Introduction to Alcohol

Many people get introduced to alcohol in their late teens when they are finishing high school and entering college. During college, in America, there is a binge drinking culture. So, a young teens first foray into drinking is done under irresponsible terms. But does the binge drinking two to three nights a week on college campus lead you to alcoholism? Is it just a phase that will fade after college? These are questions many young adults face, usually hungover, after a night of heavy drinking. For some they can say enough is enough and stop drinking after their second beer on a nice spring afternoon. Others though cannot, and the few beers with their buddies on a sunny afternoon turns into a night or sometimes a weekend of binge drinking.

Young Adults

A lot of young adults will question if they have a drinking problem or if they are an alcoholic during their twenties. This all makes sense since they did likely spend the last four years of their life in college binge drinking. For many, they think since alcohol is legal it is safe, but what they do not understand is that alcohol is still a drug and a very dangerous one. Although binge drinking and alcoholism are not the same in some instances, binge drinking can lead to alcoholism, but just because you binge drink does not make you an alcoholic.

Difference

Many alcoholics describe the difference between alcoholism and someone who does not have alcoholism as the person who is not an alcoholic, has an inside voice or conscience telling them to stop. As shown above someone who does not have alcoholism, can stop at a few drinks while the alcoholic might not be able to. At the very least they do not have the inside voice telling them enough is enough.   For many people, unfamiliar with alcoholism, they might believe that alcohol makes the person an alcoholic. That thinking is not true, as alcoholism is a disease that can be passed down genetically. There are also other factors as well, and each person has several factors that affect their alcoholism. For example, depression and anxiety and even your gender can raise your chances of being considered an alcoholic. With that being said if you have alcoholics in your family, or really anyone with addiction problems, you should be cautious of that and monitor your drinking, so it does not get out of hand.

Reasons Why

Overall there are plenty of reasons why one might become an alcoholic and they vary from person to person. The real issue for most is when they start “medicating” themselves with alcohol. This could happen when they get angry, sad or even disappointed. If you are using alcohol to cope with feelings and that happens on a consistent basis you can develop alcoholism. The biggest myth that people should acknowledge is that people go through stages in their life, and that since they are young they are just going through a phase. But in reality, it can develop into a serious problem that will not only affect you but your career, family, and health. The best place to get help if you feel you might be an alcoholic is a treatment facility. Arrow Passage Recovery specializes in Alcohol addiction and related disorders. If you or a loved one is suffering from alcoholism at a young age, don’t hesitate to call us.