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Severe alcohol withdrawal can be deadly, so heavy alcohol users should not attempt to wean off alcohol without the help of a professional medical detox facility. Alcohol addiction treatment will begin with a detox period that focuses on managing any uncomfortable or severe withdrawal symptoms that arise. After detox ends, patients start a rehab program that teaches them how to cope without alcohol and maintain sobriety. Furthermore, frequent after-work drinking can result in behavioral changes that affect workplace dynamics.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, moderate drinking means one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. But it wasn’t just heavy drinkers who were affected, said Mary Ann McLaughlin, cardiologist at the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital. The study is interesting because it showed that even occasional drinking, if it reaches the level of binge drinking, can affect heart health, she said. Daily drinkers sometimes experience this effect before they down their first drink of the day. A brain anticipating the alcohol may temporarily reduce GABA levels proactively. Nutt recalls a man who was a heavy drinker who had a major panic attack on his way to the pub.

Highest risk

The combined sweating and alcohol’s diuretic effect makes dehydration worse if a person works out after drinking. If they are working out after drinking, their low blood sugar levels decrease their performance and increase fatigue. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly 9 in 10 adults in the United States have consumed alcoholic drinks during their lifetime. Blackouts are gaps in a person’s memory for events that occurred while they were intoxicated. These gaps happen when a person drinks enough alcohol to temporarily block the transfer of memories from short- to long-term storage—known as memory consolidation—in a brain area called the hippocampus.

• However, even this necessary intervention will inevitably result in lost time and productivity for the company and added work for coworkers.
• Since alcohol can cloud your brain, it can keep you from seeing helpful solutions to problems.
• “And now we have Tradepoint Atlantic and we have the port bustling — it’s a very, very busy port and it’s thriving for Baltimore. And now it’s devastated.”
• Constant alcohol-induced diseases and hangovers result in a high absenteeism rate.
• Counseling or treatment at a community agency follows, with arrangements usually made by the EAP coordinator to assure the best match between quality of care and financial coverage available through the workplace.

Done in moderation and only occasionally, drinking after a workout won’t harm you. Beer may have a slight edge over liquor when it comes to choosing your post-exercise beverage, but be sure to double fist with water, too, so your body can fully rehydrate. Suzie Wylie, a former professional Muay Thai fighter and Registered Nutritionist at the London Clinic of Nutrition, focuses on the importance of keeping yourself hydrated if you do decide to drink alcohol after exercise. This is because alcohol slows the natural recovery process from your workout session by elevating your cortisol levels, decreasing your testosterone levels, and inhibiting protein synthesis (1).

EAP Effectiveness and Maximizing EAP Use

This underscores the importance of addressing alcohol consumption from both individual and public health policy perspectives to mitigate the risk of liver disease. For those who develop an alcohol dependence, the risks extend to physiological withdrawal symptoms and cravings, which can perpetuate the cycle of drinking to relieve mental discomfort. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism highlights the adverse effects of binge drinking on cognitive functions, particularly in adolescents, whose brain development can be significantly altered.

Only one research study, however, has systematically investigated the impact of such services. In that study, Foote and Erfurt (1991) examined the effects of posttreatment followup contact among a group of 164 EAP clients treated for alcohol problems over a period of 1 year. The tendency to relapse was risks of drinking after work significantly lower in the followup group, compared with a group of 161 similar clients who did not receive followup contact, indicating the efficacy of followup for relapse prevention. Workplace programs to prevent and reduce alcohol-related problems among employees have considerable potential.

Occasional binge drinking can affect heart health

According to ScienceDaily, the need to suppress negative emotions at work, like forcing a smile, is linked with increased drinking after work. This can exacerbate stress and lead to negative mood states that spill over into interactions with coworkers and loved ones, causing friction and misunderstandings. Preventative interventions in the workplace may serve as a primary prevention strategy for alcohol misuse, benefiting both the employee’s well-being and the employer’s operational success. Employers and HR departments, as seen in SHRM’s guidelines, are encouraged to recognize the signs of on-the-job drinking without direct accusations, focusing instead on creating supportive avenues for addressing these issues. Regular alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for the development of liver disease, which encompasses a range of conditions, including fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. According to Yale Medicine, alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) can be diagnosed through blood tests that evaluate liver function and rule out non-alcohol-related causes.

• “I think this raises an important issue, because oftentimes, we think of heavy drinkers as men only.
• Keep in mind that everyone is different and will experience different things when they stop drinking.
• Only one, drinking water during and after imbibing, might offer a mild benefit, because it dilutes the concentration of acetaldehyde in your bloodstream.
• Relationships at work can become strained, short-tempered, and argumentative.

Among those aged 25 to 34 years, deaths due to cirrhosis have been increasing annually by more than 10%, largely due to alcohol consumption. Furthermore, research has shown that alcohol use during pregnancy is extremely hazardous, leading to developmental and congenital disabilities categorized as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Finally, experts from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism indicate that women are more susceptible to certain alcohol-related conditions, such as heart disease and brain damage, compared to men. Moreover, after-work drinking is often intertwined with workplace culture, where it is sometimes seen as a professional ritual or even an investment in the work environment.