Alcohol is known for its ability to expose you or your loved one to a wide variety of personal harms. That’s true regardless of your past or current need for alcohol addiction treatment. Much of the danger of drinking stems from exposure to alcohol-related injuries. Some of these injuries are accidental. Drinking can also increase your risk of intentional harm. However, the odds of experiencing alcohol-related injuries are not equally distributed. Some injuries occur much more often than others.
Why Does Drinking Increase Your Exposure to Injuries?
How does alcohol use increase injury risks? When you drink in substantial amounts, you can impair some of the key functions of your brain and body. Specific changes that can help boost your exposure to injury include:
- Loss of your normal body control and coordination
- A decrease in your ability to control your impulses and behavior
- Alterations in your normal mood
You or your loved one may start to feel some of these changes long before you reach a state of drunkenness. But as a rule, the more intoxicated you are, the greater your overall injury risks. The injuries you experience may result from your own alcohol use. However, they may also be the product of other people’s actions while drinking.
The Most Common Alcohol-Related Injuries – Accidental Harm
While under the influence of alcohol, you’re slightly more likely to experience accidental harm than intentional harm. The single most common source of accidental injuries is a motor vehicle accident. In descending order, the other most common alcohol-related injuries in this category include:
- Various kinds of falls
- Drownings
- Transportation accidents that don’t involve a car or truck
- Fires and other kinds of heat-related accidents
- Poisonings
People who drink also face significant overall exposure to a range of less common accidents.
The Most Common Intentional Injuries Related to Drinking
Close to five out of every 10 alcohol-related injuries are intentional, not accidental. About two-thirds of these intentional situations involve acts of self-harm or suicide. The remaining third takes the form of violence toward others.
What kinds of violence do people under the influence of alcohol commit against others? The most common injuries in this category include sexual and physical assaults. They also include acts of domestic violence, i.e., intimate partner violence.
Another major concern is homicide. Research shows that almost half of all people who kill someone have alcohol in their systems. What’s more, almost four out of every 10 victims of homicide die while drinking or soon after drinking.
Curbing Alcohol-Related Injuries and Deaths
Every year, public health experts spend extensive resources trying to limit alcohol-related harm. That includes injuries that occur while under the influence of alcohol. If you or your loved one are addicted to alcohol, one of the best things you can do is seek professional assistance. A rehab program can help you stop your involvement in heavy alcohol use. It can also help you develop skills that protect you from future drinking-related issues after you get sober. Success is possible even for someone with extremely severe alcohol problems.
Turn to Skywood Recovery for More on the Most Common Alcohol-Related Injuries
Alcohol-related injuries are preventable. Nevertheless, they affect millions of people from all walks of life. For more information on how and why these injuries occur, talk to the friendly experts at Skywood Recovery.
At Skywood, we specialize in customized, personalized alcohol detox and rehab. We help you or your loved one regain your sobriety. Moreover, we do so in a way that values and respects your life, experiences, and potential for change. Get started today by calling us at 269.280.4673 or filling out our online contact form.