Monday, November 11, 2013

How do you tell the difference between an Alcoholic and a College Student?

Per the signs and symptoms that are listed below, many college aged students could be considered in the realm of alcohol abuse. Although alcohol abuse is not alcoholism, according to webmd.com, alcohol abuse on a consistent basis makes a person more susceptible to alcoholism.

Signs of alcohol abuse

  • You have problems at work or school because of your drinking, such as being late or not going at all.
  • You drink in risky situations, such as before or while driving a car.
  • After drinking, you can't remember what happened while you were drinking (blackouts).
  • You have legal problems because of your drinking, such as being arrested for harming someone or driving while drunk (intoxicated).
  • You get hurt or you hurt someone else when you are drinking.
  • You keep drinking even though you have health problems that are caused or made worse by alcohol use, such as liver disease (cirrhosis).
  • Your friends or family members are worried about your drinking.

Signs of alcohol dependence or addiction

  • You cannot quit drinking or control how much you drink.
  • You need to drink more to get the same effect.
  • You have withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. These include feeling sick to your stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.
  • You spend a lot of time drinking and recovering.
  • You have given up other activities so you can drink.
  • You keep drinking even though it harms your relationships and causes health problems.

So as you can see although many symptoms are similar, most college students only abuse alcohol. 
However, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) shows that college students may be the most high risk group for perceived alcoholism  This differs from my initial thought, being college students aren't alcoholics, they just like to drink, turns out, there may be alcoholics in our midst that we are unaware of.

Trevor J.S.

Sources

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