Debunking 10 Myths About Drinking Alcohol September 4, 2020

Knowing where you stand on that continuum and understanding the risks will help you make informed decisions about which ones you’re willing to take. When it comes to alcohol, abstinence is the healthiest choice. While no amount of alcohol is entirely risk-free, you can still choose to enjoy a drink, whether as a social tool, cultural tradition, or simply for fun. So no, you can’t stockpile your weekly alcohol servings and consume them all at one time.

Myth: It’s OK to get drunk every once in a while.

For some people who drink, it takes quite a few drinks to “get a buzz” or feel relaxed, and they may be less likely to show signs of intoxication compared to others. These individuals tend to drink more, socialize with people who drink a lot, and develop a tolerance to alcohol, i.e., it takes more and more alcohol to feel or act intoxicated. Someone who misuses alcohol, especially over the long-term, can experience permanent liver, heart, or brain damage. For decades, studies claimed that red wine had heart health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease. Light drinkers tend to be mostly spared from the effects on the liver, but for heavy drinkers, the liver becomes inflamed, which can be dangerous over time,” says Dr. Mosquera.

From alcohol dependency to sobriety: the approach that changed Angie’s life

For a typical 160-pound man, this would translate into 7 grams of alcohol in an hour. The so-called standard serving, a 12-ounce bottle of beer, is 14 grams of alcohol, so it would take two hours to fully metabolize it. For most people, if you drink one drink an hour, you’re going to become more and more impaired each hour. Some folks think of light beer as healthier because it tends to contain fewer calories and a slightly lower alcohol content.

Hangovers are caused by switching drinks.

In a 2010 review of more than 40 researchers, people who responded differently to various kinds of alcohol usually did so to compensate for the anticipated effects. Which is to say, mix your alcohol types as much as you want, but if you do make that switch from beer to liquor, make sure you slow yourself down along the way. It is the total quantity of alcohol consumed, not combined, that influences intoxication and sickness.

Alcohol causes our brain to be sedated, like when getting anesthesia for a surgery, however, it does not promote the sleep patterns that are necessary for regeneration and growth. Excessive alcohol consumption is actually 5 myths about alcohol one of the more common causes of insomnia. Mixing all these beverages in one night could leave you sick. This article debunks several of the most common myths regarding alcohol that have grown as time passes.

• In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month (April), we’re debunking some of the common misconceptions about alcohol, with the goal of empowering you to drink responsibly if you choose to imbibe.
• The myth about coffee’s sobering powers is particularly important to debunk because the co-use of caffeine and alcohol could actually lead to poor decisions with disastrous outcomes…
• She has extensive experience working alongside clinicians and providers to create physical and mental well-being content that’s useful, informative and clinically effective.
• It’s common for people to have a casual relationship with alcohol.
• Learn the facts about alcohol use so you can make healthy decisions.
• There were so many evenings when my half-hearted resolution to stop drinking would end with the thought, “Tonight will be better if I pick up some beer or wine on my way home.”

For example, hyperventilating could produce a lower BAC level. However, the best you’ll get from hyperventilating is around https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a 10% decrease in your BAC. It’ll also make you light headed, which any observant police officer is sure to notice.

• Depending on how you metabolize alcohol, your BAC can reach this level after only one drink.
• After just seven days without alcohol, your immune system starts bouncing back.
• Your liver can only metabolize around one standard drink per hour.
• There’s also a direct link between excessive drinking and the risk of committing sexual assault.
• The myth says that since your body processes alcohol at about a rate of one drink an hour, if you pace yourself you won’t get too drunk to drive.

So adjusting to sobriety often includes building new friendships with other sober people. In addition to the physiological effects, the fallout from drinking is a stress of its own. “The things that happen when you’re drinking often cause anxiety,” said McKowen. “Not remembering things, putting myself in horrible situations, feeling so much shame, trying to clean up messes from the night before—doing disaster control breeds a ton of anxiety.” People often use alcohol not only as a sleep aid but also to reduce anxiety, given its tranquilizing properties. Alcohol works on the same neural receptors as drugs like benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax, Klonopin), and its calming effects are well known.

Experts recommend no more than 3 drinks in a single day or no more than a total of 7 drinks a week. A drink is defined as 12 fluid ounces (355 mL) of beer, 5 fluid ounces (148 mL) of wine, or 1½ fluid ounces (45 mL) of liquor. We know much more about the effects of alcohol today than in the past. Learn the facts about alcohol use so you can make healthy decisions. Additionally, many studies grouped non-drinkers together, but this often includes people who stopped drinking because of health issues.

• “You might get tranquilized and pass out, but you don’t reach the deep levels of sleep that you need to actually feel rested.”
• Drinking impairs your judgment, which increases the likelihood that you will do something you’ll later regret.
• So one 12-ounce can of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot of liquor are all equally intoxicating.
• It’s also found in many prescription pain relievers, such as Percocet and Vicodin.
• Lots of misinformation exists about alcohol and the impact it can have on your health.
• In contrast, if you start off drinking hard liquor, you’re likely to be drinking at a slower rate and feel drunk faster.

Homeownership was also a strong predictor of alcohol consumption, according to the study. Drinking tends to produce higher blood alcohol concentrations in women than men because of a difference in body weight and composition. “Drinking coffee or other caffeine products after having one too many drinks can trick your brain into making you feel energized and more awake or alert,” warns Dr. Janesz.

• One reason is that people become more sensitive to alcohol as they get older.
• This goes for beer, wine, rum, whiskey, gold tequila, and pretty much any drink with a darkish hue.
• “It was squashing and interfering with my experience. And it created a numbness around me and inside of me—even when I wasn’t drinking.”