Everyone has different levels of alcohol tolerance, or the amount of alcohol that you can handle without it affecting your body. There are a number of different factors that affect your alcohol tolerance that can help you predict the amount of alcohol that you can drink. Keep in mind, however, that alcohol can get into your bloodstream without you showing signs of intoxication.

First, when you drink alcoholic beverages, the liquid travels through your digestive system like any other food or drink. In the intestines, the tiny alcohol molecules escape into your bloodstream, where they can then travel to other parts of your body and affect them, such as the brain. Thus, there are several aspects of your digestive system that can affect alcohol tolerance. If you have not had anything else to eat or drink in a while, an alcohol beverage can seep into your bloodstream much faster. Food and other drinks help “cushion” the alcohol.

Next, the speed of your metabolism also plays a role in your tolerance. Like anything else you consume, alcohol cycles through your body before getting eliminated as waste. If you have a faster metabolism, you can process the alcohol and rid it from your body faster than someone that has a slower metabolism. Because it is in your system for a shorter period of time, you may not experience the effects of alcohol as much as someone with a slow metabolism.

Additionally, your body type can affect your alcohol tolerance. If you have more water in your body, you are more able to process alcohol. However, if you have more body fat, you typically have less water in your body and therefore have a lower tolerance. This is why women usually have a lower tolerance-they often have a higher body fat percentage than men.

Throughout human history, people have been intrigued with intoxicants, whether it be from a plants, drugs, or drinks. As far back as 12,000 BC, people ate wild mushrooms in order to have hallucinations. Many exotic plants have been used as an intoxicant, including cannabis and the coca plant (to make marijuana and cocaine). Since prehistory, humans have used ethyl alcohol as the main intoxicating ingredient in their beverages.

The term alcohol (also called ethanol or ethyl-hydroxide) comes from the Arabic alkuhl, meaning essence. Medieval Islamic alchemists first achieved the isolation of alcohol as a relatively pure compound, and later developed the art of distillation. Dried residues on 9,000-year-old pottery discovered in northern China imply the use of alcoholic beverages among Neolithic people. Later in history, Johann Tobias Lowitz first obtained pure ethanol in 1796 by filtering distilled ethanol through charcoal.

It is no surprise alcohol has become the predominant intoxicant in human history as it can be fermented from many kinds of readily available fruits, grains, and plants. Hence, it has been experi¬mented with more than any other intoxicant.

There are many forms of alcoholic drinks. Wine is made from fermentation of grape juice or crushed grapes. Beer is produced by the fermentation of malted barley or other grains with the addition of hops. Distilled spirits originate from sources of starch or sugar, including grains, grapes, potatoes, cherries, plums, and other fruits, as well as from molasses from sugar beets.

The process of distillation boils away alcohol from the sugar bath of fruit or vegetables and re-collects it as virtually pure alcohol. Since pure alcohol is pure agony to drink, water is added back in. So, it is rare to find beverages with 100 percent alcohol. Instead, major distillers manufacture and market, for example, 50 percent alcohol (which is labeled 100 proof). Hence, the higher the proof number on the label, the higher the percentage of alcohol in the bottle.

Even a few hundred years ago, alcohol was considered a luxury item. Yet, 20th Century distillery practices, along with the perfection of mass production techniques, have made alcoholic beverages more and more available to the masses at increasingly affordable prices. Some believe these factors have contributed to its rapid rise in consumption around the world. Not to mention the resulting widespread problems of alcohol abuse seen in modern society. Indeed, there is a strong correlation between the advances in alcohol production and the acceleration of alcohol-related abuse and health problems.

Today, an estimated 90 million Americans suffer from alcohol disorder, making it the number one health problem today — both in the United States and in more than forty countries around the world. In truth, there are now myriad alcoholic beverages and varietals in each category on the market today. Likewise, there are countless places where people can buy alcoholic beverages. Yet, there are very few reliable treatment programs with a proven track record of success. This massive gap necessitates a reliable and proven recovery plan rooted in latest scientific techniques. Without such a program, the escalation of alcohol abuse will only continue to get worse.

Alcohol addiction affects the whole family. When you realize your spouse may be addicted to alcohol it’s not necessarily unequivocal. In fact most people vacillate between recognition of drinking related issues and experiences that appear to be quite normal.

Break out of denial

The first key to helping your spouse is to accept wholeheartedly the truth about alcohol addiction. It’s nearly impossible for you to be helpful if you’re not certain there’s a problem.

