Author: John Carter

Common myths and misconceptions about alcohol use

In the United States, people younger than age 21 are not legally able to drink alcohol. Drinking also adds calories that can contribute to weight gain. And drinking raises the risk of problems in the digestive system.

Myth: If you’re menopausal and having trouble sleeping, alcohol can help you sleep better.

Dr. Oesterle leads Mayo Clinic’s inpatient rehabilitation program for addiction and says he often sees alcohol use become a problem for people after they retire. When these people were employed, they may have been too busy to consume copious amounts of alcohol. But without a routine or daily responsibilities, alcohol use can more easily spiral, he says.

Question 2: What are the Signs of Alcohol Addiction?

People enjoy drinking because these effects can be pleasurable, but it’s important to understand the potential short-term and long-term consequences of alcohol consumption. When consumed in moderation, wine may be beneficial to human health. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may provide some measure of protection against cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, and even support your long-term mental health and wellbeing.

Wine addiction is a type of physical and psychological dependence on wine. People addicted to wine may find that they are unable to stop drinking even when they want to, and may experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit. This can lead to serious health complications and even death.

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, contributing to approximately 178,000 deaths annually. Over time, alcohol use takes a toll on your body and increases your risk of over 200 health conditions. Increased tolerance means that over time, you’ll need to increase your alcohol consumption to achieve the same pleasurable effect. This is why some people drink wine in the evening to ease out of a stressful day and prepare for bedtime. It’s possible to develop an addiction to any type of alcohol. Around 54 million Americans live with osteoporosis or low bone mass, but many don’t recognize the symptoms until it is too late.

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With the right treatment, people with wine addiction can find lasting recovery. Wine addiction is a type of alcohol addiction (also called alcohol use disorder). This disease makes you feel unable to control your drinking habits and wine use. While casual to moderate drinking may be a part of life for some, excessive or chronic alcohol consumption can significantly impact your body and long-term health. In the past, moderate drinking was thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and possibly diabetes. After more analysis of the research, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

1. If drinking wine interferes with daily life, including responsibilities and activities you once enjoyed, you might have an addiction.
2. Heavy drinking also may result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
3. For more information about Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) see Suboxone.com, the full Prescribing Information, and Medication Guide, or talk to your healthcare provider.
4. Increased tolerance means that over time, you’ll need to increase your alcohol consumption to achieve the same pleasurable effect.
5. If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately.
6. For women, more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week is heavy drinking.

Addiction Resource does not favor or support any specific recovery center, nor do we claim to ensure the quality, validity, or effectiveness of any particular treatment center. No one should assume the information provided on Addiction Resource as authoritative and should always defer to the advice and care provided by a medical doctor. Not everyone who drinks alcohol will develop an addiction, but drinking too much even without addiction can become problematic.

Myth: Alcohol really just impacts your liver.

Alcoholic blackouts happen when you consume too much alcohol too quickly. They don’t happen to everyone, and the relationship between blackouts and addiction isn’t clear. Calls to our general hotline may be answered by private treatment providers. We may be paid a fee for marketing or advertising by organizations that can assist with treating people with substance use disorders. Thus, when you’re addicted to wine, you’re more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors.

For casual, moderate drinkers, alcohol may be a nice bonus, but it usually isn’t a must-have for all activities. Life should be first on your list to enjoy and experience, not the newest bottle you’ve brought home. From Girl Scout Cookie-and-wine pairings to novelty shirts that declare, “You had me at Merlot,” to coffee cups that proclaim, “This is actually wine” … vino is a fixture of our social landscape.

Five ounces should be a standard glass of wine according to health experts. Wine with lower or higher alcohol content may need more or less wine to meet this limit. If you are looking to keep your drinking low, the best wines may be the ones with lower alcohol content. To recover from wine addiction, most people will need to quit wine altogether. Instead, seek help at an alcohol addiction treatment facility. A standard drink of wine with about a 12% ABV is a 5-ounce pour.

Mayo Clinic Press

If you do experience withdrawal symptoms, your doctors can prescribe medications to make them less severe. For instance, you might be given a sleep aid to reduce insomnia. If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms, seek emergency medical care. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), excessive drinking occurs when a man has more than four drinks a day or a woman has more than three drinks a day.

Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms

Do you make excuses to drink earlier in the day or joke that “it’s five o’clock somewhere”? If you’ve brought your nightcap into the daytime, your wine habit might be morphing into addiction. Recovery Ranger is a website that offers direction and support for those seeking to overcome addiction and achieve lasting sobriety. Our team of specialists helps individuals navigate the recovery process and stay motivated. The term “wine addiction” is often used interchangeably with “alcoholism”, which is a more general term for addiction to any type of alcoholic beverage.