{"id":11818,"date":"2020-12-30T10:00:45","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=11818"},"modified":"2020-12-30T09:17:04","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T15:17:04","slug":"dont-let-alcohol-become-your-crutch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/dont-let-alcohol-become-your-crutch\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t let alcohol become your crutch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Struggle with stress, have difficulty sleeping
\nor concerned that alcohol may be a problem?<\/p>\n

Find a primary care provider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The behavior is embedded in our national psyche, reinforced by decades of movies, TV shows and commercials.<\/p>\n

Hard day at work? Stop at the local pub for a cold one. Feeling tense? Mix a drink and unwind. Mind racing too fast to sleep? Slow down with a glass of wine.<\/p>\n

The truth is, one glass of an adult beverage is fine for most people. The problem is, many people don\u2019t stop after one. And we\u2019re not just talking about people with chronic dependency issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using alcohol to help you sleep, to relieve stress or to numb physical or psychological pain, you\u2019re doing yourself more harm than good \u2013 even if you drink only on occasion.<\/p>\n

Alcohol interferes with sleep<\/h2>\n

\u201cAlcohol does have some sedative effect,\u201d said Brian Curtis, MD, vice president of Clinical Specialty Services for OSF HealthCare. \u201cIt\u2019s true that it can help you get to sleep faster, but it\u2019s not the same quality of sleep as you get when you don\u2019t drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our sleep at night has a rhythm, moving through different phases. We begin with a light sleep that turns deep, then moves to a dream stage, then eases back out again. During a normal sleep, those phases constitute a process that allows the mind to restore itself, and we wake up refreshed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlcohol interferes with our ability to move through those phases, and we don\u2019t wake up feeling rested<\/a>,\u201d Dr. Curtis said.<\/p>\n

Drinking worsens depression<\/h2>\n

\"manIn similar fashion, alcohol might dull physical pain, but the relief is only temporary. For emotional distress or depression, the perceived sedative effects of alcohol are mostly an illusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlcohol actually worsens depression,\u201d Dr. Curtis said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a way to deal with pain or depression<\/a> or any other issue. It just masks the symptoms and actually makes them worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

That heightens concerns over the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our overall health.<\/p>\n

A RAND Corporation study, supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, reports a sharp rise in alcohol consumption during the pandemic, especially among women. And binge drinking increased by almost 20% each week of the initial lockdowns last spring, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we start looking at the long-term effects, we have concerns about addiction-type issues,\u201d Dr. Curtis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there are other issues as well. People who consume more alcohol gain more weight, so we have increasing obesity. Then there\u2019s the impact alcohol consumption has on the\u00a0immune system<\/a>, the gastrointestinal tract, your bone marrow and your body\u2019s ability to react to viruses and bacteria and fight off infection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moderation standards<\/h2>\n

The best advice, Dr. Curtis said, is if you don\u2019t drink, don\u2019t start. But if you do drink,\u00a0limit yourself<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends no more than two drinks per day for adult men and no more than one per day for adult women. The CDC emphasizes these numbers are not an average over several days.<\/p>\n

A typical drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed beverage containing 1.5 ounces of liquor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, a single glass of wine at night<\/a> is well within the standards,\u201d Dr. Curtis said.<\/p>\n

Seek alternatives to drinking<\/h2>\n

\"imageA good way to help reduce stress, relax or make yourself sleepy is to create new habits and patterns.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we get into cold weather, this becomes even more important because our time outside is limited<\/a>,\u201d Dr. Curtis said.<\/p>\n

Here are some alternatives:<\/p>\n