Risk Factors for Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse means that your use of alcohol harms your mental or physical health, or gets in the way of work or relationships. Certain factors increase your risk of abusing alcohol. They affect when you drink, how you drink, and how likely you are to abuse alcohol. These risk factors include:

• getting peer pressure from friends, coworkers, or dates
• being a teenager who wants to "get away with" some behavior
• having family members or friends who drink regularly, drink too much, or are alcoholics
• being depressed or anxious
• having abused other substances in the past
• using alcohol to reduce stress
• thinking that it is all right to drink because alcohol is legal and available, and because "a little bit doesn't hurt"
• believing that alcohol reduces pain
• believing that alcohol helps sleep.

When you drink alcohol regularly, it changes how your body works. Your liver processes the alcohol faster. You need to drink more to keep the same amount of alcohol in the blood. Your brain cells also require more to produce the desired behavior or emotional effects.

Alcohol has the following effects on the body:

• causes problems with short-term memory, eye movement, and walking
• slows your reaction time
• reduces anxiety and gives a relaxed feeling
• widens the blood vessels
• increases the acid in your stomach
• makes you urinate more.

If you suspect that your drinking might be turning into a problem, ask yourself these 3 questions:

• Am I drinking more than I used to?
• Once I start drinking, am I sometimes unable to stop?
• Do I get irritated when I am in a place where I can't drink?

Answering "yes" to even one of these questions suggests that you are at risk for alcohol dependence. Ask your healthcare provider for advice. Or check your phone book for nearby alcohol and drug treatment centers.

For more information, contact:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
P.O. Box 459
New York, NY 10163
212-870-3400
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/

National Mental Health Association (NMHA)
1-800-969-NMHA (1-800-969-6642)
http://www.NMHA.org.