Do you think your drinking habits are safe? It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health, and the nonprofit organization Screening for Mental Health is offering online screening for possible alcohol problems during April, which is Alcohol Awareness Month.
Specifically, April 5 is National Alcohol Screening Day, and people are invited to go online or attend planned screening events in order to address any possible issues with alcohol.
According to the Screening for Mental Health website, “National Alcohol Screening Day is an outreach, education, and screening program that raises awareness about alcohol misuse and refers individuals with alcohol problems for further treatment.”
Participants can take an anonymous survey that helps determine if they might need to see a professional about drinking issues. If results show that a possible intervention is needed, these concerns are addressed via a video recording, where participants are encouraged to seek out professional help for any drinking problems.
The “video doctor” also talks about complications associated with drinking. The video doctor also asks further questions about the participant’s relationship with alcohol and the possibility of addressing issues.
For people interested in taking the specific alcohol screening, they can go to the website www.howdoyouscore.org/
Otherwise, you can also find the alcohol screening or other mental health screenings (depression and eating disorders) through the general website at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/
All online screening programs are available at any time of year, although specific months feature different programs and events.
“The goal of this program is to get individuals to think about how, when and why they drink,” according to a press release on National Alcohol Screening Day.
“Not everyone who scores positive on the assessment requires treatment, but research shows that screening can be a useful tool in getting people to cut back on their alcohol use.”
Jeffrey Reynolds, the executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, said in an email that people are oftentimes unaware of their actual drinking habits.
“People generally underestimate the amount they drink, the numbers of times per week they drink, and they grossly underestimate the potential risks to their health,” Reynolds said.
“This is especially true in an economic environment where people go out to dinner less and are more likely to drink at home, where there are fewer social cues about excessive drinking and considerations about driving. That same recession has prompted significant stress and alcohol is often used in an attempt to alleviate that stress."
Some people can use alcohol to be more social, to relax or relieve stress, or even to self-medicate when they suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental disorders.
“Problem is, eventually you'll need to drink just to feel normal,” Reynolds said.
“Events like Alcohol Screening Day help counter some of the pro-drinking messages out there (including alcohol advertising), raise awareness about what constitutes problem drinking and can serve as a bridge to treatment for those who are struggling."
He said women appear to have some unique issues when it comes to alcohol consumption.
“Women, because of their lower body weights, are impacted by alcohol differently than men and face an increasing amount of pressure as they manage family responsibilities, a career and these days, more than one job,” Reynolds said.
“We are especially concerned about teenage and college age women who appear to be drinking more than ever before in quantities that rival their male peers."
He said alcohol abuse and alcoholism can lead to issues in all aspects of life, including mental and physical health and social life, even though some people tend to just focus on the drunk driving and car accident aspect.
Kim Dennis, a board certified psychiatrist, addiction specialist and medical director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, said in an email that there are multiple signs of problematic drinking behaviors.
“There are many types of harmful behavior related to alcohol consumption: violence, drinking and driving, date rape/being victim of date rape, being responsible for children while under the influence,” Dennis said.
“We typically say to women who are wondering if they have a problem, that people who don't have a problem with alcohol typically don't wonder about it. We also say that if you can't control AND enjoy your alcohol, you probably have a problem. Women who only enjoy drinking when they drink to excess, or women who drink with a purpose, typically have a substance use disorder.”
People with mental disorders or issues tend to feel the effects of alcohol even worse than people without mental health issues.
“Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, which can worsen or lead to major depressive disorder in drinkers,” Dennis said.
“Withdrawing from alcohol worsens anxiety and complicates treatment for anxiety disorders. People with alcohol use and a co-occurring mental health disorder have more severe cases of each than [if] they had either one alone. Trauma history is very common among women alcoholics, and is always present among women alcoholics who also have eating disorders.”
Dennis believes this alcohol screening could be useful, since it should have the power to identify people who engage in harmful drinking behavior, and also identify people who might need to reassess their drinking behavior but don’t necessarily have a serious problem yet.
“Anything we can do to raise awareness and get people talking and thinking about these diseases characterized by secrecy, shame and denial is going to be helpful,” Dennis said. “Even if it helps one person anonymously reach out for help or get into treatment, it is useful. Just ask that person's spouse or kids. Recognizing this problem, and getting professional/expert help for it, literally has the power to save lives.”
Sources:
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. Alcohol Awareness Month. Web. April 4, 2012.
http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/programs-a-services/alcohol-awareness-month
Screening for Mental Health. National Alcohol Screening Day. Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/national-alcohol-screening-day.aspx
Screening for Mental Health. For the Media. Press Releases. Is Your Drinking a Problem? (pdf). Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/about-us/news/for-media.aspx
Reynolds, Jeffrey. Email interview. April 4, 2012.
Dennis, Kim. Email interview. April 4, 2012.
Reviewed April 5, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith