Unlike illegal drugs, many people believe that because alcohol is perfectly legal to purchase and consume, there’s nothing wrong with partaking as heavily and often as you like. This view that it’s safe leads to dangerous outcomes like drunk driving and alcohol dependence.
Here are some common misconceptions about drinking:
- There’s no reason to be concerned about needing more alcohol to feel its effects because your body has just gotten used to it. In truth, tolerance is a warning sign that you’re developing a physical dependence. Keep in mind also that the more you drink, the more damage you’re doing to your body.
- You can drink as much beer as you like because it contains less alcohol. It’s true that one can have less alcohol by volume than a mixed drink, but this leads people to drink it in much greater amounts. Eventually, the number of beers you drink is going to add up to a large concentration of alcohol.
- You can sober up enough to drive safely with a cup of coffee or a cold shower. While these things might make you feel slightly more alert at first, alcohol takes a certain amount of time to be processed through the body, and nothing is going to speed this up. It usually takes an hour for one unit (12 ounces of beer or a shot of spirits) to process. Caffeine might help with drowsiness, but it’s not going to do anything for your impaired coordination or decision-making skills.
- Eating a large meal will prevent you from getting drunk. Food might delay the absorption of alcohol a bit, but it is still going to affect your system and make you drunk if you drink enough.
- Alcohol will keep you warm. Alcohol actually widens the blood vessels under the skin, making you feel warmer on the surface. What really happens is that all this blood has been drawn away from your core, making your internal temperature. Alcohol also affects the part of the brain that regulates temperature.
- Women can drink as much as men. Women process alcohol differently, and they tend to weigh less than men. Their bodies also contain less water and more fatty tissue. Because fat retains alcohol while water dilutes it, a woman’s organs sustain greater alcohol exposure.
- There’s nothing wrong with only drinking on weekends. Having a problem has to do with how much you consume, not when you do it. If you are a man and have more than four drinks a day or more than 14 drinks in a week, or are a woman and have more than three drinks a day or more than seven drinks in a week, this is considered heavy drinking.
If you or a loved one need help to quit drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504.
