6 Common Myths About Alcoholism: Recovery MYTHBUSTERS

This myth is often propagated by societal and cultural norms that people have been socialized into. It is, however, important to note that addiction does not discriminate who it chooses to affect and there are several reasons for why alcoholic women initiated their addiction. The reasons may vary from peer pressure, to manage stress or underlying emotional issues. Alcoholism is a legitimate and diagnosable mental health disorder. Many tend to think of it as more of a personal issue or lack of motivation to quit, rather than a legitimate illness. It is a frustrating issue for everyone who is affected by alcoholism, even if they are not alcoholics themselves.

This makes it near impossible for a person to control how much they drink by themselves. In fact, chronic alcohol consumption can actually increase pain. If you have symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, you may be more sensitive to pain. Also, excessive alcohol consumption over a long time can cause a certain type of neural pain. If you or someone you know suffers from alcoholism, or another type of addiction, contact us today to learn how we can get you the help that you need to live a happy, healthy, and sober life. For whatever reason, there’s this misconception out there that if someone gets too drunk they can just drink some coffee and it will fix them right up.

Myth #1: The Severity of the Addiction Depends on the Type of Alcohol

This can be the cause of impaired judgment and slurred speech when a person is under the influence. These types of myths place blame on the person as if they have control. With all cases of addiction, a person never chooses or intends to become dependent on a drug – alcoholism is no different. A person cannot control their dependence on alcohol once they have developed it. Constant alcohol use changes the chemicals in the brain and its desires.

Begin recovery from alcohol addiction and contact us today to learn more about our comfortable environment for healing. You might excuse your heavy drinking habit as simply a stress-relieving vice and think it’s no big deal because you don’t fit the mold of a struggling addict. Heavy drinking can put you at risk for health problems such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease, sleep problems, and some types of cancer. Older adults facing difficult life challenges may start drinking more because they are bored or feel lonely or depressed. While that sentiment might work for most people, for those suffering from alcoholism, it’s not that easy. This is one of the most common ways that people suffering from alcohol abuse or alcoholism end up relapsing.

An alcoholic cannot hold down a job.

Each of these patterns is indicative of a person who may be an alcoholic. A person does not need to be drinking all day and/or every day to be an alcoholic. Perhaps one of the most disheartening myths about alcoholism is that getting sober is impossible. Another version of this is that people think they can overcome alcoholism alone – neither of these myths is true. Getting on the road to recovery and reaching sobriety is possible and achievable for anyone willing to put in the work. One of the many myths about alcoholism includes the idea that alcoholism means you’ve hit ‘rock bottom’.

You’re a woman, and you consume more than 3 glasses a day or more than 7 drinks in a week. (Here, a glass is defined as 12 ounces (355 ml) of beer, 5 ounces (148 ml) of wine, or 1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquor). All types of addictions can be dangerous to a person’s health regardless of the substance or even the activity. Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to serious health complications, overdose, and even death in the same way that heroin or opioid addiction can. When people think of alcoholism and someone who is an alcoholic, they might envision someone who on the surface struggles with life.

Debunking The Myths About Alcoholism

Alcoholism makes it much more difficult to deal with life’s problems. It is a common misconception that an alcoholic is not capable of maintaining things like a career or training and education programs. It actually is possible for a person to be able to perform at work or at school and maintain an alcohol addiction. While each individual case is unique to its circumstances, there are many ways that an alcoholic can maintain a career and an addiction to alcohol. At any stage of alcoholism, you can be successful if you seek alcohol addiction treatment. To anyone that’s addicted to alcohol, one wine or beer can be the first step down an unhealthy path.

• Following this logic, people tend to think that those who suffer from alcoholism are not as severely affected as people who suffer from other addictions.
• You may have heard myths about alcohol and alcohol use disorder presented as facts.
• In many cases, they just think they are building up a higher tolerance which in some circles can be viewed as a good thing because it means they can enjoy more drinks without getting drunk.
• A 2019 study of alcohol use in England found that people in professional managerial jobs had more occasions to drink than manual workers, casual workers, and unemployed people.
• According to the National Institutes of Health, treating an alcoholic with compassion and empathy is more effective than confrontation and shame.

You don’t necessarily need to be drunk for alcohol to affect your decision making abilities. And when your ability to make decisions is impaired, you’re no longer in control. You may think that drinking problems have to start early in life.

Click each of the myths below to show the facts about alcohol. You may think that drinking can help alleviate pain, but evidence suggests that chronic drinking can worsen pain levels. Even though alcohol can lower your inhibitions, it’s also considered a depressant. https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/five-myths-about-alcoholism-you-probably-didnt-know/ This means that alcohol can reduce sex drive and impact a person’s ability to maintain an erection. Alcohol use disorder isn’t the only alcohol-related condition that could cause harm. Our knowledge on this topic comes from many years of experience.

This can only come in the form of professional help and rehab facilities like Harmony Place. Alcoholism is a disease that we can’t see or often understand unless we’ve experienced it ourselves. All we can see are the repercussions and impact it leaves on the addicts and their loved ones. As a result, it’s easy to believe misconceptions about this invisible disease — but these false perceptions can ultimately be damaging to both recovery and relationships.

College Drinking Myths

And while they may not necessarily have alcohol use disorder, regular binge drinking could lead to developing alcohol use disorder. You may have heard myths about alcohol and alcohol use disorder presented as facts. While some myths might be more harmful than others, it’s essential to understand the realities of alcohol and alcohol use disorder. It was incredible how many suggestions I received from well-meaning friends and family (who are not in recovery), and I tried them all.

Even if your body has metabolized the alcohol in your system, if you’ve had a lot to drink, please don’t drive the next morning. It takes about 2 hours for the adult body to eliminate the alcohol content of a single drink, depending on your weight. Nothing can speed up this process—not even coffee or cold showers. If you think you may have alcohol use disorder or a related problem, such as binge drinking, you’re not alone. Critics of moderation management note that this form of treatment may encourage denial in people with alcohol use disorder, which may delay seeking more effective treatment. A common myth around teens and young adults is that it’s more responsible to give minors alcoholic drinks with adult supervision.

Myth #3: Alcohol doesn’t affect older people

Becoming dependent on alcoholism is a process that physically happens in the brain. It is a psychological dependence, and simply trying to overcome it is not enough to break the habit. It is a much more complex and specific process trying to stop alcohol abuse.

One nontraditional form of treatment for alcohol use disorder is moderation management. This approach involves limiting alcohol consumption, specifically for people who aren’t physically dependent on alcohol. Alcohol use disorder is a complex medical condition affecting the brain. It involves an inability to control your alcohol consumption, regardless of its negative effect on your life or health.

Alcoholism is a disease, meaning it has a negative reaction with the body which can result in the body thinking that it needs alcohol constantly to function properly. Many people who suffer from alcoholism don’t even realize it right away. In many cases, they just think they are building up a higher tolerance which in some circles can be viewed as a good thing because it means they can enjoy more drinks without getting drunk. Due to the ease with which we can get alcohol, and the way it’s looked at in society, there are a lot of questions when it comes to alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. This, in turn, can lead to myths about alcoholism, many of which aren’t true. In this blog, we will take a look at some common myths about alcoholism and debunk the untruths, as it can do more harm than good.