National Naval Medical Center to Conduct Alcohol Screening

By Sarah Fortney, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

April 17, 2010 - BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- The National Naval Medical Center's (NNMC) Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) and Health Promotion/Wellness Clinic will conduct a free, command-wide alcohol screening Apr. 19-21.

This screening will help individuals assess how well they know the affects of alcohol and help them understand the signs of a drinking problem.

During the screening, which will take place Monday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the hallway outside of the morale, welfare and recreation office, counselors will be available to answer questions and provide information. Private booths will be set up for individuals to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about their drinking habits and how alcohol affects their health.

Every year, SARP aims to conduct this command-wide alcohol screening in April as part of Alcohol Awareness Month, said Chief Operations Specialist Sharon Rogers, senior enlisted leader directorate for mental health at NNMC. The questionnaire will help people learn about alcohol consumption and better understand how it affects their overall health.

According to Rogers, the screening is an opportunity to reach out to individuals who might be struggling with alcohol and help them recognize the potential consequences before their drinking becomes a problem, be it violence, an injury or a drunk driving charge.

"We're here to help them," Rogers said.

Alcohol use disorders include alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence; and alcohol abuse, characterized by significant impairment but not necessarily physical dependence, according to Military Pathways, a voluntary mental health and alcohol self assessment program for military service members and their families. Through Defense Department funding, the program created the questionnaire that will be used at NNMC next week.

In addition, both alcohol abuse and dependence are more common among men than women and decrease with aging, according to Military Pathways.

Alcoholism is characterized by a number of symptoms. Rogers said one indication of a problem is when a person's alcohol tolerance increases. For example, when a person who usually drinks four beers suddenly needs eight beers to feel satisfied.

The signs to look for, Rogers said, are when drinking impacts a person's lifestyle, work, or family and they're not able to function normally.

It's important for people to understand their "alcohol IQ," she said - being able to identify the warning signs and recognize their drinking habits.

"If you drink an excessive amount [of alcohol], do you know how it will affect your health?" Rogers asked.

"We know about our other health [problems], blood pressure, cholesterol, but we hardly ever think about our drinking," said Shellie Spadaro, SARP department head and counselor.

SARP offers a variety of services to help people coping with alcohol disorders or who have been in trouble because of an incident related to alcohol, Spadaro said. SARP counselors assess individuals with potential drinking problems and work closely with the command drug and alcohol program advisor and the hospital wards.

The program also has a continuing care group for those who have been diagnosed with alcohol dependence, she said, and an early intervention class for those who have not been diagnosed with alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse, but have gotten in trouble because of alcohol.

For the first time, SARP is working with NNMC's Health Promotion/Wellness Clinic to conduct the command-wide screening.

"We're really excited about it," said Lauren Thomas, department head of the Health Promotion/ Wellness Clinic.

The department promotes health, fitness, nutrition, stress management and tobacco cessation, Thomas said, and has been focusing more on educating staff about the affects of drinking, making it a more comprehensive program.

With the screening, she added, individuals are able to be proactive and seek treatment before they begin to suffer the consequences.

"Don't wait until it's on your record," she said. "We want to help identify the risks of problem drinking ahead of time."