and more often. Eventually these pleasurable feelings diminish and give way to drinking to prevent withdrawal symptoms which are unpleasant & can be dangerous.
Risk Factors:
• Drinking more than 15 drinks a week for males (A drink = 500ml of 5% vol)
• Drinking more than 12 drinks a week for females (A drink = 500ml of 5% vol)
• Drinking more than 5 drinks a day at least once a week
• Having a parent with alcohol use disorder
• Having a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia
• A young adult experiencing peer pressure
• Having low self-esteem
• Experiencing high levels of stress
• Having a family culture where alcohol use is common & accepted
• Having a close friend with alcohol use disorder
Symptoms:
• Drinking alone
• Increasing tolerance levels – drinking more to achieve the same effect
• Becoming angry or aggressive when challenged about drinking habits
• Exercising poor nutritional discipline
• Neglecting personal hygiene
• Failing to attend work or school because of alcohol use
• Lack of control of alcohol intake
• Making excuses to drink
• Continuing to drink even when consequential problems arise
• Giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of alcohol use
Professional Diagnosis:
A diagnosis doesn’t involve a specific diagnostic test but blood tests may be carried out to check on liver function if there are any signs of liver disease. Professional diagnosis of alcohol use disorder should come from a doctor or healthcare professional using a physical examination and evaluating your drinking habits by questions such as:
• Do you drive after drinking?
• Have you missed work or lost a job as a result of drinking?
• Do you need to drink more to feel drunk?
• Have you experienced blackouts as a result of drinking?
• Have you tried to cut back on your drinking but couldn’t?
I will talk more about the impact of alcohol on the human body in my next post. In meantime if you’d like to talk about substance use, or nay other mental health issue, give us a call on 0899420568, email help@broadmindstherapy.org or message us via our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jpbroad.
Your message will be dealt with discretely, confidentially & in complete privacy.
Finally, if you like what you read please like & share so we can reach & help as many people as possible.
Integrative Counselling And Psychotherapy 