APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

Dr. Joanne Fredrick
Dr. Joanne Fredrick

 APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

April is alcohol awareness month which means many organizations
across the nation increase their already significant efforts to
educate the public and raise cognizance about alcoholism, its causes,
effects, and proper treatment.

Studies have shown that large groups of people believe their
drinking is solely social. Research shows, that in many cases social
drinking is used as a crutch. Professionals under excess stress such as police officers have been studied and correlations have been found
between the stress of fitting in socially with coworkers and drinking.

We also know that college drinking can be disastrous for young
students away on their journey to a bachelor’s degree. Researchers
found that one of four motives for college drinking was the need to
conform to the social norms.

According to a report published in the academic journal, JAMA Psychiatry, almost 33% of adult Americans suffer from an alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives. Out of that one-third of Americans, only 20% seek professional help. The CDC has also published fact sheets stating that the number of lives lost to
alcohol was around 88,000 per year from 2006- 2010.

So how do you assess when your drinking is stepping into a danger zone or if your motives for drinking are unhealthy? Washington, D.C
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Dr. Joanne Frederick outlines the differences between social and problematic drinking.

Here are 5 signs that your drinking has become problematic.

You Feel the Need to Hide Your Drinking 

Dr. Joanne Frederick says, “People who find themselves escalating
from social drinking to actual alcoholism, attempt to conceal their
alcohol consumption from their friends and family.” Dr. Frederick
explains that the issue is the cognizance of the drinker that they
are taking it to the next level and that those close to them would be
alarmed at how much they are drinking.

Failing to Deliver on Your Responsibilities

“Alcoholics tend to miss work, meetings, and other responsibilities,”
Dr. Joanne Frederick says. “If problematic drinking habits begin
in college, students may begin to sacrifice study time and class time
in order to recuperate from the previous night’s hangover” states Dr.
Frederick.

Not Sticking to Your Limit

Many people set out limits for themselves before going out with
friends. “I’ll only have two drinks tonight!’ they profess. However, Dr.
Frederick explains that if you can’t stick to your own parameters, you
might have binge drinking tendencies. “If you are making a deal with
yourself and you cannot follow your own rule for the night you need
to observe the reasoning. It might be a case of using alcoholism as a
crutch to fit in or have fun. When alcohol becomes a steppingstone
for ‘fun’ it becomes a necessity and this is when you can develop a
dependency on it,” she says.

Blacking Out Becomes Routine

Blackouts and hangovers happen to everyone at some point. It
is part of learning your limits. But if blacking out becomes routine,
Dr. Frederick says this might be a sign you are in the red zone for
dependency. “If you become nonchalant about repeatedly blacking
out throughout the weekend or in extreme cases throughout the week,
there is a problem. Modern medicine tells us the effects of constant
and consistent episodes of blackouts on your brain can be terrible.
If you are dissociating these episodes of memory loss, incoherence,
and hangovers from the consequences they can bring down the line
it could mean you are trying to numb anxieties or insecurities with alcohol, and you don’t care about the results of such heavy drinking.

You Need “Liquid Courage” Prior to Any New Social Experience

This is common in college students and recent
grads who are trying to navigate the world of adulthood
and socializing. “Studies show us that one of
the major motives why college students over-drink
is the need to fit in. They don’t believe they can do
so without alcohol. This is problematic because
it creates an urgency for the substance to make
friends,” says Dr. Frederick.

What to do if you’re not sure you have a problem

Dr. Frederick suggests, “If you are not certain you are an alcoholic, seek the advice of a therapist or counselor. Shadowing an AA meeting and speaking with those who have long term sobriety can also demystify and destigmatize the notion of seeking help and community.
If you begin to realize that you require more than therapy and
counseling to stop drinking, inpatient treatment (rehab) may be the
course of action you need to get both the therapy and tools to live a
sober life.

Dr. Joanne Frederick has been in the field of Counseling for over
25 years as a University Professor and a Counselor in Private Practice.

Dr. Frederick specializes in treating people with Anxiety, Depression,
Relationship issues, Terminal illnesses, and learning disabilities. She
works with individuals, couples, groups, adults and children.

She holds a Doctorate Degree in Counseling from the George
Washington University in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Morgan State University.

She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor in the District of
Columbia. A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland,
and a National Certified Counselor.

For more information, visit http://www.jflcounseling.org.

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