To become support for a person who’s addicted to alcohol takes significant effort, strength and commitment.

The way you break denial is to accept the truth of where your spouse’s relationship is to alcohol. Eliminate excuses.

Stop enabling

Do you call work for your spouse when he/she is hung over? Do you clean up the mess when things get broken or they begin to vomit? Do you buy alcohol for them or make it easy for them to use alcohol? These are all enabling.

It’s not easy to stop doing these behaviors. If you tell yourself the reason you do these things is because you care, you need to reconsider. Enabling only prolongs the point at which your spouse may decide to get help and quit.

Speak the truth

What your spouse needs is the truth. When their behavior is offensive they need to know. When you’re isolated by their relationship to alcohol they need to know. They need to be aware of the emotional pain you experience as a direct result of their alcohol addiction.

Often the needs of the family come second to resources of time and money spent on alcohol. The toll the family takes needs to become part of your spouse’s understanding of what drinking does to the family.

Set boundaries you can keep

Everyone has limits. It’s common for your spouse’s alcohol use to create situations filled with hurt and anger. Out of these situations may come threats with no real intention to follow through.

If you really want to help your spouse you will need to set boundaries you are willing to defend without compromise. When you do there may be consequences. Weigh the cost of the boundaries you establish to be certain you are willing to follow through with when necessary.

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Know your limitations

Alcohol addiction of your spouse isn’t your responsibility to fix. The most important issue is that you realize your spouse is responsible for his/her choices even as it relates to alcohol use.

Simply put you are responsible for what you think, feel, say or do. You are NOT responsible for what your spouse thinks, feels, says or does. If you fully accept and follow this idea you will be able to recognize your limitations.

Take care of your needs

When your spouse is addicted to alcohol you may find it difficult if not impossible to focus on your personal needs. It is crucial if you really want to be able to help your spouse to take time for your personal needs to be met.

It’s not selfish, it’s necessary. You’re more likely to be helpful to your spouse when needed if you’ve been able to get your needs met along the way. Your spouse may not be able to meet your needs and you may want to have friends who provide supportive conversation and emotional support.

Support for you and your spouse is available through 12 Step groups of Alcoholic Anonymous (for your spouse) and Al-Anon (for you). Treatment options are available for that time when your spouse realizes the cost of alcohol addiction is really way more than the perceived benefits.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is the most common diagnosis among adults in the United States today. It is estimated that one out of three depressed people suffer from some form of addiction or substance abuse problem. In addition to the above, there appears to be a common tendency among those suffering from depression to abuse drugs or alcohol as a means of coping with their symptoms. Many of these people end up with an addiction to those substances.

Dual diagnosis can create a very complex situation for both the professional, as well as, the individual. One of the obstacles they face is while the person may feel depressed, there are many drugs, including alcohol that create symptoms similar in nature to depression. The “million dollar” question is, which came first, the depressive disorder or the addiction/alcoholism causing it?

Although there appears to be a clear link between depression and addiction or drug/alcohol use, it is not clear that one necessarily precedes the other. Many times though, the depressive disorder appears first and the person begins to use drugs or alcohol as a means to better cope with the symptoms. This type of self-medication generally leads to addiction or alcoholism with the person in need of drug rehab or alcoholism treatment. Regardless of which issue develops first, they must be treated co-currently in rehab for the person to fully recover.

The most important thing is to work with a physician who fully understands drug addiction, alcoholism and is associated with an accredited addiction treatment center.

Using alcohol inks is something I have not tried before and to be honest I was a little apprehensive, looking at all the different pots of inks, mixers and blending solutions it appeared to be a complex and difficult craft to master.

Alcohol inks are dye based multi surface inks that can be used on a variety of surfaces including glossy paper, dominoes, plastic, metal, shrink plastic metal foil, glass and many other materials.

Each color of alcohol ink can be intermixed and should be used with a blending solution which can be used to lighten, blend and even remove colors.

There are also four mixatives, gold, silver, pearl and copper. Together with inks that can be used along side the alcohol inks. They are more solid in colour and have a metallic look to them.

Before you use your inks make sure that the room you are using is well ventilated as they have a strong chemical smell.

You will need a small piece of felt and a small wooden block, or you could make one your self using some wood and some Velcro so you can change the felt when you need to.

Decide which surface you are going to use. If you are making backing paper then I find shiny paper works really well. Choose your ink colors, you can use as many different colors as you like but I tend to stick to just two or three.

