Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEveryone Reacts DifferentlyAge Doesn’t MatterBinge Drinking Is Never SafeHigh Tolerance Is RiskyAlcohol Isn’t Safe for PainBeer Is Just as RiskyMixing Drinks Won’t Stop That HangoverOnly Time Will Sober You UpNext in Your Relationship With Alcohol GuideWhat Does It Mean to Be Sober Curious?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Everyone Reacts Differently

Age Doesn’t Matter

Binge Drinking Is Never Safe

High Tolerance Is Risky

Alcohol Isn’t Safe for Pain

Beer Is Just as Risky

Mixing Drinks Won’t Stop That Hangover

Only Time Will Sober You Up

Next in Your Relationship With Alcohol Guide

While drinking has become a fixture in many people’s lives, it’s important to remember that it comes with risks. Thanks to ongoing research on theeffects of alcohol, we now know that drinking can lead to learning and memory problems,impaired driving, unintentional injuries, violence, unsafe sexual behavior,suicide attempts, overdoses, andaddiction.

But there are many misguided beliefs about alcohol and alcohol use, some of which can interfere with you or someone you love recognizing the warning signs of alcohol misuse and seeking help. By learning the facts about alcohol use, you can be better prepared to drink responsibly.

At a GlanceUnderstanding alcohol’s risks and effects on the body can help you better assess your own consumption habits. Remember, alcohol affects everyone differently, and problem drinking can impact anyone at any age. Binge drinking is never safe, but even lower level alcohol use creates health risks. Alcohol is alcohol, so sticking to beer or mixing your drinks won’t minimize it’s effects. If you think you might be consuming too much, are using alcohol to cope with physical or mental health symptoms, or just want to cut back, talk to your doctor about strategies that can help.

At a Glance

Understanding alcohol’s risks and effects on the body can help you better assess your own consumption habits. Remember, alcohol affects everyone differently, and problem drinking can impact anyone at any age. Binge drinking is never safe, but even lower level alcohol use creates health risks. Alcohol is alcohol, so sticking to beer or mixing your drinks won’t minimize it’s effects. If you think you might be consuming too much, are using alcohol to cope with physical or mental health symptoms, or just want to cut back, talk to your doctor about strategies that can help.

Exploring Your Relationship With Alcohol

As with most things in life, different people react differently. Many factors affect a person’sreaction to alcohol, including:

Also, there may be various genetic factors that come into play as to how individuals react to drinking alcohol and whether they are vulnerable to addiction.

The Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) don’t discriminate. Over the past two decades, there has been a steady rise in AUDs among those ages 65 and older.What’s more, people with AUD who are middle-aged and older are at a significantly higher risk for suicide compared to their younger counterparts.

The Link Between Age, Drinking, and Suicide

Problem drinking isn’t about what type of alcohol you drink, nor is it about on which days you drink. If you or someone you love is binge drinking every Friday and Saturday night, it could signal a problem with alcohol.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after four drinks for women and five drinks for men—in about two hours.

Binge drinking doesn’t necessarily mean you have AUD. However, it can increase your risk of developing AUD later on. It is also associated with several short- and long-term physical and mental health effects. People who binge drink, even occasionally, have a greater risk of:

Binge drinking can also result in violent behavior, either towards yourself or others.

What Does Going on a Bender Mean?

High Alcohol Tolerance Can Be Damaging

Alcohol tolerance is when drinking the same amount no longer produces the same level of buzz. Because your brain has adapted to the effects of alcohol, you need to drink more alcohol to achieve the same effects.

Higher tolerance can lead to higher levels of drinking, which can have negative health effects. Since alcohol affects multiple major organ systems, drinking in excess increases the possibility of health problems in all parts of the body. High tolerance also increases your risk for dependence and addiction.

How Does Increased Alcohol Tolerance Affect a Person?

Alcohol Is Not Safe for Pain Management

However, the amount of alcohol you’ll need to drink to relieve chronic pain is likely more than the recommended guidelines for safe alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol may also make the pain worse.So if you have chronic pain, it’s best to put down that drink.

If you or someone you love is drinking daily for pain relief, you’ll also likely build up a tolerance, needing more to achieve the same pain-relieving effects. In addition,mixing alcohol and painkillersis downright dangerous, with possibly fatal consequences.

The Danger of Using Alcohol for Pain Relief

Beer Is Just as Intoxicating as Other Alcoholic Beverages

In the United States, one alcoholic or “standard” drink contains the same amount of alcohol—roughly 14 grams. So one 12-ounce can of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot of liquor are all equally intoxicating.

As long as you’re drinking them at the same speed, a bottle of beer will give you the same buzz as a shot of liquor. Drinking beer is not a “safer” alternative.

Mixing Drink Types Won’t Affect Your Hangover

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Beer before liquor never sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” Or the phrase, “Beer before whiskey, always risky. Whiskey before beer, never fear.”

These well-worn phrases refer to the belief that you can avoid a hangover if you drink different alcoholic beverages in the “right” order.

But according to experts, it isn’t the order in which you consume your drinks that matters. It’s the amount of alcohol you drink.Your body can only process so much alcohol at a time. If you drink too much, you’ll end up with ahangover.

Why Alcohol Causes a Hangover

Only Time Will Help You Sober Up

Contrary to popular belief, onlytime will sober you up. Your liver can only metabolize around one standard drink per hour. So while cold showers, hot coffee, and fresh air might feel a little refreshing to someone who has been drinking all night, none will make you sober.

Takeaways

If you are concerned about your relationship with alcohol, it’s important to make yourself aware of the facts. There are many myths and misconceptions about alcohol use, but the reality is that there is no “safe” amount you can drink. Alcohol always has risks. There are things you can do to drink responsibly, and understanding the way it affects your body and issues it may cause are one place to start.

