New Year's Resolutions come and go. I gave up on diets and my decision to not be critical has sadly been broken to many freakin' times this year. The nice thing about today is that it brings a new beginning and I am hopeful to be a better person.
The resolution that should be addressed by every person who lifts a glass of some
intoxicating liquid is this. "If I want to be the best I can be, I will include in my self inventory
the question of whether I am drinking too much." And January 1 does not hold an exclusivity
on self-awareness.
As a Psychiatrist, I have to rule out alcohol abuse and addiction in my first encounter
with a patient, and often times the consumption they admit to is not accurate. In reality I
multiply the amount 2-3 times.
multiply the amount 2-3 times.
As Primary Care Physicans find their workload increase, the question of alcohol is not often
addressed and I guarantee 1 in 20 in that waiting room are alcoholics and several more
abusers. If not asked, they won't tell.
So, the burden of addressing alcoholism falls onto the individual. Denial runs high
during this self-assessment and the thought of the typical alcoholic is not the drunk
under the bridge with a paper-bagged bottle. It involves young and old and plays no
favorites as to gender, race, religion, economics, etc.
A friend had posted this amazing article yesterday that I wanted to share. Please read it
and feel free to connect to the links.
and feel free to connect to the links.
Do not let alcohol destroy you or your family. And for family members who identify
a loved one in this description, be their savior. Alcohol is deadly.
If printing Ms. Shute's article makes just one person aware that they have a problem, then
my purpose is served.
Drinking Too Much? Don't Count On Your Doctor To Ask
Most of the people who have problems with drinking aren't
alcoholics, and having a brief chat with a doctor is often all
it takes to prompt excessive drinkers to cut back.
But, it turns out, doctors aren't bringing the topic up.
More than 80 percent of adults say they've never discussed
alcohol use with a health professional, a survey finds.
Young people and binge drinkers were most likely to be asked
about alcohol use, according to a survey by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But even then, just 13 percent of binge drinkers said they had been asked about their drinking in the past year. Among people who binge drink 10 times or
more a month, just one-third said they've ever been asked. The results were published Tuesday in
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"The goal here is not to tell people to never have another drink," Dr. Tom Frieden, the head of the CDC, said in a press briefing. But, he added, "The health system is not doing an effective job finding out about these health problems."
No kidding. These numbers haven't budged in years, despite a 2004 recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force that all adults be asked about alcohol use, and that people who look like they're having difficulties be
offered a brief intervention.(www.cdc.gov/features/alcoholscreening/
That is a fancy term for talking for 10 or 15 minutes about how one might cut back, and coming up with a
practical plan to do that.
"It may be going from six drinks on a Friday
night to three or four," Frieden said. "It might
mean spacing them out, or having something
to drink besides alcohol."
night to three or four," Frieden said. "It might
mean spacing them out, or having something
to drink besides alcohol."
Studies have found that having that
conversation and making a plan can cut a
person's alcohol consumption by up to
25 percent.
conversation and making a plan can cut a
person's alcohol consumption by up to
25 percent.
That could make a substantial dent in the 88,000 deaths each year caused by alcohol, as well as
$224 billion in economic costs. Most of those problems are caused by drinkers who aren't alcoholics, Frieden said.
$224 billion in economic costs. Most of those problems are caused by drinkers who aren't alcoholics, Frieden said.
People are considered at risk (http:rethink drinking.niaaa.nih.gov) if they're drinking more than 15 drinks a week on average for men, and 8 drinks a week for women. That also includes any alcohol use by pregnant women or by people under age 21.
Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a session for men, and four or more drinks for a woman.
The simple screening tests that doctors use, like the four-question CAGE test, are widely available online and take
about a minute. C - have you tried to Cut down? A - Has anyone been Annoyed with your drinking? G- Do you ever
feel Guilty about your drinking? E - Do you need an Eye-opener?
Here's one test from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that lets you compare your drinking
habits to the rest of the country. And here's another screening test from the Partnership at Drugfree.Org.
For the DIY approach to healthier drinking, the NIAAA offers a list of strategies including
"drinking tracker wallet cards" and the classic "pace and space," alternating booze with non-alcoholic beverages.
So, what did you think? My posting this information is not to accuse or even suggest that the
reader has a drinking problem. But in all fairness, did anyone in your life, be it parent, spouse, child, or physician ask these questions? If you or a family or friend asked these questions, then take heed. If your PCP never did, please suggest that he/she read this blog.
Have a Happy and Safe New Year. Now back to learning not to be critical of others.
