Drinking Alcohol In The Summer Heat? Heres How To Reduce The Dangers

Alcohol is the most used recreational drug, and unfortunately, for those who enjoy drinking for relaxation and recreation, this is unwelcome news. As comforting as it might be to think that it’s good for one’s health, increasingly the science simply does not support it. The extensive new research decimates the hope of many that moderate alcohol use is healthy and makes clear that people should not drink alcohol for the express purpose of improving their health. If maintaining and/or improving health is your priority, in terms of alcohol consumption, less is more.

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Since Donna first tried moderation, the concept of helping people try to moderate their drinking has gained traction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) lists Moderation Management as an evidence-based program. And just as people learn to eat less by counting calories, she learned to count her drinks and set limits. To pull this off, she learned tools and techniques to help her keep it in check.

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1. This makes alcohol the third largest preventable cause of death in the country.
2. In the U.S., alcohol is implicated in about half of fatal traffic accidents.
3. In her case, after about a year and a half of experimenting with moderation she realized that she wanted to quit drinking entirely.
4. Initially, the data suggested that light to moderate drinkers (those consuming between one drink per week and two drinks per day) had a 14% lower risk of dying during the study period compared to abstainers.

But it only takes one slip up to fall back into the grip of addiction. Each successful confrontation with alcohol will embolden the alcoholic, giving them a greater illusion of control. If an alcoholic were somehow able to enjoy a few drinks without getting hammered, and without resenting the fact that they’re not getting hammered, then that would truly be an amazing thing. But by definition, this person would be no longer an alcoholic – they would be cured. As anyone who has been in recovery knows, this sort of thing simply doesn’t happen.

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She realized that she used alcohol as a reward for a hard week’s work. “Getting through a Friday evening without my reward, you know, that was the tough one,” Dierker says. “But that dichotomy — yes or no, you have it or you don’t — is inadequate,” says Dr. John Mariani, who researches substance abuse at Columbia University. He what foods have alcohol in them says that the thinking has evolved, and that the field of psychiatry recognizes there’s a spectrum. Alcohol moderation programs are endorsed as an effective option by organizations like the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

What are Some Benefits of Moderation vs. Abstinence?

Moderation is possible for some people, and Ria Health offers it as a treatment option for problem drinking. Ultimately, there’s enough evidence to say alcohol is bad for you and doesn’t offer health benefits. What’s less clear at this time, is whether it’s bad enough for everyone to avoid at all costs. However, results of a new study from the University of Greifswald in Germany contradict the idea of drinking alcohol to protect health.

As I have covered before for Forbes, decreased urination or darker urine can be signs that you are dehydrated. Of course, alcohol can mess with these warning signs, making you urinate more even when your body should be retaining fluids. Therefore, try to keep track of how much fluid you have been taking in versus how much has been going out via your urine.

For people who have not been able to maintain sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step programs, they may wish to consider if moderation may be a more effective path for them to take. MM asks participants to take a realistic look at their drinking patterns and reasons for drinking. Some may frown upon ordering a light beer and compare it to water, but this drink is one of the healthiest alcohols to drink. With no added sugar and only 6 grams of carb, this drink can satisfy your craving without derailing your goals. Additionally, it has one of the lowest ABVs, which means it contributes fewer calories from alcohol.

If Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 step programs, and other mainstream methods haven’t worked for you, MAT may be the answer you’ve been looking for. For these individuals, medication-assisted treatment was a game changer, allowing them to finally establish a different relationship with alcohol. By checking what happens when you drink alcohol on accutane in on your relationship with alcohol, you can transform the role it plays in your life. The path isn’t always a linear one, but it’s definitely rewarding. Changing your relationship with alcohol is an act of self-care, and you should be proud to embark on that journey, or continue along your path.

Even moderate drinking may raise your risk for some types of heart disease and cancer. For example, the risk of breast cancer increases even at low levels of drinking (for example, less than 1 drink in a day). Another study found that it is widely assumed that light or moderate drinking is the safest way to to drink alcohol.

Of these three medications, naltrexone is the best option for people seeking to limit their drinking, versus abstaining completely. Of the 24 survey respondents, 87 percent considered themselves very heavy, heavy, or moderately heavy drinkers prior to medication treatment. 70 percent of respondents said they had struggled with alcohol for 10 or more years.

If you use alcohol to manage stress or self-medicate, fear of how you’ll cope without alcohol might hamper your efforts to regain control of your drinking. If you consider alcohol as a coping strategy, then it makes sense why heading straight to abstinence would be terrifying. One of the best things about moderating your alcohol use is filling those times spent drinking or obtaining alcohol with fun hobbies and activities.

Learn more about how our program works, or sign up for a call today. Other emerging medication options include baclofen, topiramate, and gabapentin. These medications are considered “off-label”—meaning they were wean off alcohol originally approved for a different purpose, but are considered safe for use in treating alcohol addiction. Each has its own strengths, and may prove a useful backup medication, or even a good first choice.

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost help for alcohol misuse. Find a health center near you and ask about alcohol misuse screening and counseling. You can also make notes in your smartphone to keep track of your drinks. Keep in mind that the size of the drink and the percent of alcohol makes a difference. For example, many beers are about 5% alcohol, but some have higher percentages of alcohol. And some beers are sold in bigger sizes than the standard 12 ounces.