Alcohol

People who get help with mental health tend to get better faster and stay better longer.

Each year, alcohol affects college students, college communities, and families.

The consequences of drinking include:

Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.
Assault: More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
Sexual Assault: More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 receive unintentional injuries while under the influence of alcohol.
Academic Problems: About 25 percent of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.
Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Warning signs of alcohol abuse and addiction include:

Difficulty limiting the amount of alcohol consumed
Feeling a strong need or compulsion to drink
Developing tolerance to alcohol so that more is needed to feel the effects
Drinking alone or hiding drinking
Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating and shaking when not drinking
Not remembering conversations or commitments, sometimes referred to as a "blackout"
Making a ritual of having drinks at certain times and becoming annoyed when this ritual is disturbed or questioned
Keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, in the dorm, or in your car
Gulping drinks, ordering doubles, or becoming drunk intentionally to feel good, or drinking to feel "normal"
Having legal problems or problems with relationships, school, work, or money due to drinking
Losing interest in activities and hobbies that used to bring pleasure

People who get help when they have substance abuse problems tend to get better faster and stay better longer.