Substance Abuse
Frequently Asked Questions About Alcohol
What's the difference between social drinking, problem drinking, and being an alcoholic?
Social drinking is mild-moderate drinking (about 1-3 drinks) that most often is consumed to promote relaxation or to enhance social interactions during a group event. There is no loss of control, or loss of self-responsibility.
Problem drinking is continued drinking despite recurrent social, occupational, or physical, or legal problems that are caused or exacerbated by drinking. Some examples include:
- A student that binge drinks every 2nd or 3rd weekend, followed by missing a day or two of classes in order to recuperate. There are no other symptoms.
- A student decides to celebrate the end of a rough week by going out and drinking. During the evening she drinks more than she intended, gets angry with her boyfriend and expresses her anger by yelling at him and hitting him. This has happened on several occasions and this behavior threatens a relationship that's important to her. There are no other symptoms.
- A student receives an alcohol-related, legal or policy infraction violation or repeatedly drives his/her car while intoxicated, whether receiving a citation or not. There are no other symptoms.
Alcoholism is problem drinking with the added factors of preoccupation with alcohol, compulsion to use alcohol, tolerance (needing to drink larger and larger quantities to achieve the same "high"), and withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal refers to an uncomfortable physical symptom (nausea, headache, feeling "antsy", and/or slight trembling), that is alleviated by alcohol use. Once someone is an alcoholic, they are considered to have a medical disease, stemming from genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors. Some examples include:
- A student who frequently goes out and drinks more than she intended to, even on the evenings before exams, important class projects, etc. This loss of control adversely affects her academic performance.
- A student who starts to drink shots along with his beer, in order to shorten the time it takes to get drunk, and in order to reach his accustomed level of drunkenness.
- A student who drinks most evenings, and wakes up with slight trembling in his hands and "fuzzyheadedness" in his brain. He's preoccupied with drinking, until he can rationalize having his first drink of the day. The alcohol soothes his symptoms.
Note! 30-35% of adult Americans will be classified as problem drinkers at some point in their lives. A 10-15% subset of those will be classified as having alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is another term used for problem drinker, and alcohol dependence is another term used for alcoholism.
What does a "typical" alcoholic look like?
Contrary to popular myth, there is no typical alcoholic. Alcoholism is an equal opportunity disease that affects people of different races, socioeconomic status, age, gender, etc. Less than 5% of alcoholics are the stereotypical "down and out" drunks, sipping wine on the street and unable to support themselves financially. Many alcoholics are high functioning professionals who are respected members of their communities, yet still cannot control their usage of alcohol.
How much is "too much" alcohol?
Each individual has to decide that for themselves, based on self knowledge, safety considerations and legal ramifications.
How does alcohol consumption affect sexual performance?
Small doses of alcohol (1-2 drinks) can enhance sexual enjoyment, primarily through release of inhibitions and increasing desire. However moderate to large doses of alcohol are detrimental to sexual performance and enjoyment. For women it can block lubrication and eliminate or decrease the quality of orgasms. For men it can cause erectile impotence, difficulty maintaining an erection, premature ejaculation, and unpleasant or painful ejaculations.
How do I handle a friend that's drunk?
Safety is the most important consideration. Some possible steps might include:
- Make sure your friend doesn't make behavioral decisions he/she would regret in the morning (i.e. fight with friends, damage property, are sexually active, etc.).
- Make sure your friend doesn't drive.
- Make sure he/she gets home safely.
- If your friend is unable to care for themselves, or there's concern about your friend's physical condition, call Student Health Service at 966.2281. There are no disciplinary ramifications if a student is admitted to Student Health, even if underage drinking has been involved. A member of our Substance Abuse Services will contact them for an initial assessment, but in most cases it's up to the student if they would like to continue with those services.
The most important consideration is to stay non-judgmental, and stress the fact that you're discussing this because of your concern and love for that person. Be very specific about what behavior you?re seeing that's of concern to you. Be prepared for the person to be defensive, and perhaps judge your alcohol use. Let them know that you'd be happy to talk about your alcohol use, but first you'd like to finish talking about what your concerns are about their use.
It can sometimes be very helpful to have a professional substance abuse counselor assist with this discussion, especially if several people are talking to the friend or family member together. If you are a student at NJC, and would like the help of a counselor, call the NJC Counseling Office at 970-521-6656 or call the NJC Health Center at 970-521-6647.
Where should I go if I'm concerned about my drinking?
Contact the NJC Counseling Office at 970-521-6656.