How Does Alcohol Affect Young Adults?

Many high school and college students view drinking as a rite of passage, and pop culture has perpetuated that idea by depicting young adults going to rowdy parties where the alcohol flows freely. The teen years are also a time when many young people are experiencing their first taste of adulthood, with milestones like earning a driver’s license and moving out of their parents’ house.

Underage drinking may be one way for young adults to test their boundaries and assert their independence. Often, people in this age range are more susceptible to peer pressure and the desire to fit in with their friends, which could lead them to experiment with alcohol. What should parents and young adults know about the risks of drinking?

The Dangers of Drinking for Young Adults

Young adults may feel invincible, believing there will be no negative consequences of binge drinking. However, alcohol abuse can quickly spiral into a pattern of self-destruction that is challenging to escape without help.

A teen or college-aged person who develops an alcohol misuse disorder can lose an otherwise promising future with difficulties such as the following.

• Problems in school: Students who drink might wake up feeling too hung over to pay attention in school, or could start skipping class altogether. Alcohol abuse can also interfere with a student’s academic performance. If their grades fall too far, they might risk expulsion from school.
• Impaired cognition: Because people’s brains continue to develop until their mid-20s, young adults who drink or use drugs might eventually have trouble concentrating, retaining new memories or making smart decisions.
• Reckless behavior: A drunk person might behave entirely differently than they do when they are sober, since alcohol lowers inhibitions. A young adult under the influence of alcohol could decide to do something irresponsible like starting a fight or having unprotected sex. Illegal activities such as drunk driving or vandalism could lead to an arrest.
• Health issues: The physical, mental and emotional effects of alcohol misuse don’t happen immediately, but over the long term, heavy drinking can raise the risk of developing organ and tissue damage, high blood pressure, depression, obesity and even some forms of cancer. Someone who drinks as a young adult might not meet all the standards for a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder at the time. They can still go on to struggle with alcoholism later in life, though.

Addressing Alcohol Abuse in Young Adults

Age-specific alcohol rehab is often ideal because younger people have different treatment needs and cultural expectations. Look for a young adult treatment center that offers therapy in addition to essential life skills such as job readiness. At Hope Academy, our goal is to prepare young people to be confident, independent adults upon their discharge from treatment. We have tailored our program to the unique needs of teens and college-aged students. To learn more about how Hope Academy can help rebuild the foundation of your life, contact us today.

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: What Are the Differences?

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and it’s the perfect time to increase awareness and understanding of alcohol addiction and its treatment. Today, we’re taking a look at two terms that you’ll likely hear when talking about alcohol addiction: alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Although these terms are often used interchangeable, understanding the differences between the two can help you to better understand the severity of your addiction and get the help you need.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines alcohol abuse as a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships or ability to work. This can include an inability to meet responsibilities at home, work or school, relationship problems and legal problems – all caused or worsened by drinking. Alcohol abuse can also cause harm to one’s mind, body and spirit.

Typically, someone who is abusing alcohol can learn from negative consequences and change their behavior with a brief intervention, including education on the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol poisoning. That said, alcohol abuse is a slippery slope into alcoholism. This is especially true if you begin drinking heavily at a young age, before 15.

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependency and alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake and a negative emotional state when not using, notes the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Roughly 16 million people in the U.S. have AUD – and yet less than 10 percent get proper treatment. 

To determine whether your alcohol abuse has progressed into an alcohol use disorder, the NIAAA recommends asking yourself the following questions. In the past year, have you…

• Experienced times when you drank more or longer than you intended?
• Tried several times to reduce or stop your drinking but couldn’t?
• Spent a big portion of your time drinking or recovering form the aftereffects?
• Experienced cravings, or strong urges to drink?
• Found that drinking caused job or school troubles or caused trouble with family or friends?
• Scaled back on activities that you used to enjoy in order to drink?
• Gotten into more than one risky situation while or after drinking? For example, drinking while driving, walking in a dangerous area or having unsafe sex?
• Continued to drink even though it made you feel depressed or anxious?
• Found that you need to drink more to feel the same effects?
• Experienced withdrawal symptoms like trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea or sweating, when not drinking?

According to the NIAAA, the more symptoms you have, the more urgent the need for change and professional help. People diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder typically require professional help to stop drinking. This can include:

• Detoxification
• Disease education
• Group & individual therapy
• Interactive workshops
• Peer outings & recreational opportunities
• Fitness & nutrition guidance
• Family therapy
• Dual-diagnosis management
  

Help for Alcohol Use Disorders

If you or someone you love is suffering from alcohol dependency, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673. 

