National Recovery Month Spotlight on Alcohol Use Disorder

National Recovery Month takes place in September to remind Americans that treatment helps individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders live healthy, rewarding lives. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 7.1 million youth aged 12 to 20 (or nearly 19 percent of the age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month and 4.3 million (or 11.4 percent) binge drank in the last 30 days. Alcohol use during the teenage years can interfere with normal adolescent brain development and increases the risk of developing an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The 2018 NSDUH found that over 400,000 individuals aged 12 to 17 (or nearly 2 percent) had AUD with females outnumbering males by over 50,000. Only 5 percent of the youth with AUD received treatment, and roughly 20 percent of college students currently meet the criteria for AUD.

“Hangxiety” or hangover anxiety is the feeling of dread and worry that many people with mental health issues experience during the day after a night of heavy imbibing. The dopamine rush associate with alcohol is short-lived so an individual’s mood and anxiety level is often worse after drinking and he or she may feel agitated, depressed and/or irritable. Keeping a log of your emotions before and after you consume alcohol can be very helpful. According to the National Institutes of Health, a person’s genes account for approximately 50 percent of his or her risk for addiction. Development (The younger the age of first use, the more likely it will progress to AUD.), ethnicity, environment (abuse, early exposure to alcohol and other drugs, and peer pressure, etc.), gender and the presence of additional mental disorders also can influence it. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that he or she will become addicted.

Because alcohol is legal and drinking is culturally acceptable in America, many individuals with an AUD may not realize the extent of their problem. Criteria for diagnosing AUD include cravings, spending a significant amount of time obtaining and/or using alcohol, reduced effect with repeated use (tolerance) and drinking in dangerous settings. General signs of addiction include physical changes, such as drastic weight gain or loss or significant variations in personal hygiene; psychological differences, including rapid mood changes or a loss of motivation; and social alterations, like spending greater amounts of time with a new group of friends, increasing conflict or isolation from the individual’s previous support system and/or lying and secretiveness.

Repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to changes in the brain which are persistent. AUD is considered a “relapsing” disease, where those in recovery are at an increased risk for returning to use, even years after becoming sober. An important step in recovery is to talk to family members and close friends and find out how they hope you will behave when you deal with them from this point forward. They may have become accustomed to thinking of you within the framework of addiction and have difficulty acting differently toward you or they simply may expect too much. It also is vital to find sober friends and new activities that are constructive, engaging and fun (Ask yourself what you loved as a child and what made you happy before you found alcohol?) and to be certain to exercise regularly, eat well and sleep enough.

Techniques for remaining successful in recovery include planning a response to sobriety questions. If you are attending a party or other social gathering, have a clear explanation for why you are not drinking. Similarly, always bring a non-alcoholic drink. (As long as you are carrying a beverage, it is unlikely that anyone will offer you alcohol.) Establish a set time that you are going to leave any events with alcohol and be sure to depart early in the evening. If you are feeling tempted, exit immediately.

While addiction is a chronic disease with a lifelong risk of relapse, it can be managed successfully. Treatment tailored to an individual’s pattern of usage and any co-occuring medical, mental or social problems, especially if it includes behavioral therapy, can lead to continued recovery. Relapse is not a failure and simply indicates the need for more or different treatment. #NationalRecoveryMonth #RecoveryMonth #RM2020