Place a few drops of one of the alcohol inks directly onto the felt pad and dab randomly over the paper. Select a different color and repeat the process until the desired look is achieved.

There is no right or wrong way to do this, you can experiment and see what you like the best.

Add a few drops of the blending solution onto the felt pad and dab all over your piece of paper, this will blend the colours together and give them a softer look.

If you would like your design to have a metallic feel then add a few drops of the mixative and once again dab your paper until you are happy wit how it looks.

You can also drop the inks directly onto the surface of the chosen material and add the blending solution in the same way, this will produce a totally different look but will require more ink to be used.

Alcohol inks can be used on so many different materials before you know it you will be changing the color and look of plastic pots and your photo frames.

By using the gold and rustic looking inks you can make an old photo really stand out by decorating the frame making it look aged but not tatty.

Do not be afraid to experiment, you can add as many layers as you like until you get your desired effect.

Are you an alcoholic? Do you want to stop drinking for good? Now in minutes you can! With a very easy, simple and pain free technique. What is the technique?

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).

EFT is a simple, non evasive technique which you can do by yourself to banish your desire for alcohol for ever.

How Can EFT Help?

With EFT you can eliminate your desire for needing a drink. You can change how you think and feel about alcohol and anything related to drink, i.e. buying, friends, tv adverts, going to the pub.

Fear of Loneliness

Tapping on your fear of not drinking any more and losing all your friends is a great place to start.

Desire to Drink

With EFT you can eliminate all of your triggers that kick start your drinking habit, each and every day.

Your Addition to Alcohol – It Is Not What You Think!

With EFT you can banish your addition to drinking altogether. EFT will allow you to also find and dissolve the real reason why you drink. Very often you started drinking for a reason which you have now long forgotten, but the reason still holds onto you. End that today.

AA No More

One of the worse things you can do is go to AA. Their success rate is not very high and what do you do when you are there? Talk about your problem. This just keeps you in your problem.

Alcohol Is Not Your Identity

Calling your self an alcoholic, keeps you an alcoholic. Begin tapping on your identity and you will quickly become known as the person who use to drink. You can become the person you want to be. Become the person you want to be.

Resolve Your Own Causes of Alcohol Abuse

Did you start drinking because of stress at work, relationship failure, you started to feel depressed about something? Using EFT you can resolve all these issues, very often much quicker than by another method and permanently. Do you want to always be an alcoholic?

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms happen when a person who is addicted to alcohol suddenly stops consuming it. Because the alcoholic’s body has been dependent to alcohol, immediate withdrawal will give negative side effects to the person’s body system. This is the reason why you will see alcoholics starting to shake and stutter once the alcohol content in their body goes down. And in order for them to be normal, they have to consume more alcohol to replace the substance that was lost.

It has always been argued upon if withdrawal symptoms are life threatening or not. This to some degree has led some alcoholics to believe that quitting abruptly might cause severe side effects or even their death. Of course this is a fallacy and it is just being used as an excuse to protect their addiction. Some common symptoms are irritability (mood swings), confusion, depression, diarrhea, fear, hallucinations, headaches, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and insomnia to name a few.

The symptoms mentioned above are just a few examples what a person will feel once he quits or abstains from alcohol. The seriousness on these symptoms will generally depend on how long has the person been addicted to alcohol. A person who has been drinking everyday for 5 years can cope much easily compared from a person who has been drinking everyday for the past 10 years. There are many factors to be considered and not all individuals will act the same if alcohol is removed from their body.

I have known successful quitters who have been drinking almost all their life but they did not suffer severe side effects when they stopped. For them, their strong determination and commitment strengthened them to endure the symptoms they felt during their quitting period. Although from some articles I have read, some quitters succumb to massive heart attacks while others developed serious diseases that later on caused their eventual death. If this is the case then medical assistance is greatly advised especially if the quitter feels really bad during the first day of quitting.

Now these stories should not be a hindrance if you have been drinking for a long period of time and would like to quit. Rather, be positive and never let go of your goal to become a non-alcoholic once more. You may discuss this to your health practitioner which in return will give you some medicine to help you cope up during your withdrawal stage. Don’t be shy to open up your vice and addiction, you might need some medical help along the way.

Don’t lose focus in fighting your addiction to alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms no matter how severe they are will not last and should never be a hindrance in attaining your goal and objective. Try to regain back your respect and freedom and quit drinking today.

