Wow, that chemistry exam was really tough. I think I could use a glass of wine. Does this sound familiar? But when does a glass of wine in the middle of the day cross the line from “afternoon pick-me-up” to “alcoholic?” It doesn’t, does it? We are in college! We aren’t alcoholics. We are just unwinding from a tough day; college is stressful. Right? The truth: high levels of stress and consuming high amounts of alcohol do correlate. In a 2004 study by Park et al., results showed that “students consumed more alcohol on days that had events perceived as relatively more stressful.” Typically, the more stressful our week is, the more we drink on the weekends. No surprise. But what happens when our weeks are stressful again and again? Can our body handle late nights of studying and late nights of drinking week after week?
Alcohol is the most popular and easily accessible drug on college campuses. So it’s no wonder why we drink. It’s inexpensive and it has tons of social benefits. In addition, alcohol, although considered in the medical field to be a depressant, actually acts as a stimulant first then begins to act more as a sedative. So once we get our buzz on…what chemistry test?
And then half bag of Franzia later, you’re feeling great, until tomorrow morning when you have that pounding headache and reach over for the water bottle right beside you, already filled the night before. And so you, me and many other fellow Bucknellians, pop two aspirin, continue chugging water and coffee and stumble to class or onto our next activity. Not so good. We never let our bodies recover. We don’t let them recover from a week of stressful, late night study sessions and we don’t let them recover from a night out. We are busy people! We don’t have time for sleep deprivation or hangovers! We have things to do, places to go and people to see.
Slow down. We need to let our bodies recover. Why does half the campus seem to get sick all at once (besides possibly making out with each other)? It’s because we are run down. Our immune system is weak, so we are all susceptible to any little cold or bug that’s going around. This constant cycle of work hard, play hard is bound to catch up with us. Not only that, it’s turning us into alcoholics. Broken heart? Drink. New job? Drink. Stressful exam? Drink.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t drink in order to celebrate. I’m not even against drinking when it’s been a rough day (hoping it’s in the company of others). But if we drink every time something goes wrong, or every time something great happens, then are we becoming alcoholics? We need to remember that life has its ups and downs and sometimes we have to just deal with it. College is stressful. It’s hard balancing so many roles on one campus, but we have to put things into perspective.
Sometimes we have to mend a broken heart with some popcorn, chick flicks and friends at our sides. Sometimes we just need to catch up on sleep. Other times we need to just go out and dance. And it’s okay to say no. Not everyone can do everything all the time. If we can help eliminate some our stress, then going out on the weekends doesn’t have to mean trying to erase all memory of our weeks.
So are we alcoholics? I wouldn’t go that far, but we do need to maybe think twice before pouring ourselves a glass of wine alone before noon. Moderation is key. If pouring the glass will make you feel better, then so be it. Let’s just try not to make this a daily thing. Plus, there are tons of other ways to help us relieve the stress such as working out, talking about your day with friends, going for a walk, watching TV, or even taking a nap. We need to create time for ourselves to just relax and recover. Then when it’s time to pour that glass of wine, it will be a more enjoyable experience.
Sources:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201006/your-brain-alcohol