Bamboozled by booze.

Many years ago, I worked as a medical editor. Here’s the thing. Regardless of whether the book was about radiology or pathology, regardless of the body region or topic, there wasn’t one chapter about any ailment that didn’t list alcohol as a significant cause of the said medical issue. The medical community has long known that alcohol is a carcinogen, a poison, and a contributor to poor physical and mental health. It’s just that Big Alcohol controlled and still controls the narrative. Last year, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction with consultation of top epidemiologists, dared to publish guidelines in which they state, NO amount of alcohol is safe. That marked the beginning of a mind shift for many people and forced more medical communities to acknowledge that truth. The cat is out of the bag. Ask any ER doctor, we spend more on the consequences of alcohol than the profits made by taxing it. This happened to big tobacco as well. It’s not new that large companies have the power to control the truth. Fortunately, it looks like Big Alcohol is going the way of Big Tobacco. 

 Alcohol has a long history. It’s weaved into nearly every part of our culture. It’s the cure-all to existence. Had a bad day? Have a drink! Had a great day? Celebrate with a drink! Lonely? Drink up. Socializing? Cheers! Mommy wine clubs, sports with shots, what’s a wedding without some bubbles, winter whiskeys. summer mojitos. There is always an occasion to drink. 

 Here’s the thing. While a person may not see the effects of alcohol on their health or general well-being, they may not experience malignant consequences like missing work or their relationships suffering, so why would they consider alcohol a problem? It works in smaller, more covert ways. Did you know that when a person gets sober, it takes one year for their neurological and hormonal processes to normalize? Like those anti-drug commercials from the 80s, “this is your brain on drugs” and they showed a fried egg, your brain on alcohol is looks and functions differently. The neurons actually reduce in size and function. Alcohol doesn’t discriminate. One of the greatest commonalities with those who get sober is the reduction of anxiety. Interesting, given that one of the most reported ailments of today is…Anxiety. Is there a link? I would say most definitely. Heck, we even came up with the term, hangxiety. Another interesting commonality when getting sober is extreme sleepiness. During the first 6 months to a year, your body, mind, and spirit are in recovery. Consider the extreme fatigue of new parents, it’s debilitating. So is the effect of alcohol on quality sleep.Newly sober folks haven’t had quality sleep so in a sense, they are recuperating all those lost hours. That right there, helps brain function. 

 The next time you fancy a bevie, know that alcohol harms in two ways: acutely, meaning in the moment, and chronically, meaning compound effects over time. When you have 3-6 drinks per week, different forms of cancer begin to emerge (over time), i.e., breast, colon, mouth, esophageal, liver, and throat. That’s just for moderate use. The epidemiology gets significantly worse when the number of drinks increases. 

As we alcoholics eventually learn, it’s all fun until it’s not. Okay, so you want you reduce or quit alcohol? Finally, the non-alcoholic category is compelling. There are a bevy of bevies that don’t just taste good, many often purport beneficial adaptogens, botanicals, and nootropics. These ingredients can give you those euphoric or calming or energizing feelings you crave without ruining your health or your social life. Whether you are looking for a mimic of your favorite alcoholic drink or something entirely new, there are so many options available to you. Get on the wagon and let’s have some fun.