Study: Alcohol Use Puts Adolescents at Risk of Insomnia

It’s not news that excessive drinking as a teenager can cause a host of medical problems – both in the short- and long-term. Most recently, however, researchers have linked alcohol consumption during adolescents to daytime sleepiness and insomnia. The findings are consistent with associations found between insomnia and alcohol among older adolescents and adults, say researchers.

For the study, which was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers examined the associations between alcohol use and four sleep-related issues:

• Initial insomnia
• Sleep irregularity (defined as difference in weekday and weekend bedtimes)
• Daytime sleepiness
• Disturbed sleep

Study participants were asked to complete surveys that questioned the following:

• The amount of time it takes them to fall asleep
• Their bedtimes during the weekday and weekend
• The frequency of sleep disturbances
• Whether they sleep in class and potential difficulties staying awake after school 

Researchers also took into account whether symptoms of mental health problems or levels of parental monitoring accounted for these sleep problems. 

“Parents, educators, and therapists should consider insomnia to be a risk marker for alcohol use, and alcohol use a risk marker for insomnia, among early adolescents," said Rutgers-Camden researcher Naomi Marmorstein, in a statement.

Do You Know the Symptoms of Insomnia?

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), people with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Difficulty staying asleep (waking up during the night and having trouble returning to sleep)
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Unrefreshing sleep (or "non-restorative sleep")
• Fatigue or low energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood disturbance, such as irritability
• Feeling impulsive or aggression
• Difficulty at work or school
• Difficulty in personal relationships, including family, friends and caregivers

The duration of insomnia is important, notes the NSF, and doctors consider insomnia chronic if it

occurs at least three nights per week for three months or longer.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment: Sleep Disorders and Alcohol Abuse

If you suffer from both symptoms of sleep disorders and alcohol abuse, you may need specialized treatment and a personalized plan for recovery. At Hope Academy, we offer evidence-based dual diagnosis treatment for young adults facing both substance abuse and co-occurring issues like sleep disorders. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

New Study: College Students Aren't Binge Drinking As Much

A new study shed light on binge drinking among young adults (ages 18 to 24) and there’s both good and bad news. 

First, the good: Binge drinking – which researchers defined as five or more drinks at one time – is down among college students. It declined from 45 percent in 2005 to 37 percent in 2014, according to the results published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

And now, the bad: Among non-college students, binge drinking increased by 4 percent between 1999 and 2014. And alcohol-related overdose hospitalizations and deaths rose among 18- to 24-year-olds.

Study author Ralph Hingson thinks the disparity may be due to college administrators who are working to curb troublesome drinking. "Among young adults who aren't in college, there aren't the same organizational supports to implement interventions, and that may be contributing to why binge drinking is increasing in that group," Hingson said in a statement.

Two other possible factors: less disposable income to spend on alcohol and the lowered legal limit for drivers, say researchers, who began the study in 1998 following the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) decision to start a task force looking at college drinking. 

How Much Is a Drink?

To avoid binge drinking and its consequences, college and non-college students are advised to track the number of drinks they consume over a give period of time, notes the NIAAA. In the U.S., a standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol. 

A few examples: 

• 12 ounces of beer with 5 percent alcohol content
• 5 ounces of wine with 12 percent alcohol content
• 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits with 40 percent alcohol content

Although these standard drink amounts are helpful guidelines, they don’t necessarily reflect customary serving sizes, says the NIAAA. A large cup of beer, an over-poured glass of wine, or a single mixed drink could contain much more alcohol than a standard drink. What’s more, the alcohol content within each type of beverage can also vary.

Sobriety College at Hope Academy

If you are or someone you love is a college student caught in the throes of substance abuse, Hope Academy may be the ideal rehab program for you. Our peer-based rehab program provides the safety and support you need to succeed in school and at sobriety. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

Study: Binge Drinking and Your Brain

Binge drinking can do some serious damage to your brain, according to a mini review published in Frontiers in Psychology. 

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men — in about two hours, notes the NIAAA.

Researchers found that this type of heavy drinking among young adults can lead to a thinning or reduction of areas of the brain that impact: 

• Inhibition
• Memory
• Verbal learning 
• Decision making and reward processing
• Alcohol cue reactivity
• Socio-cognitive/socio-emotional processing

What’s more, "these brain alterations, as a result of heavy alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood, could result in increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later on in life,” said study author Anita Cservenka, Assistant Professor at Oregon State University.

