Passive drinking, like passive smoking, refers to the damage done to others as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages. These include the unborn fetus and children of parents who drink excessively, drunk drivers, accidents, domestic violence and alcohol-related sexual assaults.
A study by PHI's Alcohol Research Group found that one in five adults, about 53 million people, in the United States are affected by secondhand drinking (passive alcoholism). The study found that 21% of women and 23% of men had experienced at least one negative impact from someone else's drinking.
Alcohols bind with other atoms to create secondary alcohols. These secondary alcohols are the three types of alcohol that humans use every day: methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol.
Nine in 10 adults who drink too much alcohol are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Heavy Alcohol Use:
For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.
Type 1 alcoholism occurred in both men and women, usually starting at an early age, affecting individuals with few social and legal problems, and causing either mild or severe alcohol dependence.
"While there are a number of variables, typically having a drink every night does not necessarily equate to alcohol use disorder, but it can increase the risk of developing alcohol-related health problems," Lawrence Weinstein, MD, Chief Medical Officer at American Addiction Centers tells WebMD Connect to Care.
Casual drinking is a pattern of drinking in low doses on rare occasions. Casual or social drinking are those who will drink occasionally, usually in a responsible manner, meaning they rarely get drunk or black out.
Some of the most common symptoms of alcohol abuse are: Experiencing temporary blackouts or short-term memory loss. Exhibiting signs of irritability and extreme mood swings. Making excuses for drinking such as to relax, deal with stress or feel normal.
“Gray area drinking” refers to a level of alcohol consumption that falls between moderate and risky drinking. Gray area drinking can describe people who misuse alcohol or struggle to control their alcohol consumption but do not fulfill criteria for an alcohol use disorder, or alcohol addiction.
The term is used by AA in relation to feelings of anger, depression and resentment. A dry drunk can be described as a person who refrains from alcohol or drugs, but still has all the unresolved emotional and psychological issues which might have fueled the addiction to begin with.
Casual or social drinking refers to consuming alcohol infrequently. It usually involves drinking responsibly. Problem drinking is associated with drinking too much, too often or in unhealthy situations. Alcoholism is a disease characterized by compulsive drinking despite negative consequences.
Atypical or binge drinker
These alcoholics can often abstain from drinking for substantial periods of time. However when they do decide to start drinking, it tends to be very intense and in great quantities to a problematic extent.
If a person drinks too much wine regularly or often indulges in binge drinking, then it can be considered alcohol abuse, especially if it affects the individual's overall health.
Drinking a bottle of wine per day is not considered healthy by most standards. However, when does it morph from a regular, innocent occurrence into alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcoholism? First, it's important to note that building tolerance in order to drink an entire bottle of wine is a definitive red flag.
Bloating is one of the most common effects drinking alcohol can have on the body. Most people are familiar with the term “beer belly,” the name for the stubborn fat that tends to form around your middle if you are a frequent drinker.
Type II alcoholism is associated with an early onset (i.e., before age 25) of both alcohol abuse and criminal behavior and an inability to abstain from alcohol. The most common personality characteristic of type II alcoholics is high novelty seeking. These people consume alcohol primarily to induce euphoria.
The conclusion of the study was that people who have to be hospitalized because of the negative health effects of their alcoholism typically have an average life expectancy of 47 to 53 years for men and 50 to 58 years for women.
The short answer is yes: blood testing can show heavy alcohol use. However, timing plays a significant role in the accuracy of blood alcohol testing. In a typical situation, blood alcohol tests are only accurate six to 12 hours after someone consumes their last beverage.
The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. Alcoholics are more impulsive than most. Secondly, alcoholics are more sensitive.
Wanting to stop drinking but not managing to do so. Diverting energy from work, family, and social life in order to drink. Being secretive about the extent of the alcohol misuse in order to protect it. Engaging in risky behavior, such as drunk driving.
The personality traits most often found to be related to excessive alcohol consumption are impulsivity/disinhibition and neuroticism/negative affectivity, whereas the significance of other personality characteristics such as extraversion/ sociability remains inconclusive (10, 28-29).