Posts tagged with ‘alcohol abuse’

Do Teens With Severe Substance Problems Benefit From Brief Interventions?

Do Teens With Severe Substance Problems Benefit From Brief Interventions?Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have assessed the potential effectiveness of brief interventions for teenagers involved in the serious misuse of alcohol or marijuana, concluding that brief interventions are more effective for mild to moderate instances of substance abuse than for severe cases.  Full Story

Parental Alcohol Problems Are a Risk Factor for Attempted Suicide

Secret AlcoholicsIt makes sense that problems in the home in childhood could affect a person’s emotional well-being as an adult. According to a study that appeared in the May 2014 edition of American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, if mom or dad had alcohol problems, then the children could face an 85 percent greater risk of trying to commit suicide.

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Alcoholism Can Lead to Vision Loss, Study Finds

Secret AlcoholicsPeople affected by long-term alcoholism have clearly increased risks for developing various forms of nerve damage or neuropathy. When this damage appears in either of the optic nerves that link the eyes to the brain, experts in the field commonly refer to it as optic neuropathy. In a pilot study published in June 2014 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, a team of French researchers sought to determine how often optic neuropathy appears in people with alcoholism. These researchers concluded the condition appears in a relatively small but significant number of individuals.

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Should I Talk to My Friend About Her Drinking?

Should I Talk to My Friend About Her Drinking? I have an old friend—we’ve been close for going on 10 years—and this coming winter, I’ll be the maid of honor in her wedding. When she has a conflict with her finance or worries over her tween daughter, I’m the one she calls, day or night. Likewise, when I’m hurting or troubled, she’s my lifeline. I deeply value our friendship, and would never wish to jeopardize it, but lately, I’ve had to make a call that just might push us apart, though one I think is for the best. My friend has a problem with alcohol, one that’s been growing for as long as I’ve known her, but has been getting worse over the last couple of years, especially recently with wedding stress.  Full Story

Which Alcoholics Are Most Likely to Relapse?

Which Alcoholics Are Most Likely to Relapse?Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the diagnosis that doctors in the U.S. use to identify separate or overlapping symptoms of non-addicted alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Significant numbers of people diagnosed with this condition will experience a relapse at some point after entering recovery. In a study published in April 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a team of Dutch researchers used a long-term project to determine if it’s possible to predict which individuals recovering from alcohol use disorder have the highest chances of relapsing. These researchers uncovered several factors that act as potential relapse indicators for any given person. Full Story

Parents’ Alcohol Abuse, Divorce Increases Suicide Risk in Offspring

It is widely known that people with a history of drug or alcohol abuse have increased chances of attempting suicide. However, researchers and public health officials know relatively little about how the drug and alcohol problems of a parent impact the adult suicide risks of his or her children. In a study published in May 2014 in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, researchers from two U.S. institutions explored the connection between parental alcohol abuse and the odds that an adult child will make a suicide attempt. These researchers also looked at the potential combined impact of parental alcohol abuse and parental divorce.

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Children Can Get Alcohol Poisoning From Leftover Drinks

Leftover drinks and even the alcohol in perfumes are causing more and more poisonings of children, according to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Excessive alcohol consumption isn’t safe regardless of age, but for children, the dangers are multiplied.

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Alcohol Poisoning in Children

Alcohol poisoning is a serious and life-threatening condition that results from consuming too much ethanol, the type of alcohol found in drinks and other household products. The danger of alcohol poisoning probably calls to mind young people doing too many shots for their 21st birthdays, but the truth is that it can happen to anyone at any age, including children. Because they are smaller than adults, children can become seriously ill with much smaller quantities of alcohol. Know how to keep alcohol out of children’s hands, understand the signs of alcohol poisoning and be prepared to get help.

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PG-13 Movies Portray Same Amount of Alcohol Use by Violent Characters as R Movies

Parents often rely on the movie ratings system to help guide decisions about which movies their kids are allowed to see. For teens, parents may limit them to PG-13 movies, or only allow R-rated movies if they are pre-screened by the parents for content and language. 

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Drinking Alone During Adolescence an Early Warning of Future Problems

Adolescents who get someone to buy them alcohol for a weekend party or who sneak around with their friends to drink are facing some increased risks. Adolescents who try alcohol before reaching age 15 have been shown to face poor health futures, with two to three times greater risk of becoming substance dependent. A new study finds that when adolescents engage in solitary drinking their risks are even greater.

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