It is important to keep track of not only the number of drinks you consume on your night out, but also the type of drinks. Different types of alcoholic drinks vary in their alcohol content and thus some drinks can cause greater levels of intoxication than others. Before you make the decision to drive home after your night out on the town, it is important to evaluate how much alcohol is actually in your system in order to determine if you are legally allowed to drive.

Even if you feel that you are sober enough to properly operate your vehicle, a police officer may still pull you over under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. If the officer asks you the number of drinks you had earlier, he or she may assume that you have consumed much more alcohol than you actually have. A person who had three mixed drinks consumed much more alcohol than did someone who drank three beers. Remember that the officer may use any statement you make against you in order to charge you with a DUI.

Normally, one standard drink is defined by charts and statistics as:

• One 12 oz. beer. Many beers contain around 5% alcohol, although others vary in their alcohol content. Some specialty beers can have an alcohol content that ranges from 12% to more than 20% alcohol, while light beers often contain less than 5% alcohol. While beer is often served in a 12 oz glass, sometimes it can be served in 16, 18, or 22 oz glasses, depending on the establishment.
• One 4 oz glass of wine. Most wines have similar alcohol contents, and a 4 to 5 oz glass is the equivalent to one standard drink. A wine cooler contains the same amount of alcohol as one glass of wine
• One shot of 80 proof liquor. 80 proof liquor is 40% alcohol by volume. Most whiskeys, vodkas, rums, and tequilas are 80 proof, although some can vary, such as “151” rum, named for its proof.

Although standard or traditional recipes for certain mixed drinks do exist, most mixed drinks are highly variable in their alcohol content. Different establishments use different amounts and types of liquors in their mixed drinks. While one bartender may use one shot of an 80 proof liquor in a particular drink, another may use two shots along with another type of liquor. Therefore, not all variations of the same drink have the same alcohol content.

By being mindful of how much alcohol is likely in each drink you consume throughout the night, you can better make an informed decision about your ability to drive. For more information about issues related to DUI charges, visit the website of Rhode Island drunk driving attorney James Powderly.

Just about everyone knows that there are ways to detect alcohol use, but the EtG test is one of the lesser known means of detection. The majority of people are familiar with breath, blood and urine ethanol tests. Unfortunately these tests carry a very limited detection window. They are designed to detect alcohol while the person is under the influence, or shortly thereafter. Depending on the amount of alcohol that has been consumed, traditional alcohol tests can only detect usage within the past couple hours.

However, what is one to do if they suspect alcohol use more than a couple hours ago? The common tests will not detect alcohol use from that long ago, and unfortunately many testing locations are not available over weekends – which is when a lot of drinking takes place. For situations like this, the EtG test is the perfect option. EtG is an acronym for ethyl glucuronide, a direct metabolite of ethanol alcohol. The metabolite itself can exist within urine for up to 80 hours after consumption, granting a much greater detection window period than the typical ethanol screens. The test is a great way to monitor a person/people who are not supposed to be drinking alcohol.

The EtG test is most commonly used in strict no-tolerance situations, such as work, probation, parole and many others. Additionally, the test is often used in a clinical manner as well to detect drinking problems and monitor patients for relapses. However, the test can also be used to monitor underage drinking as well. As many of us know, teenage drinking can be a difficult problem for parents and families to handle. The requirement to submit urine for an EtG screen is motivation and initiative to avoid alcohol use. Teenagers are not the only ones who experience trouble with alcohol. Adults can also suffer from alcohol abuse problems as well. Sometimes the mere ability to submit to and return a negative EtG result can be a great incentive to stay sober.

If you are concerned about someone’s drinking, whether it may be an employee, a friend, spouse or family member, it is beneficial to both of you to help them through it. With proper treatment, counseling and monitoring the chances of overcoming a problem with substance abuse can be greatly improved. The EtG test provides an accurate and efficient way of monitoring alcohol use over extended periods of time.

Many people with a drinking problem are also using pills for an array of reasons. It is a good idea to know the risks involved from mixing alcohol with these drugs. Here is a list of some of the results that can be expected when mixing drinking with pills.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics as we know are used to treat infectious diseases. In combination with acute alcohol consumption, some antibiotics can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and in more extreme cases convulsions. At the very least, alcohol consumption decreases or nullifies the effects of the antibiotic. In other words, there is no point in taking antibiotics if you are drinking because the antibiotic won’t work and you won’t experience any of the benefits of the antibiotic.

