Many of us enjoy the occasional drink, or to have a few when we go out with our friends. But when does it cross from a fun, harmless thing to a problem? A 2019 study reported that 25.8% of people aged 18 and older engaged in at least one episode of binge drinking within the previous month. The same study revealed that nearly 15 million people suffered from AUD (Alcohol Use Disorder), and sadly, around 414,000 of those people were under the age of 18.
How is AUD defined? The Mayo Clinic described it as “Alcohol use disorder (which includes a level that’s sometimes called alcoholism) is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems, having to drink more to get the same effect, or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male consumes five or more drinks within two hours or a female downs at least four drinks within two hours. Binge drinking causes significant health and safety risks.” Symptoms include not being able to limit your alcohol usage, drinking often or frequently having the strong urge to drink, and when drinking affects your work, school, social life or more.
And what causes AUD? Sometimes it can be genetic, and those who start drinking at an earlier age are more likely to develop AUD. Depression and trauma can also lead someone to progress from an occasional drink to AUD, as can societal factors, and even bariatric surgery. Excessive drinking can effect your work, and education, as well as your personal relationships. It can lead to drinking and driving, financial problems, liver disease, heart problems, an increased risk of cancer, and so much more.
So what can we do? Recognizing the signs is a great first step, whether it be in yourself or with a loved one. Treatment and detox is generally the second step, although it may be difficult to get a loved one to accept they have a problem, and get them into treatment. It may take a few tries, but it’s important to not give up. Recovery is possible, for anyone and everyone. Following treatment, it’s generally recommended to continue with counseling, and sometimes a person may be prescribed medication. There are both oral medication and injections.
It may be hard to witness someone you care about struggle with AUD, and it may be hard to accept if you yourself struggle with it. But it’s important to remember that help is out there and everyone is capable of recovery. If you’re unsure of where to begin to seek help, call 888-815-2561, a 24/7 national hotline for drug and alcohol abuse.