How you use alcohol is totally up to you, but there are some things you should know about alcohol and it’s effects on your mood and behavior.  Teen’s bodies are constantly developing, so by drinking alcohol, you’re more at risk for developing a serious drinking problem.  Everyone is different, so how you react to alcohol will not be the same as other people.  How fast you get drunk, or even develop problems with alcohol, depends on factors like how quickly or how often you drink, the last time you ate, what you drink, your weight, your ethnicity, mood and attitude towards drinking.  Sometimes the reasons why you drink will lead to drinking problems, and we’ll explain more below.

     Everyone wants to be unique and have something they’re the best at.  Some people can always catch the best waves, some can block every goal attempt coming at them, some can do the hardest math questions, and on and on.  Be the best at something you can respect, and others will respect you too.  Connecting feelings of personal pride to drinking is a problem because then you only get that sense of accomplishment when you’re drinking!  Some people drink because they’re bored and they think there’s nothing to do.  To tell the truth, there are always times you’re gonna get bored with the things around you.  If you turn to alcohol every time you get bored, drinking will become a problem for you.   

     Sometimes people drink to forget or escape bad things that might be going on in their life.  The problem is that once you sober up, nothing in your life has changed; the bad things didn’t work themselves out, and it’s entirely possible you made them worse by drinking.  Alcohol is not a healthy way to cope with the things going on in life, and it’ll be trouble if every time something goes wrong you turn to alcohol to make it better. 

     Some people use alcohol to have sex, which is an amazingly huge problem.  Did your partner actually consent?  Did you remember the condom or dental dam?  Are you having sex somewhere you can easily get caught and embarrassed in front of everyone?  Do you know who you’re having sex with?  Thinking you weren’t responsible for what you did because you were drunk is lame, and so is thinking you need alcohol to get someone to have sex with you.

     What are some signs that you or someone you know might have a drinking problem?  Alcohol causes problems in your life, you refuse to change your drinking habits, you drink to get drunk, or your goal is to drinking more than the people you’re with.  When you have problems with drinking, over time your body builds a tolerance and a physical need for alcohol (the beginning of addiction). 

     Even though alcohol is legal for adults over the age of 21, alcohol is a drug.  Problems with alcohol aren’t funny, and people that suffer from those problems need help.  Falling into situations or ways of thinking that can lead to problem drinking is totally avoidable.  Don’t just think you can handle, or you can hang; getting in over your head with alcohol is way too easy.  Try talking with a trusted adult if you are concerned about your drinking habits, and take some time to look at why you feel like drinking all the time.  Don’t forget to check out TLH’s links to other helpful websites.