April 18, 2019
Stress Awareness Month. Alcohol Awareness Month. They’re recognized separately, but these health topics are closely related. When providers make it safe for patients to talk about their alcohol use, patients can get the help they need.
We all deal with stress. Mild to moderate stress can boost our focus. Too much stress can lead to physical and behavioral health problems, including alcohol abuse and dependence. An estimated 21 million Americans are suffering from untreated addiction.
Alcohol use can be a way to escape stress. It can also be used to “self-medicate” for depression and anxiety. People’s reactions to alcohol vary, depending on their age, sex, physical condition, and family history of alcohol problems.
Alcohol abuse includes binge drinking and/or heavy drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines each:
| Binge drinking |
Heavy drinking |
| Women: 4 or more drinks during a single occasion |
Women: 8 or more drinks per week |
| Men: 5 or more drinks during a single occasion |
Men: 15 or more drinks per week |
Alcohol dependence, or addiction, occurs when someone drinks often and becomes so reliant on alcohol that they suffer withdrawal symptoms when they don’t drink. Unlike other substances, alcohol withdrawal can be fatal.
People suffering from alcohol problems feel a sense of shame about their use. Secrecy and denial are hallmarks of any substance use problem. This can make it hard for someone suffering to seek help. Provider conversations can help change that.
Shawn West, MD, family physician and medical director of Collaborative Healthcare Solutions at Premera, offers these tips:
- Be aware of your own feelings about addiction
- Understand that addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease
- Use the CAGE Questionnaire screening tool
- Tell your patients that this is a common problem and that you won’t judge them
- Offer hope: things can get better when someone gets help
- Refer your patients to Premera to link them with substance abuse treatment