Addiction Alcohol Use Your Relationship With Alcohol Guide Your Relationship With Alcohol Guide Overview Where to Start Take a Quiz What Is Alcohol Use Disorder? Understanding Risks Types of Alcohol Problems How Much Is Too Much? Risks of Binge Drinking What Is a Problem Drinker? Myths About Alcohol Modification Tips What Is Sober Curious? How to Be Social While Quitting Drinking How to Say No to Alcohol Sobriety Support What Is Recovery? Benefits of Recovery Tips to Stay Sober 8 Debunked Myths About Drinking Alcohol By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE on August 29, 2020 John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Learn about our Review Board John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE Updated on September 17, 2020 Print PeopleImages / Getty Images Thanks to ongoing research on the effects of alcohol, we now know that there are many risks associated with drinking, including learning and memory problems, impaired driving, unintentional injuries, violence, unsafe sexual behavior, suicide attempts, overdoses, and addiction. Yet many myths remain about alcohol and alcohol misuse, and many can interfere with you or someone you love recognizing the warnings signs of alcohol abuse and seeking help. By debunking these common myths about alcohol and revealing the facts, you can hopefully be better prepared to drink responsibility, or explore your relationship with alcohol. Common Drinking Myths Debunked Misguided beliefs about drinking may fuel your choices or the choices of a loved one. Learning the facts may be helpful in making the best decisions regarding alcohol. These are some of the most common myths about alcohol. Everyone Reacts the Same Way As with most things in life, different people react differently. There are many factors that affect a person's reaction to alcohol, including body weight, metabolism, tolerance level, gender, and body chemistry. Also, there may be various genetic factors that come into play as to how individuals react to drinking alcohol and whether they are vulnerable to addiction. Women At Higher Risk for Many of the Effects of Alcohol Older Age Can Prevent a Drinking Problem Alcohol use disorders don't discriminate. In fact, in the past 10 years there has been a steady rise in alcohol use disorders among those ages 65 and older. What's more, people with alcohol use disorder who are middle-aged and older are at a significantly higher risk for suicide compared to their younger counterparts. The Link Between Age, Drinking, and Suicide Occasional Binge Drinking Is Okay Problem drinking isn't about what type of alcohol you drink, nor is it about on which days you drink. If you or someone you love is binge drinking every Friday and Saturday night, it could signal a problem with alcohol. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines heavy alcohol use as binge drinking on five or more days in the past month. As for the definition of binge drinking: Having five or more alcoholic drinks (for men) or four or more drinks (for women) on the same occasion (within a couple of hours of each other) on at least one day in the past month. What Is Binge Drinking? Increased Tolerance Is Beneficial Developing alcohol tolerance could be a clue that you or someone you love is at risk of developing alcohol-related problems. Alcohol tolerance can be defined as the following: A need for increased amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxication or desired effectDiminished effect with continued use of the same amount of alcohol Either way, it's one of the warning signs of an alcohol use disorder and it's not a sign of healthy physical function. Alcohol Tolerance May Lead to More Damaging Effects Alcohol Improves Pain Management According to research, as many as 28% of people with chronic pain misuse alcohol to alleviate their symptoms. Yet if you have chronic pain, it's best to put down that drink. While alcohol can deliver a certain amount of relief by slowing down the brain and nervous system, the amount of alcohol you'll need to drink to relieve chronic pain would probably be more than the recommended guidelines for safe alcohol consumption. If you or someone you love is drinking daily for pain relief, you'll also likely build up a tolerance, needing more to achieve the same pain-relieving effects. In addition, mixing alcohol and painkillers is downright dangerous, with possibly fatal consequences. Medications You Should Never Mix With Alcohol Beer Is Less Intoxicating The fact is that one 12-ounce can of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one average-sized cocktail containing about 1 1/2 ounces of liquor are all equally intoxicating. Each alcoholic beverage is considered a standard drink containing about the same amount of alcohol. Where the myth has some merit is if you were to drink 12 ounces of liquor compared to one 12-ounce can of beer. Then, yes, the 12 ounces of liquor might have you hugging a toilet bowl. Mixing Drink Types Affects a Hangover There is a saying, "Beer on whiskey, mighty risky." This saying is not about how mixing drinks makes you more drunk, but a warning about how mixing different types of alcohol might make you sick to your stomach. Similar to the expression, "Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear." Mixing drink types is usually a recipe for disaster. Your body can only process so much before it goes into preservation mode. Keep in mind that drinking a lot of anything alcoholic can lead to dehydration and a nasty hangover. Why Alcohol Causes a Hangover Cold Showers and Hot Coffee Improve Sobriety While showers, fresh air, and hot coffee might feel a little refreshing to a person who has been drinking all night, none of these things will make you sober. It takes the body approximately one hour to eliminate the alcohol in one drink. Once absorbed into the bloodstream, alcohol gets processed by the kidneys, lungs, and liver. This is why a urine, blood, or breathalyzer test can all detect alcohol in the body. How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System? If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Cederbaum AI. Alcohol metabolism. 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