FAC T SHEET FOR PATIENTSA Health Campaign of Uniformed Services University, www.usuhs.edu, and theCenter for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Bethesda, Maryland, www.CSTSonline.org

Alcohol and Your Health
Most people who drink alcohol doso socially and responsibly. However,excessive alcohol use, either drinking
everyday or almost everyday at levels
exceeding safe drinking and over along period of time, or binge drinking(drinking heavily to get drunk) canaffect one’s health, relationships, and job
performance.

Deployments, family separations,single parenting, and reintegrationstressors can make service members,
their spouses/partners, and even theiradolescent children vulnerable toalcohol misuse, abuse, or dependence.

Drinking and You: Important Facts for Service
Members, Families and Friends
Intoxication (getting drunk) can cause immediateproblems:❏❏❏■ Injuries from traffic accidents, household mishaps, cuts,❏■ Violence, including abuse of intimate partners and❏falls, drowning, burns, and injuries with weapons.

children. (More than one-third of physical abuse
within families involves alcohol, 2/3 of intimate partner
violence involves alcohol; and alcohol is a leading factor
in child abuse and neglect).

■ Social embarrassment, regret, and guilt feelings overthings a person would have never done if sober.

■ Increased risk of sexual assault and risky sexual

behaviors such as unprotected sex or sex with multiple
partners, which can lead to unintended pregnancy,
sexually transmitted diseases, and physical orpsychological trauma.

■ Alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency that resultsfrom very high levels of alcohol in the blood and canlead to passing out, coma, or even death.

Longer-term excessive use of alcohol can also cause orcontribute to chronic problems:■ Severe personal losses in relationships, jobs, and livingconditions.

■ Worsening of any psychological problems such as

anxiety or depression, and may increase risk of suicide.

■ Physical illness and death from a range of medical

problems including:Some people use alcohol in
an attempt to cope with stress,
depression, anxiety, loneliness,or other unpleasant conditions.
Deployments, family separations,
single parenting, and reintegrationstressors can make service members,
their spouses/partners, and even theiradolescent children vulnerable toalcohol misuse, abuse, or dependence.

Heart—increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, damage to the heart muscle, and heart attacks.
Brain and nerve damage.
Stomach—painful inflammation (gastritis), ulcers,and bleeding.
Liver damage that can progress to cirrhosis (deathof the liver).
Cancers involving the mouth, throat, esophagus,
liver, prostate, and breast.

Signs that you or someone you care about may bemisusing alcohol:■ Getting drunk, drinking every day, or needing to drink

more to get the same buzz.

■ Drinking to “forget” about your problems.
■ Driving after drinking, DUI, fighting, arrests, or legal

problems relating to drinking.

■ Continuing to drink although it is interfering withfamily, friends, health, job, or other responsibilities.

■ Drinking to “treat” a hangover.
■ Drinking more than you planned, or unable to control

your drinking.

If you or someone you care about is having a problem
with alcohol, help is available. Don’t wait until you oryour loved one is suffering from the advanced personaland health consequences of alcohol misuse. Talk to yourdoctor or someone you trust. Listed below are somephone numbers and websites that you can go to for more
information and help (all are free and confidential).
Continued

Resources■ Post-deployment mental health services (877) 877-3647 or https://screening.mentalhealthscreening.
org/military_ndsd provides an interactive telephone
self-assessment program for depression and alcohol
problems for service members and military families.
Callers will be provided with immediate results andphone numbers where they can call for treatment oreducational resources.

■ Military One Source (800) 342-9647, or https://www.

militaryonesource.mil/contact-us for information andreferral sources for service members and families■ Phone numbers for local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)and meetings for family members (Al-Anon, Ala-teen)

can be found at or near the first entries of the white
pages in any phone directory. Each group also has web
links with information, meetings, and much more:❏ https://www.aa.org/❏ https://al-anon.org/■ Other websites include:

https://www.ownyourlimits.org/
https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/addiction
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochuresand-fact-sheets❏ https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/publicaciones-en-espa%C3%B1ol❏❏❏

Courage to Care is a health promotion campaign of Uniformed Services
University. Its purpose is two-fold: to provide quality health information reflecting ourUniversity’s excellence in military medicine and to present it in a friendly, appealing
format for immediate distribution for the health promotion needs in your community.

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of PsychiatryUniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org