TeenHealthFX - Answers - Consumed A Lot Of Alcohol But Didn't Get Drunk

Alcohol / Question
Published: July 26, 2006

Dear TeenHealthFX,

A few days a go, I went to a party, had a great time and consumed a lot of alcohol, yet I didn't get drunk. I drank more than every once else yet I was the soberest. I was making my own drinks so I know I was drink real stuff. I didn't feel drunk; I wasn't slurring my words, anything! I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Just the only way I could get drunk is I drink really excessively. Which I’m afraid will damage my liver or something. Is this not getting drunken effect dangerous or a sign of something worse underlying? Thanks

Signed: Consumed A Lot Of Alcohol But Didn't Get Drunk

Dear Consumed A Lot Of Alcohol But Didn't Get Drunk,

FX would like you to consider that even though your subjective experience was that you were not drunk, in reality your actions and behaviors may have been impaired. Very often people who have been drinking will feel more capable in a situation than they actually are. For example, some intoxicated people might experience themselves as being able to drive a car, however, when they get pulled over the breathalyzer indicates that they are over the legal limit to drive and they end up failing various sobriety/coordination tests. So remember that there can be a big difference between what an intoxicated person thinks they can do and what they are really prepared and capable of doing. Also keep in mind that if the people around you were also drunk, they were probably not in any kind of mental state to give you accurate feedback as to whether or not you appeared intoxicated.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol use and intoxication:

Smell of alcohol on breath
Irritability
Euphoria
Loss of physical coordination
Inappropriate or violent behavior
Loss of balance
Unsteady gait
Slurred or incoherent speech
Loss of consciousness
Slowed thinking
Depression
Impaired short-term memory
Blackouts

Consuming large amounts of alcohol, whether your perception is that you are very intoxicated or not, can end up having negative impacts on you physically and emotionally. TeenHealthFX thinks that it is important for you to be informed of the risks associated with binge alcohol use so that you can make an informed decision about how much you want alcohol to be a part of your life. In addition to the risk of injury or death as a result of accident or violence, alcohol abuse poses a broad range of physiological and psychological dangers.

Neurological dangers include impaired vision and impaired motor coordination, memory defects, hallucinations, blackouts, and seizures. Long-term consumption can result in permanent damage to the brain.
Cardiological problems include elevated blood pressure and heart rate, risk of stroke and heart failure.
Respiratory dangers include respiratory depression and failure, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung abscesses. Additionally, alcohol abuse increases the risk of mouth and throat cancer.
Liver disease caused by chronic alcohol abuse, including alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis, kills approximately 25,000 Americans each year.
Other physiological dangers include damage to the gastrointestinal system, the pancreas, and the kidneys. In addition, alcohol consumption may cause malnutrition, disrupt the absorption of nutrients in food, and suppress the immune system, increasing the potential for illness.
Psychological dangers include impaired judgment and verbal ability, apathy, introversion, antisocial behavior, inability to concentrate, and the deterioration of relationships with family members and friends.

Keep in mind the following statistics about adolescent alcohol use:

Adolescents who take up drinking alcohol before the age of fifteen are four times as likely to become alcohol-dependent as those who begin drinking at age twenty-one.
Adolescents who begin drinking before the age of fifteen more than double their chances of becoming alcohol abusers than those who begin to use alcohol at age twenty-one.
The leading cause of death of Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four is alcohol related automobile accidents.
Homicide and suicide, the second and third leading causes of death in this age group are strongly associated with drug and alcohol use.
Surveys of adolescents suggest that alcohol use is associated with risky sexual behaviors and increased vulnerability to coercive sexual activity.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that a study comparing heavy, binge and light adolescent alcohol users found NO statistically significant differences in withdrawal, somatic complaints, social problems, attention problems, or symptoms of anxiety or depression. The only statistically significant differences were related to categories of aggressive, delinquent and criminal behaviors.

If you are worried that you may have a problem with alcohol abuse or dependence, and if you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist, you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area.

Signed: TeenHealthFX