Alcohol – The Myths



Alcohol – The Myths

Christmas seems to have become synonymous with eating, drinking and being merry in the minds of many of us; with party after party, and the festive spirit encouraging us to let go of our inhibitions, many people find themselves drinking far more than usual at this time of year.

The number of calls to LawCare’s helpline related to alcohol abuse is always proportionally higher in the first months of the year. In the cold January light of day it seems many Christmas revellers start to see their drinking behaviour as rather more sinister than it appeared during the festive season.

Denial is a major part of alcohol addiction, and one which makes it difficult to tackle. Alcoholics will use excuse after excuse to explain away their behaviour. “I’m not an alcoholic—I only drink wine”, or “I only drink at weekends”. We even heard of one case where the addict explained away his nightly alcohol withdrawal symptoms—sweats, shakes and liver pain– by claiming he had TB.

But even among those who are not addicted to alcohol, myths abound which seem to rationalise the drinking behaviour. Before you throw caution to the winds this Christmas, consider which of these might become your denial technique.

“A little alcohol is good for you”.

That’s true—a little alcohol has been shown to be beneficial to health. If you are an elderly man with a heart complaint, half a glass of red wine each night can prolong life (but then, so can purple grape juice). If you’re not an elderly man with a heart complaint, or you’re drinking more than this amount, or drinking something other than red wine or grape juice, then this excuse won’t hold water.

“Just one won’t hurt”

Again, this is probably true for many people. However, as the government reminds us graphically each Christmas, if you’re driving then just one drink can hurt a great deal. Similarly if you’re pregnant alcohol is best avoided altogether. In addition, scientists have discovered that there is a gene which predisposes some people to alcoholism. In the case of people who carry this gene, and especially alcoholics in recovery, just one drink might be all it takes to tip them down the slippery slope. If you find that you can’t stop at just one drink, then stick to fruit juice.

“Alcohol warms you up”

A roaring log fire may tempt you into the pub on a cold December night, but alcohol actually cools down core body temperature. Drinking too much and staying outdoors during colder months could lead to hypothermia.

“Anyone who passes out from drinking too much should be put to bed.”

This is the very worst thing you can do for a friend or colleague who has overindulged. Alcohol slows the heart rate and breathing and lowers blood pressure, and the amount required to make you pass out is dangerously close to the amount it takes to kill you. In addition the body will try to expel the poison through vomiting, which in a supine unconscious state can cause the person to choke to death.

“You have to drink alcohol to have fun.”

Any 7-year-old child will tell you this is nonsense—if you really believe it then you may need to call LawCare to assess the amount you drink. In fact one tee-totaller commented that her social life improved enormously once she stopped drinking because she got invited to all the good parties as the designated driver. Being sober enough to be in control of your speech and actions means that you’re less likely to make a fool of yourself, more likely to impress your boss and colleagues, and far more likely to remember all the fun in the morning.

LawCare offers free and completely confidential advice and support by way of a 365 day a year helpline:

0800 279 6869.

9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on weekdays

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at weekends and UK public holidays

.uk

Anna Buttimore

600 words

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