| |  | Alcohol and Substance Evaluation Services
Do this self-screening regarding alcohol use.
Individual Counseling and Referral
The Center for Health and Counseling provides free alcohol assessment and individual counseling for individuals concerned about their substance use. Call the Center at 474-7043 to schedule a confidential appointment. Referral to more specialized treatment facilities is provided for serious substance abuse problems.
Mandatory Screenings
Students who violate UAF policy and/or state law may be required to complete an alcohol assessment. These appointments are scheduled through the Dean's office.
ALCOHOL PROBLEMS - some common questions
Why do people drink?
Students give many different reasons why they may drink. Some students say they drink because of peer pressure and to be part of a crowd. Some use alcohol to avoid difficult situations that may arise at school and work and with family and friends. Others use alcohol to avoid uncomfortable feelings, like anxiety or sadness.
Alcohol and other substance abuse is a significant problem on college campuses. Many students experiment with their newfound freedom by using alcohol and other chemicals, but many find it difficult to control their use. Just at the time that many students are endeavoring to improve their lives by gaining an education, many are beginning or exaggerating a severe alcohol or substance abuse problem that may ruin their chances of an education and/or career of their choice. Anyone who drinks runs the risk of developing an alcohol problem. A serious problem can develop quickly, especially among college students.
How do I know if I'm abusing substances?
Self Evaluation
- Do you drink more often now than when you used to?
- Do you drink alone?
- Do you require more alcohol to achieve the same effects?
- Do you sometimes gulp your drinks?
- Do you drink to relax?
- Do you ever forget things while drinking?
- Do you keep alcohol hidden for a quick pick-me-up?
- Is your drinking jeopardizing your academic performance?
- Have you ever injured yourself or other persons after drinking?
- Are you in financial difficulty as a result of your drinking?
- Do you ever drive after using alcohol?
- Does your drinking affect your interpersonal relationships?
- Have you ever needed a morning eye-opener drink?
- Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
- Have your ever bee annoyed by criticism of your drinking?
- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
If a number of the above items apply to you, or if you felt yourself getting defensive while answering these questions, it may indicate that a problem exists and that you may want to take a more detailed look at your drinking behavior. Further evaluation could help you decide in a problem actually exists.
For your own information, you may want to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organization. You can use the online version of this alcohol screening provided by the Boston University School of Public Health.
What Effects Can Alcohol Have on Me?
Immediate physical effects from alcohol include: loss of muscle control, impaired reflexes, vomiting and unconsciousness. Because alcohol goes directly into the blood stream, overuse of alcohol can affect almost every system in the body. Long term use can cause cancer, brain damage, cirrhosis of the live, weight gain, and birth defects if drinking while pregnant. Excessive drinking can also cause serious accidents injuries and death. For example, more than one out of every three motor vehicle fatalities involves alcohol and one out of every four drowning are alcohol related.
Alcohol can have psychological effects as well. It can affect your school work and family and social relationships. Studies have shown that students who drink alcohol to excess end up with poorer school grades and take a longer time to complete their degrees. Because alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, risky and violent behavior can result. For example, students impaired by alcohol often engage in vandalism and physical fights. Friendships and romantic relationships can also be jeopardized. Alcohol can lead people to say or do things they might regret, like making a bad decision about having sex with someone. Alcohol abuse can also lead to family conflict and broken households.
One does not have to be using alcohol to be damaged by its effects. Children and partners of alcoholics can be seriously affected too. Family members and other loved ones often suffer from psychological symptoms including low self-esteem, depression, health problems and relationship problems, like difficulties getting close to others. They may also find themselves minimizing the severity of their loved one's problem, feeling responsible for the problem, or feeling a lot of anger, shame and resentment.
In addition, family and friends of alcoholics may display their own addictive behaviors. Being related to an alcoholic or living with an alcoholic puts one at greater risk for alcoholism and other addictions - including gambling and overeating. Finally, family and friends who are close to an alcoholic often take on their responsibilities attempting to function for them in ways that are often unhealthy. This is commonly known as "codependency" and includes feelings of having lost control over one's own emotions and behavior.
How can psychological counseling help?- help clarify your pattern of abuse
- identify how your life has been affected
- help create strategies to decrease your use
- identify related issues that may contribute your abuse
- If necessary, referral to more intensive treatment resources
Frequent use and abuse of substances can have a serious effect on one's academic and personal lives. If you think that you are having difficult controlling your use of alcohol or would like to talk to someone about your use, contact the Center for Health and Counseling at 474-4043
Alcohol and Sex - A Risky Relationship
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions interferes with your ability to make smart decisions. This can lead to some potentially dangerous sexual situations. At best, deciding to sleep with someone while you're under the influence can put you in an embarrassing predicament the next morning. At worst, it can cause you to be the victim of sexual assault or leave you with a sexually transmitted disease.
Just the Frightening Facts,
Here are some stone-cold sobering statistics about the college sex and alcohol cocktail:- as many as 70%of college students admit to having engaged in sexual activity primarily as a result of being under the influence of alcohol, or to having sex they wouldn't have had if they had been sober.
- 90% of all campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the assailant or the victim - or both.
- At least one out of five college students abandons safe sex practices when they are drunk, even if they do protect themselves when they're sober
- One in twelve college males admits to having committed acts that meet the legal definition of rape or acquaintance rape
- 55 % of female students and 75 % of male students involved in acquaintance rape admit to having been drinking or using drugs when the incident occurred.
- Female college freshman are at the highest risk for sexual assault between the first day of school and Thanksgiving break
(This above information on the relationship between sex and alcohol in college students was taken from the American Council for Drug Education.)
Other resources:
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 2nd Floor - Health Safety and Security Building - (across from Wood Center)For appointments call (907) 474-7043 or (TTY) (907) 474-7045PO Box 755580, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5580Email: fyheaco@uaf.edu Fax: (907) 474-5777
The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. For claims of infringement pursuant to Section 512(c) of the Copyright Act contact the UA Claims Agent.
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