Antidepressants

Alcoholism and depression frequently go hand in hand, leading to a very good chance of alcohol-antidepressant interactions. Alcohol increases the sedative effect of tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil and other similar drugs, impairing the mental skills required for say, driving. This is because acute (drinking on a regular basis) alcohol consumption increases the availability of some tricyclics, potentially increasing their sedative effects. Also there is a chemical called tyramine, found in some beers and wine that will interact with some anti-depressants, resulting in a dangerous rise in blood pressure, and if it goes high enough can result in stroke. Even just one drink can set the stage for an interaction like this.

Anti-diabetic Medication

Oral hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed to help lower blood sugar levels in some patients with diabetes. Chronic alcohol consumption decreases the availability of these needed drugs in your system. Alcohol also interacts with some drugs of this class to produce symptoms of nausea and headache. In addition to the potential drug interaction, while moderate amounts of alcohol can cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level — sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels.

When diabetics run into serious departures from the correct blood sugar levels, it results in organic degeneration.

Antihistamines

Drugs like Benadryl and similar drugs in this family are available without prescription to treat allergic symptoms and insomnia. Alcohol can intensify the sedation caused by some antihistamines, causing slower reactions and poor judgment. These drugs may cause excessive dizziness and sedation more intensely in older people.

Antipsychotic Medications

Drugs such as Thorazine for example are used to diminish psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Acute alcohol consumption increases the sedative effect of these drugs resulting in impaired coordination and potentially fatal breathing problems. Further, the combination of chronic alcohol ingestion and antipsychotic drugs can accelerate liver damage.

Antiseizure Drugs

These drugs are prescribed mainly to treat epilepsy. Chronic drinking can significantly reduce the patient’s protection against the epileptic seizures, even during a period of abstinence.

Cardiovascular medications

These drugs include a variety of medications prescribed to treat heart problems and issues with the circulatory system. Acute alcohol consumption interacts with some of these drugs to cause dizziness or fainting when attempting to standing up. These drugs include nitroglycerin used for angina, and most of the medications used to treat high blood pressure.

Chronic alcohol consumption decreases the high blood pressure medication in your system reducing its effect and leaving you more vulnerable to the problem the drug has been taken to alleviate.

Narcotic Pain Medication

These drugs are prescribed for pain. They include the opiates morphine, codeine, Darvon, and Demerol. The combination of opiates and alcohol enhances the sedative effect of both substances, increasing the risk of death from an overdose.

Non-narcotic Pain Prescriptions

Aspirin and this type of nonprescription pain reliever, on their own some of these drugs cause stomach bleeding and inhibit blood from clotting. Mixed with alcohol can increase these effects. This can result in episodes of gastric bleeding. In addition, aspirin may increase the potency of the alcohol, increasing the effects of drinking.

Chronic alcohol ingestion activates enzymes that transform acetaminophen type drugs like Tylenol and others into chemicals that can cause liver damage, even when acetaminophen is used in commonly used (or lower) amounts.

Sedatives – Sleeping Pills/Tranquilizers

Benzodiazepines such as Valium are used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Doses of benzodiazepines can cause severe drowsiness in the presence of alcohol, increasing the risk of household and car accidents, and in the right combination, can result in depressed heart and breathing functions. Low doses of Dalmane interact with low doses of alcohol to impair driving ability, even when alcohol is ingested the morning after actually taking the Dalmane. Since many alcoholics often suffer from anxiety and insomnia, and since many of them take morning drinks, this interaction may be dangerous.

The benzodiazepine Ativan is used for anti-anxiety and sedative effects. The combination of alcohol and Ativan can result in depressed heart and breathing functions.

Acute alcohol consumption increases the potency of the barbiturates in the bloodstream, prolonging the sedative effect. Further, acute or chronic alcohol consumption enhances the sedative effect of barbiturates at their site of action in the brain, sometimes leading to coma or even fatal respiratory depression.

Anticoagulants

Coumadin is prescribed to retard the blood’s ability to clot. Acute alcohol consumption along with taking the anticoagulant increases the user’s risk for life-threatening hemorrhages. And chronic alcohol consumption reduces the Coumadin benefits therefore lessening the patient’s protection from the consequences of blood-clotting disorders.

Anesthetics

As we all know, anesthetics are administered prior to surgery to render a patient unconscious and oblivious to pain. Chronic alcohol consumption increases the dose of anesthetics required to induce loss of consciousness. Chronic alcohol consumption also increases the risk of liver damage that can be caused by the anesthetic gases.

If you have a drinking problem and have an upcoming surgery, this would be the time when being completely honest with your doctor about your drinking habits will really pay off.