Be Aware of Holiday Alcohol Abuse

This season, a man I know in another community started giving away his possessions. This of course is a possible indicator of intended suicide. He was an alcoholic, but had not used alcohol for some years. He is single and alone. By the time his friends intervened, he was already drinking, and he had a stockpile of pills. They may have saved his life.

The suicide rate always goes up during the holidays, and studies indicate that alcohol is involved in one third of the completed suicides.

Motor vehicle accidents increase and the number of DUI charges increases. The consequences of drinking and driving go far beyond the impaired driver himself or herself. Children, passengers and other motorists are often the ones killed. US statistics indicate that half of all traffic deaths are alcohol related.

 When alcohol is used in excess, all sorts of unhealthy conditions and behaviours emerge. There are higher rates of mental illness, especially depression. There is increased domestic violence. There are more incidents of stalking behavior. In a survey of 40,000 women in over 20 countries, one in five admitted to becoming romantically involved with a colleague during an office party. One third of these admitted to a brief affair. Do not ignore the fact that if several thousand women admitted having affairs, there probably were as many men. At what cost to marriages and families?

The fact is that most people do not want to keep on drinking after they have had a couple of drinks. If you are hosting a holiday party, however, do keep an eye on those who continue to drink. They may be among the alcohol-dependent segment of the population, that is, they may be alcoholics. (We politely call them functioning alcoholics if they are still working.) Being able to tolerate large quantities of alcohol, and being unable to stop drinking or to remember events the next day are all signs of alcoholism. Some change personalities if they drink too much.

Have nonalcoholic beverages readily available for everyone. Serve sweets, because part of the craving for alcohol is the craving for sugar. Sweets can help reduce that craving. Be ready to stop someone who is unsafe to drive home. I know this is hard, but you might be saving someone’s life.

Hire a babysitter to look after your children, even though you are there. Every year hundreds of children are sexually abused by relatives and friends at holiday house parties.

If you are at someone else’s party, always have an escape route. Prearrange with someone to pick you up if you call. If you are not going to drink yourself, drive your own car rather than accept a ride. If your partner has a tendency to drink too much, have a discussion in advance of the party to plan an intervention and the escape route.

If your teens are going to a party, where there will be drinking, ask them about their escape route, should things turn bad. Talk with them about the importance of a designated driver. Remind them to call home for someone to pick them up, no questions asked.

I invite you to reflect on your own relationship with alcohol. Let’s make Christmas both fun and safe.