Alcohol is, and almost always has been, a common issue in United States culture and lifestyle.
That normalization obscures a lot of the tolls that drinking takes on an individual’s health, but the consequences occur nonetheless.
“Paying attention to how much, when and why a person drinks can help them spot an unhealthy relationship before it rises to the level of an actual disorder,” Aaron White, PhD, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Senior Scientific Advisor said.
Between chronic conditions and trauma events induced by drinking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said approximately 178,000 people nationwide (20 people each hour) die from excessive alcohol consumption each year.
That 2020 data reflected a nearly 30% increase from four years prior.
How much is too much?
Excessive alcohol use (as defined by the CDC) consists of binge and heavy drinking. Binge drinking, for men, entails consuming five or more drinks in two hours; for women, the threshold is four drinks.
Heavy drinking relates to consumption over a longer period: eight or more alcoholic drinks in a week for women; 15 or more for men.
Regardless, White said drinking less than those thresholds can still be unhealthy.
“One doesn’t have to have clinical (alcohol use disorder) AUD to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol,” White said. “For instance, drinking beyond moderate levels (one drink per day for women, two for men) significantly increases the risk of a wide range of diseases.”
That said, abstinence is not the only option — even in recovery.
According to White, people struggling with AUD are considered “on the path to recovery” if they can reduce their drinking to low levels, see an improved quality of life and experience AUD symptom remission.
Nonetheless, White said that abstinence is still the most common avenue for AUD recovery.
White added that another common myth about drinking is that certain types of alcohol, like wine, are healthier than others.
How drinking harms health
According to Mesa County Public Health Data Analyst Shalie Dahar, the health impacts of alcohol misuse are variable and far-reaching: they can be immediate or delayed, permanent or temporary and physical or mental.
“We see that connection to self-harm; we also see other areas of impact, like chronic liver disease and cirrhosis…” Dahar said. “Those two are among the leading causes (top six) of death for people under 65 in Mesa County.”
Alcohol poisoning is one of the most well-known consequences of over-intoxication; the CDC attributed alcohol poisoning to an average of six deaths each day.
The CDC added that alcohol poisoning is typically caused by binge drinking (a lot in one day), rather than heavy drinking (a lot over one week), and alcoholism was only identified as a factor in 30% of alcohol poisoning deaths.
Beyond immediate risks like alcohol poisoning and drunk driving, the CDC said that any sort of excessive (binge or heavy) drinking could lead to an array of chronic health conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, digestive problems and a weaker immune system.
White added that cancer, heart disease and liver cirrhosis are all more likely to develop with long-term drinking, even at a moderate level.
While alcohol consumption can impact the body in many ways, Dahar said the primary concern is not necessarily the risk for several new health problems to immediately develop as a direct result.
“We know that alcohol misuse can significantly impact people’s lives — even alone,” Dahar said. “But, the concern is the role it plays in other health outcomes related to your mental health and physical health.”
Never too late to change
While there is an abundance of consequences from alcohol misuse, White said that doesn’t necessarily mean heavy drinkers have permanently cut their lives short.
“…the liver can usually recover before cirrhosis begins, and the brain and cognitive impairments begin to recover within the first month of abstinence,” White said. “With regard to AUD, the good news is that it’s never too late to get help and see one’s life improve.”
On the individual scale, there are many options to treat alcohol abuse or improve an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, from outpatient to residential treatment.
Outpatient treatment is becoming increasingly accessible across the nation and in Mesa County with one of the most recent providers to enter that field being MarillacHealth.
Marillac offers dental, medical and behavioral health services on a sliding-scale fee to underserved areas via federal accreditation and funding.
According to Marillac Behavioral Health Director Elise Rediger, the outpatient approach is beneficial because it allows individuals to address their substance abuse habits before the point of inpatient rehabilitation.
That way, there is less stigma around treatment and an ability to seek help while maintaining a job and role in society.
Rediger added that outpatient services can also help individuals maintain their recovery progress after exiting inpatient treatment.
“If you’re actively intoxicated or actively in withdrawal, you need to be in an inpatient place to detox in a safe way,” Rediger said. “However, once you get through that period, there’s always been a gap of ‘Where do I go next? Oh, I’m good,’ but then we have those receptors in our brain saying, ‘I’m really angry, mad and I can’t even function or think straight without this substance.’”
For example, patients struggling with alcohol abuse would be able to obtain Vivitrol, a once-a-month injection that reduces the likelihood of relapse by mitigating withdrawal.
Dahar added that peer recovery and support groups are another effective avenue to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption.
“For people needing help, community can be such a profound support,” Dahar said. “Resources like counseling services and local support groups can be really critical for people needing care.”
Several peer recovery groups operate in Mesa County, including Peer180 (peer-180.com) and the Grand Junction Alano Club. A full list of peer support groups, their locations and times can be found on the Western Colorado Alcoholics Anonymous website: aa-westerncolorado.com/meetings/