If you are concerned about your drinking or aresober curious, talk to your doctor. They can suggest strategies like theSinclair method, support groups, and medications that can help.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

When You Should Completely Quit Drinking

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol use and your health.Wilson DF, Matschinsky FM.Ethanol metabolism: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Medical Hypotheses. 2020;140:109638. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109638Wall TL, Luczak SE, Hiller-Sturmhöfel S.Biology, genetics, and environment: Underlying factors influencing alcohol metabolism.Alcohol Res. 2016;38(1):59-68.Han BH, Moore AA, Ferris R, Palamar JJ.Binge drinking among older adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(10):2139-2144. doi:10.1111/jgs.16071Sadek J, Diaz-Piedra B, Saleh L, MacDonald L.A narrative review: suicide and suicidal behaviour in older adults.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1395462. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1395462National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Elvig SK, McGinn MA, Smith C, Arends MA, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF.Tolerance to alcohol: A critical yet understudied factor in alcohol addiction.Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021;204:173155. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173155National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism.Using alcohol to relieve your pain: What are the risks?Zale EL, Maisto SA, Ditre JW.Interrelations between pain and alcohol: An integrative review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;37:57-71. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.005Holton AE, Gallagher P, Fahey T, Cousins G.Concurrent use of alcohol interactive medications and alcohol in older adults: a systematic review of prevalence and associated adverse outcomes.BMC Geriatr. 2017;17(1):148. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0532-2National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.What is a standard drink?.Köchling J, Geis B, Wirth S, Hensel KO.Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine.Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345-352. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy309

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol use and your health.Wilson DF, Matschinsky FM.Ethanol metabolism: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Medical Hypotheses. 2020;140:109638. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109638Wall TL, Luczak SE, Hiller-Sturmhöfel S.Biology, genetics, and environment: Underlying factors influencing alcohol metabolism.Alcohol Res. 2016;38(1):59-68.Han BH, Moore AA, Ferris R, Palamar JJ.Binge drinking among older adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(10):2139-2144. doi:10.1111/jgs.16071Sadek J, Diaz-Piedra B, Saleh L, MacDonald L.A narrative review: suicide and suicidal behaviour in older adults.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1395462. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1395462National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Elvig SK, McGinn MA, Smith C, Arends MA, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF.Tolerance to alcohol: A critical yet understudied factor in alcohol addiction.Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021;204:173155. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173155National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism.Using alcohol to relieve your pain: What are the risks?Zale EL, Maisto SA, Ditre JW.Interrelations between pain and alcohol: An integrative review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;37:57-71. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.005Holton AE, Gallagher P, Fahey T, Cousins G.Concurrent use of alcohol interactive medications and alcohol in older adults: a systematic review of prevalence and associated adverse outcomes.BMC Geriatr. 2017;17(1):148. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0532-2National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.What is a standard drink?.Köchling J, Geis B, Wirth S, Hensel KO.Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine.Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345-352. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy309

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol use and your health.Wilson DF, Matschinsky FM.Ethanol metabolism: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Medical Hypotheses. 2020;140:109638. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109638Wall TL, Luczak SE, Hiller-Sturmhöfel S.Biology, genetics, and environment: Underlying factors influencing alcohol metabolism.Alcohol Res. 2016;38(1):59-68.Han BH, Moore AA, Ferris R, Palamar JJ.Binge drinking among older adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(10):2139-2144. doi:10.1111/jgs.16071Sadek J, Diaz-Piedra B, Saleh L, MacDonald L.A narrative review: suicide and suicidal behaviour in older adults.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1395462. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1395462National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Elvig SK, McGinn MA, Smith C, Arends MA, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF.Tolerance to alcohol: A critical yet understudied factor in alcohol addiction.Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021;204:173155. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173155National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism.Using alcohol to relieve your pain: What are the risks?Zale EL, Maisto SA, Ditre JW.Interrelations between pain and alcohol: An integrative review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;37:57-71. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.005Holton AE, Gallagher P, Fahey T, Cousins G.Concurrent use of alcohol interactive medications and alcohol in older adults: a systematic review of prevalence and associated adverse outcomes.BMC Geriatr. 2017;17(1):148. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0532-2National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.What is a standard drink?.Köchling J, Geis B, Wirth S, Hensel KO.Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine.Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345-352. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy309

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol use and your health.

Wilson DF, Matschinsky FM.Ethanol metabolism: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Medical Hypotheses. 2020;140:109638. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109638

Wall TL, Luczak SE, Hiller-Sturmhöfel S.Biology, genetics, and environment: Underlying factors influencing alcohol metabolism.Alcohol Res. 2016;38(1):59-68.

Han BH, Moore AA, Ferris R, Palamar JJ.Binge drinking among older adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(10):2139-2144. doi:10.1111/jgs.16071

Sadek J, Diaz-Piedra B, Saleh L, MacDonald L.A narrative review: suicide and suicidal behaviour in older adults.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1395462. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1395462

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.

Elvig SK, McGinn MA, Smith C, Arends MA, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF.Tolerance to alcohol: A critical yet understudied factor in alcohol addiction.Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021;204:173155. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173155

National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism.Using alcohol to relieve your pain: What are the risks?

Zale EL, Maisto SA, Ditre JW.Interrelations between pain and alcohol: An integrative review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;37:57-71. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.005

Holton AE, Gallagher P, Fahey T, Cousins G.Concurrent use of alcohol interactive medications and alcohol in older adults: a systematic review of prevalence and associated adverse outcomes.BMC Geriatr. 2017;17(1):148. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0532-2

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.What is a standard drink?.

Köchling J, Geis B, Wirth S, Hensel KO.Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine.Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345-352. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy309

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