Mountain Pacific Blog

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to shed light on the impact alcohol can have on our health and better understand alcohol use disorder (AUD). One in 10 Americans has AUD, and AUD can effect people from all walks of life and all ages. We should all know the dangers of alcohol and AUD, recognize the signs of alcohol abuse and know how to support those in need.

Effects and Dangers of Alcohol

Alcohol not only affects our health but can also have big impacts on our weight and finances. One alcoholic drink a day can add 1,000 or more calories to our diet each week and cost $100 or more every month. Using alcohol calorie and cost calculators help tally how alcohol use adds up.

Alcohol dehydrates the body, which can cause or worsen oral health issues like bad breath, gingivitis and tooth decay. Dehydration can also cause the face and body to bloat, and alcohol use may increase the risk of skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and acne.

Drinking too much alcohol can take a serious toll on almost every part of our body. Alcohol impacts how our brain works. It can also hit our organs hard, damaging our heart, liver and pancreas. According to the National Cancer Institute, excessive alcohol use is connected to the cause of several types of cancer. High alcohol consumption also increases the risk of dying from all causes of death, and drunk driving killed between 2022 and 2023. High alcohol consumption is also considered the greatest risk to avoidable death

People can become dependent on alcohol. Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition where a person has trouble stopping or limiting their alcohol use, even if drinking alcohol causes problems with family, friends, work, school or their health. AUD is a brain disorder. It can be mild, moderate or severe and is a chronic condition that can get worse over time, affecting the individual, their family, friends and community.

Symptoms of AUD

A sign of AUD is not being able to stop or control how much we drink, but other symptoms can also indicate a problem. Mild AUD is indicated by two to three of these symptoms. People with four to five symptoms have moderate AUD. Severe AUD is indicated by six or more. People who experienced any of these symptoms in the past year should consider talking with a health care provider about alcohol and AUD.

• Occasionally drank more or longer than intended.
• Wanted or tried to cut down or stop more than once but could not.
• Spent a lot of time drinking, being sick from drinking or recovering from other after-effects.
• Being consumed with thoughts about drinking.
• Drinking or being sick from drinking interfered with school, work or family.
• Continued to drink even when it caused trouble with family or friends.
• Continued to drink despite feeling depressed or anxious or after having an alcohol-related memory blackout.
• Gave up or cut back on important, interesting or pleasurable activities to drink.

Find a full list of symptoms at Rethinking Drinking’s What are the Symptoms of AUD. If you or a family or friend experience any of these symptoms, it is time to get help.

Controlling AUD and the Urge to Drink

People with AUD deal with two types of triggers. External triggers are the people, places, things or times of day that offer an opportunity to drink. These triggers are easy to recognize and can be easy to avoid. Internal triggers are the thoughts or emotions that seem to “randomly” bring up the urge to drink. Use coping strategies to deal with them. For example:

• Reminding ourselves why we want to quit drinking, such as being healthier or improving our relationships.
• Talking through urges to drink with a friend, sponsor or family member.
• Distracting ourselves with a healthy alternative, like going for a hike.
• Accepting the urge to drink is normal, temporary and will pass without having to take a drink.
• Leaving tempting situations.

Ready to talk with someone about alcohol use? Counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) are among some of the proven methods to treat AUD. Talk with a counselor or health care professional, or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to reach the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) free, 24-hour, confidential hotline.

For more information, check out some of these resources:

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) – Women and Alcohol
• NIAAA Rethinking Drinking – Pros & Cons Interactive Checklist
• NIAAA Rethinking Drinking – Building Your Drink Refusal Skills
• NIAAA Rethinking Drinking – What’s a “Standard Drink?”
• American Addiction Centers – Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Calculator