Causes

Alcohol is not illegal for adults, but it can be abused. You can drink alcohol and still have a healthy lifestyle. You can enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a drink when out with friends. But too much alcohol can lead to serious injuries and illness.

People may have an inherited tendency to alcoholism. Sometimes people are in situations where there is a lot of drinking or drug use around them, and they feel they need to participate.

Using some drugs can create a physical craving to continue that use. But it may be that the more a person uses, the less mood changes the drug causes, so the person feels a need to use more.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. Other drugs include stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, hallucinogens, sedatives, and inhalants. Some drugs are more likely to cause addiction—a physical need for the drug—than others, but all drugs can be abused, even those prescribed by your doctor.

Individuals make the decision to take the first drink or to use drugs. But once someone is addicted to alcohol or drugs, they probably cannot quit by themselves.

Symptoms

You probably know if you or someone close to you is abusing alcohol or drugs. Drug or alcohol abuse affects a person’s ability to handle normal life responsibilities. They may miss work or school, have difficulty in their personal relationships, or fail to take care of themselves properly.

Signs of possible alcohol or drug abuse include:

• Using alcohol or drugs to calm your nerves or to forget your worries
• Missing meals
• Hurting yourself or others while using alcohol or drugs
• A need for more and more alcohol or drugs
• Legal problems related to alcohol or drug use, such as arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drinking alcohol alone
• Thinking you have a problem with alcohol or drugs

Treatment

There are many ways to treat alcohol or drug abuse. Your doctor can help you decide which treatment is best for you. Options for treatment include:

• Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. These organizations offer support meetings with other people who have a problem with drugs or alcohol.
• Rehabilitation programs. You can find these programs in hospitals, outpatient centers, and private clinics. Some of these programs are inpatient. That means you stay overnight. For others, you come in each day from home.
• Detoxification centers. Detoxification clears your body of the harmful effects of alcohol or drugs.

Because abuse of alcohol or drugs can affect many parts of a person’s life, multiple treatment approaches may be necessary. There are some medications that can help control cravings. Individual and group therapy also is helpful for many people.

Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle after substance abuse has stopped.

Prevention

Turning down the first marijuana cigarette or amphetamine a friend offers at a party is the best way to avoid drug abuse. Avoid spending time with people who use illegal drugs as part of their social life.

Alcohol is not illegal for adults and is harder to avoid. Most people can enjoy
a drink now and then and still have a healthy lifestyle. Follow these guidelines:

• Cut down on the time you spend with people who drink a lot. If you avoid the time and place where you are likely to drink, you are less likely to abuse alcohol.
• Be sensible at parties. You can enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail at a party. But have only one drink. (A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.) Make your other choices nonalcoholic.
• Don’t drink and drive. If you plan to drink when you are out, be sure to ask someone who isn’t drinking to drive you home.
• Don’t drink alone. When you drink alone, it is easy to drink too much.
• Don’t drink to avoid problems. If you are having trouble at work or home, talk to a friend, a member of the clergy, or a doctor you trust.
• Feel free to say no. You don’t need a reason for not drinking.
• Set an example for others. You can discourage alcohol abuse in others through your own healthy attitudes and actions.