• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 494385517 Alcohol Abuse

Straight Talk about Alcohol Use Disorders

Nov 20, 2015 |
By Dean A. Hickman, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Chances are, you know someone who has a drinking problem.

For people without the genetic, environmental or emotional predisposition to abuse alcohol, having a few drinks is no big deal. But if you’ve ever been close to someone who suffers from some kind of alcohol use disorder (AUD), the cost of that abuse is a hefty one.

Studies show that about 5 percent of American women and 12 percent of men have significant alcohol abuse problems. According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), underage drinking is also on the rise, with approximately 5.4 million people (about 14.2 percent) ages 12–20 reporting binge drinking.

Alcohol abusers often don’t admit that they have a problem. Instead they embrace common myths about alcohol abuse to remain in denial, saying “I can’t be an alcoholic because I …

  • hold down a job
  • just drink beer
  • don’t drink every day
  • can stop whenever I want to

Unfortunately none of these statements are true for the person with a drinking problem.

The toll alcohol takes

For the individual, alcohol abuse takes a heavy toll in the form of physical, emotional and psychological costs. Abusing alcohol can shave 10 years off of a person’s life. The physical repercussions are myriad, including black outs, memory difficulties leading to alcohol dementia, heart disease, hypertension, liver disease, impotence and osteoporosis.

Beyond the health concerns, the emotional effects can range from divorce to domestic violence, unemployment and homelessness. For loved ones and friends, watching a person spiral downward into alcoholism is devastating.

Then there’s the cost to society. An estimated $700 billion is spent on healthcare, lost productivity and the criminal justice system relating to alcohol abuse.

And alcohol kills. Nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. In 2013, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities added up to 10,076 deaths. More than 2,200 alcohol-poisoning deaths occur in the U.S. each year – an average of six every day.

Red flags and warning signs

Is your alcohol use keeping you in a “CAGE”?

  • Have you felt the need to Cut down on your drinking?
  • Do you get Annoyed by criticism of your drinking?
  • Do you feel Guilty about drinking?
  • Do you need an Eye opener in the morning to function?

The problem drinker has an unhealthy preoccupation with drinking, can’t manage to control the habit and uses without concern of consequence.

If two or more of these behaviors are common, there’s a significant issue.

Warning signs in adolescents include

  • Abrupt changes in mood and personality
  • A sudden decline in attendance and/or performance at school
  • Impaired relationships with family and friends
  • Lying and stealing
  • A suspicious new crowd of friends

Getting help

The good news is that alcohol abuse can be conquered through a combination of psychotherapy, medication management and social interventions such as 12-step programs. Programs range from inpatient detox and rehab to partial hospitalization to an intensive outpatient program that includes family treatment and aftercare services. The best approach is multi-disciplinary, with board certified psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers taking a holistic approach to helping the person get their life back on track.

Most AUD patients don’t get help alone. Usually it takes the encouragement and tough love of a spouse, family member or employer to get them into treatment. In more severe cases, an intervention team of friends and loved ones confronts the person with a plan, outlining the consequences of their continued alcohol abuse.

Ideally, once a person gets sober, he/she continues to engage with his treatment team for at least a year, a safety net that can ward off relapses and help maintain balance as recovery becomes a day-to-day reality.

Simply stated, if your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem. Get help now so you can live the life you deserve, free of addiction.

Tags
alcohol

You may also be interested in:

465480243 Woman Looking Away
Health Trends
August 9, 2022

Understanding Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, is a condition where a person feels depressed at different times of the year.
86505321 Man With Hand On Head
Prevention & Wellness
August 5, 2022

Signs of Depression in Men

If left untreated, depression in men can lead to further withdrawal and isolation, or even worse, harm to themselves as men suffer a higher rate of depression-related suicide.
By Dean A. Hickman, MD

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok

Healthy living tips newsletters, delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide