Counseling

Responsible Decisions about Drinking

Alcohol is a depressant that works on the central nervous system. A little acts like a mild tranquilizer, it relaxes us. Higher levels of alcohol in the blood tend to depress brain activity, reduce our inhibitions and our self control. It will sharply alter our behavior and personality, and can severely affect our judgment and dull our reaction time and sensory perceptions. Higher levels of alcohol in the blood system from steady, heavy drinking can anesthetize the deepest levels of the brain and can result in coma and in some instances even death.

Most people who drink, and don't overdose, don't get drunk. They don't depend upon alcohol to get them through the day and they don't become addicted to alcohol. However, for over ten million Americans, alcohol has become a habit-forming, addictive drug. At least that many Americans are alcoholics and even more have heavy drinking problems. When we think of alcoholism, we tend to think of the skid row bum, but that's not the typical alcoholic. Only three to five percent of alcoholic Americans are on skid row. The rest look like us and our neighbors.

Why are there so many drinking problems? Partly because there are some myths about drinking. For instance, one of the most popular myths is that getting drunk is funny. Maybe it's funny in the movies or on TV, but in real life getting drunk is rather sad. It's a form of getting sick and losing control over our minds and bodies. Drunkenness is no funnier than indigestion, flu or diarrhea. The interesting fact is that in societies where getting drunk is not accepted with laughter as it is here, the incidence of the problem is much less.

Another myth that people in the United States have is that idea that it is very grown-up, sophisticated or "cool" to drink a lot. Somehow the more you can drink, the more cool you are. This is nonsense, yet this belief has caused a lot of foolish behavior, a lot of drinking problems and a lot of deaths on our highways. It's no more cool than it is to eat a lot or smoke a lot or to take an overdose of any other drug.

Another myth is that drinking will enhance our sexual potential or prowess. In fact, for men, it's either drinking or sex, because too much alcohol will make it impossible to perform sexually. This is not really a new discovery. Shakespeare knew it when he wrote Macbeth and stated "drink provokes the desire, but it takes away performance." Some people will engage in more sexual behavior because their inhibitions will be lessened by drinking, and some will even use drinking as an excuse for engaging in sexual behavior. Using drinking as the avenue to sex has the potential to result in guilt, sexually transmitted diseases and impregnation because, with inhibitions loosened, one might not take proper precautions against those possibilities. Sex is too important and activity to undertake without making a conscious decision about it.

Some people drink to relieve their tense, uncomfortable feelings with another person or group of people. After several drinks they feel more relaxed, looser and less uptight. If this is the only way they can be comfortable around others, they are in danger of creating a drinking dependency for themselves. They may never learn that their acceptability is not dependent on drinking but on themselves. If they can better accept themselves, they can also learn to consume less alcohol.

Try an experiment at your next party. Between each drink, substitute a glass of soda or ice water and eat whatever nibblers are available. Let at least one-half hour lapse between finishing one alcoholic drink and beginning the next alcoholic drink. See if you don't feel more relaxed and consume less alcohol. Some people are just plain thirsty after arriving at a party. Try this: Drink two glasses of soda or ice water before consuming your first alcoholic beverage. This helps quench your thirst and may relieve empty stomach grumbling. If experiments like this do not work for you, it may be a good time to examine the role that alcohol plays in your life.

Another drinking stimulus is anger. Instead of dealing with the angry feelings directly, drinking is substituted. It's as if saying, "I'm mad as hell at you, but I'll punish you by getting bombed. That way if I'm nasty or make angry wisecracks, it's the alcohol and not me." That seems like a good way to end up feeling pretty lousy about yourself for not dealing openly and honestly with your feelings. The same is true of other feelings like sadness or tenderness or affection. Only letting ourselves express these feelings in this way robs us of owning and enjoying our true feelings, and robs others of experiencing those feelings in us in a way that they can trust.

Here are some additional facts about drinking and the use of alcohol:

There are three sources of help for dealing with drinking concerns on the University of Florida campus. One is the University Counseling Center (352-392-1575). Another is the Student Mental Health service of the Student Health Care Center (352-392-1161). The third is the GatorWell Health Promotion Services (352-392-1161 ext. 1-4281). Please contact any of these agencies if you feel you need information about responsible drinking.

Note: This document is based on an audio tape script developed by the University of Texas, Austin. With their permission, it was revised and edited into its current form by the staff of the University of Florida Counseling Center.

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