Mixing caffeine and alcohol is a bad idea. Although the FDA has cracked down on caffeinated alcoholic beverages such as Four Loko–both because they found these drinks were unsafe and because the makers were marketing them to teens–mixing caffeine and alcohol is still common practice, especially among binge drinkers. Adding caffeine and other stimulants to… Continue Reading The Dangers of Mixing Caffeine and Alcohol
Alcohol can affect your health in many different ways. Most people are aware that excessive drinking can damage your liver and cardiovascular system. It can also damage your digestive system, leading to malnutrition and even increasing your risk of cancer. Many people see these conditions as problems for the distant future. You may be less… Continue Reading How Does Alcohol Affect Your Immune System?
Many people have a “work hard, play hard” attitude toward drinking. They may drink very little or not at all during the week, then binge on the weekends. They often feel like this is a way of relaxing after a hard week. Typically, weekend drinkers don’t think of themselves as having an alcohol use issue.… Continue Reading Can You Have a Drinking Problem if You Only Drink on Weekends?
Surveys show that more than half of Americans drink regularly. Depending on the survey, between 51 and 73 percent of Americans drink regularly, and that number may be growing, especially among women and minorities. Somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of regular drinkers will develop a serious alcohol use disorder. With drinking so common, it… Continue Reading How Do You Know When Your Drinking Has Become a Problem?
Alcohol is by far the most misused substance in the world. Most of us know at least one person who has an alcohol use disorder, and we may know other people who have issues we don’t even know about. You may know someone who is recovering from an alcohol use disorder. If so, here are… Continue Reading How Can You Support Someone Recovering from Alcohol Addiction?
All parents worry about their young adult children for many reasons. They’re becoming more independent, getting ready to leave home–if they haven’t already, and dealing with the pressures of getting started in life. Parents may also worry that their young adult children are using drugs or alcohol. Parents often feel conflicted on this topic. Most… Continue Reading 6 Ways to Keep Your Young Adult Child from Getting Addicted to Drugs or Alcohol
One reason it’s so hard to quit alcohol is that it’s so readily available. Most Americans drink at least occasionally and there are many occasions when it’s expected. When quitting other substances, it’s typically a good idea to distance yourself from people who still use them, but with alcohol, that’s often not practical, or even… Continue Reading 8 Ways to Socialize without Alcohol
Addiction doesn’t just affect you; it also affects the people around you, including your friends, your coworkers, and your family. One of the most common reasons people give for getting help for addiction is that they realize how addiction has hurt their families. This is especially true of kids, who are still growing and are… Continue Reading 4 Ways Your Drinking Might Affect Your Kids
There is a large overlap between depression and alcohol use disorders. Alcohol is a convenient way to temporarily relieve the symptoms of depression, such as persistent self-critical thoughts and ruminating on past mistakes or negative possibilities. This is especially true of men who suffer from depression. While fewer men than women suffer from depression, men… Continue Reading 4 Ways Alcohol Makes Depression Worse
The belief that alcohol kills brain cells is a persistent myth. Although it is a myth, it is an understandable one. A few drinks can can impair your coordination, speech, and judgment. You might wake up with a headache so bad you would swear you lost some brain cells. Alcohol’s effects on the brain are… Continue Reading Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells?
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