Tolerance, as it relates to alcohol dependence and drug addiction, is often misunderstood by many in the general public.  In the manner that drug and alcohol tolerance functions, it can be a safety mechanism to the body and, at the same time, deadly.  This makes awareness of the subject critical for anyone who engages in alcohol abuse or drug abuse, as well as those in recovery.

It can easily be assumed that tolerance means that an individual can drink more alcohol without getting drunk, or handle drug use in a seemingly controlled manner.  With this assumption comes the belief that these “abilities” are an example of the natural differences that exist from one individual to another.  While this is partially true, the nature of alcohol and drug tolerance is much more complicated.

Alcohol tolerance is the example with which most people can relate.  Consider the amount of alcohol you need to drink before you feel the effects, or “buzzed”.  Let’s say this is 2 beers.  If you drink 2 beers every day, over time you will feel less of an effect.  If you want to feel the same effect, you must drink more alcohol.  The amount of alcohol needed for the same feeling will continue to increase as you add more alcohol.  

The same concept works with drugs.  Alcohol abuse or drug abuse can result from tolerance since individuals will chase that feeling by drinking or using more on each occasion.  If the cycle continues with regular daily alcohol or drug intake, the body can become physically dependent and alcoholism or drug addiction is the result.  

On this road to addiction that we just followed, the brain has protected the body from overdose, with tolerance, by adjusting to the higher levels of substance use.  This benefit of drug tolerance can become a dangerous consequence, though, for recovering individuals who relapse.  The addicted brain still needs a large amount of drugs for an effect, but the body returns to a lower tolerance of what is essentially a poison.

At the time of first use on a relapse, the brain will dictate the most recent amount of drugs used to get a desired effect.  If the formerly recovering addict is not careful, this amount can easily cause a drug overdose or even be fatal.  Many drug addicts are not aware of this fact, and will even ignore warnings from fellow drug users because they don’t realize the consequences they face.

While alcoholics are less likely to overdose on alcohol during first use on a relapse, they may experience what is known as a lack of tolerance.  At this point, a drunken feeling may result from only 1 drink.  Lack of tolerance can actually occur with anyone who drinks alcohol, but it is typically coupled with alcohol dependence.  Of course, that 1 drink will still not be enough to satisfy alcoholics and they can become a danger to themselves through inebriation and alcohol’s effect on the body.

This information is good to share with teens, friends in recovery, or anyone you may know who engages in alcohol abuse or drug abuse.  Too many see tolerance as a benefit both early in substance use and in addiction.  Tolerance is explained in effective alcohol and drug treatment as part of addiction education groups to prevent accidental overdoses among those who may relapse.  Bringing this awareness to the general public may save even more lives.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides youth alcohol and drug treatment and addiction education.  We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

As if a study was needed, San Diego State University Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies has learned that college students drink more alcoholic beverages when they are priced lower.  While not everyone will engage in alcohol abuse on a regular basis just because it is cheap, this study provides an opportunity to explain one aspect of alcoholism.

Alcoholism is marked by the tendency of one to continue with heavy alcohol consumption in the face of resulting problems.  This is a loose clinical definition that can bring more questions than answers to the non-alcoholic.  To understand, alcoholics in recovery define the disease in different ways to help them, as well as others.

One that is clear goes as follows: Social drinkers stop drinking when they begin to feel “tipsy”, but an alcoholic is just getting started drinking with that feeling.  It means that once alcoholics start drinking, the desire is to continue for as long as they can pay for it or remain conscious.

Alcoholics will fit as many drinks as they can into their budgets while social drinkers can simply enjoy one drink.  Knowing that their dollars need to be stretched well, alcoholics will by beer and drink specials.  It is a matter of forethought when planning a night, or day, of drinking.

The study can be considered supportive of this definition.  College students typically have tight budgets to work with, so alcohol consumption can only be relative to the amount of money they have.  An alcoholic with $5.00 would choose five $1.00 beers over the one $5.00 cocktail that the non-alcoholic would buy.

Planning ahead for a drinking binge is a sign of alcohol obsession, even if it is just a budget consideration.  Social drinkers can take it or leave it.  Alcoholics need to know that they will get past the “tipsy” point.

An article about this study has been posted by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center.  An excerpt is below, followed by a link to the full article.  While the study may seem to show obvious results at first glance, the data is actually very interesting.

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“It may seem intuitive that cheaper alcohol can lead to higher intoxication levels and related consequences – such as fighting, drunk driving, sexual victimization, injury, even death – especially among the vulnerable college student population,” said Ryan J. O’Mara, a graduate research fellow at the University of Florida and corresponding author for the study.  “Nonetheless, ‘drink specials’ and other alcohol discounts and promotions remain a common feature of college bars in campus communities in the United States.  This study’s results challenge assertions sometimes made by the management of these establishments that drink discounts are innocuous marketing practices intended only to attract customers to better bargains than those provided elsewhere.”

“What makes this study unique,” added John D. Clapp, professor and director of the San Diego State University Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies, “is that it was one of the first to examine this relationship at the bar-patron level using methods that carefully examined price – that is, what people actually spent – and biologically measured intoxication.”

 -- Source: http://www.attcnetwork.org/explore/priorityareas/science/tools/asmeDetails.asp?ID=630 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides alcohol detox as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

When adolescents go back to college after a break, parents should remind them of the dangers of alcohol abuse.  This means that parents need to educate themselves on these dangers so communication can come from the heart.  And caring words from a parent will do much more good than threats from the school they attend.

Parents commonly feel a lack of control over their teens’ behavior when they leave home for college.  That is because there is no control.  They can’t effectively be grounded anymore.  So how do parents minimize the chances their teens will abuse alcohol and risk injury?

By the time they leave home for college, teens have learned values and responsibility.  There is still room to grow, of course, but trying to force rules for life on them at this point will probably fall on deaf ears.  Parents can, however, send their growing youths away with information and possibly some wisdom from personal experience.

Parents can share stories from their young adult days where alcohol caused injury to a “friend”.  Depending on the relationship, personal alcohol abuse stories, where physical injury occurred, could benefit.  The goal is to convey that alcohol is a legal substance that can be fine in small amounts, and can bring serious physical consequences when abused.

It is always a good idea for parents to be educated on trends in alcohol abuse, especially with adolescents and college aged children.  The Addiction Technology Transfer Center has published a study that deals with college drinking and injury.  A portion is below, followed by the link.

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“In the United States, most – as in 70 percent – of college students have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and 40 percent of students have engaged in heavy drinking in the past two weeks,” said Marlon P. Mundt, assistant scientist in the department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and corresponding author for the study.

“More than 1,700 U.S. college students aged 18-24 died from alcohol-related injuries in 2001,” he added. “Approximately 2.8 million U.S. college students drove under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months, and 600,000 U.S. college students were hit or assaulted by a student who was under the influence of alcohol.”

-- http://www.attcnetwork.org/explore/priorityareas/science/tools/asmeDetails.asp?ID=620 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides youth alcohol and drug treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs help with adolescent alcohol abuse, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.