More Side Effects of Binge Drinking

Binge drinking can result in serious health, safety and academic risks. Binge drinkers who consumed alcohol at least 3 times per week were roughly 6 times more likely than those who drank but never binged to perform poorly on a test or project as a result of drinking, according to the NIAAA. Over time, frequent binge drinking can also cause damage to the liver and other organs.

Other consequences of binge drinking include a higher risk of:

• Alcohol use disorders
• Car crashes
• Drunk-driving arrests
• Sexual assaults and unsafe sex
• Suicide attempts
• Injuries  

Stopping the Side Effects of Alcohol Abuse 

The best way to combat the physical and emotional health consequences of a substance use disorder is early intervention. Don’t wait. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.

Heavy Drinking Alters Brain in Adolescents

For young people whose brain is still developing, heavy alcohol use may be more detrimental than previously thought, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. 

The study, which was published in Addiction Biology, followed 27 adolescents who had been heavy drinkers throughout their adolescence, as well as 25 participants with little or no alcohol use. At the onset of the study, the participants were 13 to 18 years old. 

They found that long-term heavy use of alcohol in adolescence alters brain activity, namely the function of the GABA neurotransmission system. GABA plays a key role in anxiety, depression and the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders. The adolescents’ brain activity was analyzed using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) recording.

Researchers say that the findings warrant two questions: Whether the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders should be tighter for adolescents and whether they should be more easily referred to treatment. 

Long-Term Alcohol Use and Your Health

Although the negative effects often take time to manifest, heavy drinking has been found to wreak havoc on many parts of the body beyond the brain – causing well over 60 diseases, according to researchers. Here are a few of the more common health conditions linked with the abuse of alcohol:  

• Anemia
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cirrhosis
• Dementia
• Depression
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Gout
• Heart Attack
• High blood pressure
• Infectious disease, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Nerve damage
• Pancreatitis
• Seizures
• Stroke

Alcohol Abuse Help for You or Your Loved One

Young adults make up 31.5 percent of alcoholics, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). Hope Academy's safe and supportive environment is ideal for teens and young adults to share their concerns, set  sobriety goals, and begin the road to recovery. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.

Do You Know the Health Risks of Chronic Heavy Drinking?

Beyond leading to dependence, drinking too much alcohol can have serious consequences for your health. Alcohol abuse can damage organs, weaken the immune system, and contribute to cancers, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). In fact, researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 diseases.

Alcohol Abuse and Your Body
Chronic heavy drinking can lead to a variety of health conditions, including:

• Anemia: Heavy drinking lowers your red blood cells. 
• Cancer: Mouth, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal cancer have all been linked to alcohol use – and these risks are even higher among smokers.
• Cardiovascular disease: Binge drinking causes platelets to clump into blood clots – and this can lead to stroke or heart attack. 
• Cirrhosis: Alcohol is toxic to liver cells, and can severely scar the liver, making it unable to function.
• Dementia: Heavy drinking speeds up the shrinkage of key regions in the brain responsible for memory.
• Depression: While it’s still unknown whether drinking or depression comes first, the conditions are undisputedly linked. Depressed people often self-medicate with alcohol and heavy drinking has been study-proven to lead to depression.
• Gout: Family history is a major risk factor but alcohol and poor nutrition play a big role, too. 
• High blood pressure: Binge drinking can cause blood pressure to rise. 
• Infectious disease: Heavy drinking suppresses your immune system and this can lead to a host of infections, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
• Nerve damage: Alcohol abuse can cause alcoholic neuropathy, a form of nerve damage that can result in symptoms including the feeling of painful pins and needles or numbness in the extremities, muscle weakness, incontinence, constipation, and erectile dysfunction.
• Pancreatitis: Up to 60% of cases of chronic pancreatitis stem from alcohol consumption; heavy drinking inflames the pancreas and causes stomach irritation.
• Seizures: Heavy drinking can cause epilepsy and can even trigger seizures in people without the neurological disorder.

Getting Help for Alcohol Abuse

According to the NIAAA, the young adult subgroup makes up 31.5% of alcoholics. At Hope Academy, we provide a safe environment in which teens and young adults feel comfortable sharing their concerns and setting sobriety goals. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.