Alcohol Awareness Month
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) — Research conducted by the Freedom Center ranks Alabama number five for the lowest number of patients in treatment for alcohol abuse. This data comes as April marks Alcohol Awareness Month.
This month is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of alcohol use and misuse. It also offers communities a chance to gain more understanding of how individuals struggle with alcohol use, as well as offering resources and support.
WRBL spoke with a Piedmont attending physician in Phenix City about the subject which is near and dear to his heart.
“I’m a recovering physician. I’ve been through alcohol and addiction in the past as a younger man. I’ve been sober now for over 20 years. And so, I know how greatly impacting addiction can be, not only in the individual, but also in their family and their community, in many cases, depending on where they stand in their community. So, it’s very near and dear to my heart.”
Daryl Ellis, attending physician at a Piedmont Regional clinic in Phenix City
Knowing that drinking can be normalized in a social setting, Ellis offered some signs of how to know if your drinking is becoming a problem.
He said, “Every time you drink , you may not get in trouble , but if every time you get in trouble, you’ve been drinking, that’s an early sign.”
Ellis shared with WRBL we should also take notice of the withdrawal symptoms in the recovery. He explained that having shakes, hangovers, nausea, vomiting, confusion or are having difficulty coming off of alcohol is a sign that you’re in the early stages of alcoholism, abuse, or addiction.
During the interview, Ellis explained the difference between alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
“Alcoholism is a disease. Alcohol abuse is just a social norm in many cases. Alcoholism has a genetic predisposition where it can cross over from being an abusive situation or a regular situation to becoming a real addictive process. Alcoholism is known to come from a family where there is an alcoholic parent, you are at a significantly higher risk of becoming an alcoholic than some who do not. This is because alcoholism is known to have a family concordance.”
Daryl Ellis, attending physician at Piedmont Regional clinic in Phenix City
He continues, “The other side is that if you notice that after you’ve had a drinking binge of one sort or another, whether it’s just one night or whether it’s over the course of a weekend or a week at a time, and you suffer from withdrawal symptoms in the recovery process.”
Other than having mental and legal consequences to alcohol, Ellis told WRBL there are also health consequences too like excessive weight gain.
Ellis also warns to use discretion when using alcohol as a coping mechanism, as having a drink after a stressful day is not always a sign of addiction. However, when it used for unconventionally stressful events is when you should start seeking treatment.
“If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like, you know, I took a drink today because it was a stressful day, that’s one thing. But if you get to a point where I took a drink today because it was Monday and then I took another drink tomorrow because it was Tuesday, I took a drink on the weekend because it was cloudy… that indicates that there is more of problem than just the social use of alcohol.”
Daryl Ellis, attending physician at a Piedmont Regional clinic in Phenix City
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