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by Amplified Life Counseling September 07, 2020
Time to take a look at how you or someone you love is using alcohol and/or drugs? What we put into our body matters. Substances like drugs and alcohol have a huge impact on our brain and activate its reward system. Often people try to replicate that feeling of being high or intoxicated despite ever-increasing personal loss and suffering.
On a typical day, do you have 2 or more drinks?
Is it difficult to stop drinking once you start?
Do responsibilities at work or home go undone because of drinking?
Have you forgotten events due to drinking?
Do you ever need a drink in the morning?
Has anyone expressed concern about your alcohol consumption?
Do you wrestle with guilt after you drink?
SUBSTANCE ABUSE INDICATORS
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) lists the criteria needed to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Some of the hallmarks identified in this list include: craving, drinking or using more than intended. Clinicians highlight two benchmarks for determining a substance use disorder, tolerance and withdrawal. Your answers to the questions below will provide an indication as to whether or not you might be experiencing a substance use disorder.
Have you ever used drugs for other than medical reasons?
Do you need drugs to make it through your week?
Have you ever abused more than one drug at a time?
Do you struggle with guilt about your drug use?
Have you neglected family or work because of drugs?
Have you engaged in illegal activities to get drugs?
Do you feel withdrawal symptoms if you stop using?
Has anyone expressed concern about your drug usage?
ACTION STEPS
Knowing where to start is often the hardest part in any recovery journey. These suggestions can help you begin the treatment process:
✓ Take an honest look at the problems drinking or drug use are causing in your life.
✓ Schedule a visit with your primary care provider to explore treatment options.
✓ Ask for help from friends, family and community resources.
✓ Access peer support resources such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics
Anonymous.
KEEP IN MIND
If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol or drug use, be courageous and seek help. Consider reaching out to your health care provider and engaging other counseling resources for guidance on next steps.
Want to talk to a counselor today about this?
by Amplified Life Counseling September 07, 2020
Having 4-5 drinks within a two hour time span is binge drinking and it can be deadly. One in six Americans drinks to excess, or binge drinks, at least four times per month. Binge drinking occurs when an individual’s drinking pattern causes their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to be 0.08 percent or higher. In common terms, this equates to roughly five drinks for a man and four drinks for a woman within a two-hour span.
THE DAMAGE OF BINGE DRINKING
It’s no secret that excessive alcohol can negatively impact our lives. Drinking alcohol can affect our physical, emotional, and mental health. It can alter our sense of balance, decision-making abilities, alcohol consumption changes your brain’s chemical balance and nerve tracks associated with the experience of pleasure and judgment. The ability to exercise control over your behavior becomes severely distorted. These chemical changes cause you to crave alcohol to feel good or alleviate negative emotions.
There are several questions to signal if you or a loved one is struggling with binge drinking. Answering yes to one or more of these questions might be a warning sign to seek help.
Do you wrestle with guilt about drinking too much?
Do you feel you need to reduce your drinking?
Are you surprised when you drink more than you intended?
Do you ever have four or more drinks in one day?
Do you forget conversations or events that happened while you were drinking?
Are you frustrated by others’ comments on how much you drink?
Does drinking come before other responsibilities?
Binge drinking affects memory and a variety of other brain and body functions, and is often associated with social and relational consequences such as car accidents, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies. The short-term physical effects of binge drinking include nausea, hangovers, memory loss, alcohol poisoning, and personal injury. Long-term potential consequences can include brain or liver damage, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, and relational and work problems.
ACTION STEPS
Making the choice to reduce or eliminate drinking is a powerful step. The following tips will help you navigate through the process:
✓ Take an honest inventory of your life, how much you drink and the consequences.
✓ Take a look at where and when you binge drink and consider avoiding these situations.
✓ Reduce the amount you consume at one time and delay having another drink.
✓ Intersperse non-alcoholic beverages like soda or quinine water.
✓ Talk with your health care providers about treatment options.
✓ Seek out individual counseling or support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
KEEP IN MIND
There are numerous benefits to reducing your alcohol consumption. Most importantly, changing excessive drinking habits allows you to once again take control of your life. You’re not alone, and help is available. Consider reaching out to your health care provider and engaging other counseling resources for guidance on next steps.
Want to talk to a counselor today about this?
by Amplified Life Counseling September 07, 2020
Did you know you could have a drinking problem without being an alcoholic? You might not be completely dependent on alcohol, but if you still drink excessively, it can lead to serious problems. About 17 million U.S. adults have an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), as well as about 3.4% of teens.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
In the U.S., a standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. This translates to:
Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and two for men. For some people, it’s advised to avoid alcohol completely. These include those who are:
ALCOHOL’S EFFECTS
There are both short and long-term effects of excessive drinking and intoxication. Lowered inhibitions and interference with speech and muscle coordination are some of the short-term effects. Heavy binge drinking may impair your memory or even cause a coma or death. The effects of long-term excessive drinking include digestive problems, difficulty with sexual functioning, heart problems, liver disease, neurological problems, and an increased risk of cancer.
SIGNS OF ALCOHOLISM
People who regularly binge drink or begin at an early age are at a high risk for alcoholism. Those with a family history of substance abuse and people who have a mental illness are also at risk. In addition, look for the following signs that indicate alcoholism:
ACTION STEPS
✓ Schedule an appointment for a check-up with your primary care provider.
✓ Provide your doctor with an honest and forthright report of your alcohol use.
✓ Recognize you may need to be admitted to rehab to completely detox.
✓ Seek out individual counseling from professionals specializing in addictions.
✓ Participate in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
✓ Make lifestyle changes to support reduced alcohol use or abstinence.
✓ Enlist the support of friends and family who are not also dependent on alcohol.
KEEP IN MIND
Alcoholism and excessive drinking is not something to take lightly. If you or someone you know struggles with this, be courageous and seek help. Consider reaching out to your health care provider and engaging other counseling resources for guidance on next steps.
Want to talk to a counselor today about this?
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Historic Counseling Center
7791 Byron Center Ave SW
Byron Center, MI 49315
616-499-4711
South Counseling Center
2465 Byron Station Dr SW
Byron Center, MI 49315
616-499-4711