Alcohol

How do I know if I’m drinking too much?

Author: Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research

Sorting out if you are drinking too much can be complicated. You are unique and your relationship with alcohol is unique. No one has the same combination of life experiences and influences that you do. So even though you and your friend may choose to drink, how and why you use alcohol may be different.

Writing Through Loneliness

By Grade 8, Tabitha found that drinking and drug use made it a lot easier to fit in, and drugs became part of her life. When her father and then her best friend died of a heroin overdose, Tabitha tried to change her own substance use, but social connections were challenging because drug use was everywhere in her community, and Tabitha found herself drowning in grief…alone. Now sober, she reflects on her path to accept her past, find new connections and reconnect with all parts of her story.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug that affects the way you think and behave. It is a depressant that slows down your heart rate, breathing, thoughts and actions. Alcohol can be a way to celebrate, socialize, or relax, but drinking too much, too often, or in unsafe situations can cause problems.

Featured

Treatments: What Works?

It seems like everyone has an opinion when it comes to treatments for mental health or substance use problems. To add to the confusion, it isn’t always obvious who is basing their opinions on real evidence and who is not. And while we often hear people talk about evidence-based treatments, it’s also clear that complementary and alternative medicine approaches are helpful for some.

Finding the Right Help - Navigating the System

While it's common to talk about the mental health system, the system isn’t a singular entity. The system might include primary care, mental health, substance use, housing, income assistance, and justice. They are not always accessed the same way, through similar gatekeepers.

Hosting a Teen Party

Different families have different attitudes about teens and alcohol. Some parents prefer that their teen never use alcohol, even in adulthood. Other parents allow their children to drink small amounts as part of family traditions or cultural customs. Still other parents fall somewhere in between.

Recovery

When we talk about mental illnesses and substance use problems, it’s easy to talk in clinical terms: that person has this symptom, or that person uses a certain drug. But recovery is so much bigger than a checklist.

Safer Drinking: Beer, wine and spirits

When you enjoy alcohol, it can be easy to get into a routine of drinking too much, too often or in risky environments. Here are some simple things you can do to reduce your risk of harm from alcohol.

Alcohol

Learn more about alcohol. Alcohol is in drinks like beer, wine and liquor. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows your body down.

Depression, Anxiety, Alcohol and Other Drugs

We all use substances, many of which affect our mood. Whether we eat something that gives us pleasure (such as chocolate), enjoy a glass of wine to enhance a meal, or take a prescribed medication to control pain from a recent injury, the use of substances is an accepted part of life.

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