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Sober living

Certified Sober Living Homes

Pino, now 53, ultimately completed the requirements and, after about a year and a half, the charges were dropped. She looks back at that time, 15 years ago, and is grateful that people envisioned a better future for her when she struggled to see one for herself. Neither the Phoenix Police Department, Navajo Nation police nor the office of the Arizona Attorney General responded to VOA’s requests for comment on fraudulent sober homes.

the truth about sober living homes

Second, individuals self selected themselves into the houses and a priori characteristics of these individuals may have at least in part accounted for the longitudinal improvements. Although self selection can be viewed as a weakness of the research designs, it can also be conceived as a strength, especially for studying residential recovery programs. Our study design had characteristics that DeLeon, Inciardi and Martin (1995) https://www.advicepsychic.net/2013/02/11/learning-to-mourn-with-those-who-mourn/ suggested were critical to studies of residential recovery programs. They argued that self selection of participants to the interventions being studies was an advantage because it mirrored the way individuals typically choose to enter treatment. Thus, self selection was integral to the intervention being studied and without self selection it was difficult to argue that a valid examination of the invention had been conducted.

Improve Your Chances Of Staying Sober

Another series of studies found that individuals who remained abstinent for less than one year relapsed two-thirds of the time. Those who remained sober for a year or more relapsed less than half the time. And those who abstained for five years remained sober and avoided relapse 85% of the time. In the United States, 60.1% of individuals ages 12 and older use at least one substance (like tobacco, alcohol, or an illicit drug), according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Today, most sober homes are unregulated, but some homes are part of larger organizations such as Oxford House, the Florida Association of Recovery Residences or the New Jersey Alliance of Recovery Residences. This extremely thorough report details the contours of the sober living home “scene” in Ohio state, noting many different opportunities for further development.

  • Oral presentation delivered at the International Conference on the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors (ICTAB-11), Santa Fe, NM, January 29–February 2.
  • If you have completed an inpatient program and you need somewhere to stay before going out on your own, recovery housing could be a wise choice.
  • You can continue your recovery journey while gradually reintegrating into society and applying your learned skills.
  • This ensures a safe and discreet environment to help you heal and grow.

Ultimately, the structure of sober living homes can help you reduce stress and focus on self-care. Residents are expected to adhere to specific rules and guidelines, such as abstaining from drugs and alcohol, attending support group meetings, following curfews, and http://xn--80aaomhaqmazp1a.xn--p1ai/204452717-kotik-ploho-est-tolko-50.php participating in household chores. These rules promote accountability and responsibility, encouraging individuals to develop crucial life skills for long-term sobriety. After addiction treatment, you may be excited to apply what you’ve learned in the real world.

Facilities

While completing a substance abuse rehab program before moving in may not be required, it can help individuals to stay sober. However, if residents are willing to remain sober, follow all house rules, and guarantee medical stability, they should feel free to apply. Recovery and sober living homes can empower individuals to get the help they need, and the aftercare required to complete rehabilitation. Having a solid support system and a safe living environment allows residents to grow, and to get the accountability they need to sustain sobriety. A study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found sober living home residents experienced improvements in arrest rates, alcohol and drug use rates, and employment rates.

Are sober people happier than drinkers?

Even though the initial phase can be hard, most people who stay sober for the long haul will tell you that they feel more joy and fulfillment than they ever felt when they were drinking.

All of a sober house’s residents are expected to pursue better health and a substance-free life. Overall, sober living is designed to provide individuals with a supportive and structured environment that fosters personal growth, accountability, and long-term recovery. It offers a stepping stone towards independent living while providing the necessary tools and resources to maintain http://abc-jewels.ru/en/view_encyclopedia.php?id=14 sobriety. Sober living homes are designed to create a safe and substance-free living environment. You can continue your recovery journey while gradually reintegrating into society and applying your learned skills. The supportive environment is full of peers committed to maintaining sobriety, and you’ll find a range of services and resources to support you in your recovery efforts.

Visitors Are Allowed Under Certain Circumstances at Set Times

A study on sober living in The Journal of Psychiatric Drugs showed that the benefits of these facilities are not limited to merely lowering rates of relapse. Residents measurably improve in terms of their employment outcomes, academic success, psychiatric symptoms, and even likelihood of getting arrested. Because sober living homes focus on providing holistic help to each resident, graduates emerge not just clean and sober but prepared to live successful sober lives. Staying in a recovery network longer allows individuals both the time and the resources to build a better life for themselves in sobriety. Sober living homes in Los Angeles are the best way to extend a person’s recovery program. Sober living houses are alcohol and drug-free environments where residents can establish or maintain their sobriety.

However, many clients are only sometimes ready to return to a life of responsibilities. In sober living, you’ll have the opportunity to ease back into everyday life, build a healthy routine, and gain more practice applying all you’ve learned in treatment. For individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol and drugs, Harris House helps people achieve sobriety and become healthy and productive individuals. Since our founding in 1961, Harris House has grown to become a top-rated non-profit treatment center. You will be strongly encouraged and supported by fellow residents to attend treatment outside of the home through outpatient treatment options and/or 12-Step programs. Sober living only works if you actually want to be there and are committed to your recovery.

Unlike halfway houses, though, sober living houses allow residents to stay as long as necessary, often over a year. Since sober living homes are funded by residents, they tend to be more democratically run and less vulnerable to the whims of a landlord or state budget. Many people also opt for sober living homes over halfway houses because they are uncomfortable with formal treatment facilities. While this may occur at other transitional living homes, it is not tolerated at Eudaimonia.

  • For instance, texting, helpline, and supportive social networks should be made available to you.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on helping you establish skills to manage overwhelming emotions that might lead to addictive behaviors.
  • While sober living homes are open to people who have not attended formal addiction treatment, they are often recommended by caseworkers at inpatient and outpatient treatment centers as part of an aftercare plan.
  • By sharing your story and your goals for the future on the site, you can ask for help from your loved ones and encourage them to share your message with their social networks.
  • At Gateway, our medical professionals will educate you on what to expect and provide 24-hour care to ensure you are safe and comfortable throughout your recovery journey.

The residents of halfway houses are typically court-mandated to live there, and the facilities are therefore run by the state. Also like other sober-living environments, halfway houses generally have systems in place to keep residents sober, and drugs tests are usually administered to monitor for any substance use. They also often come with additional mental health, medical, recovery or educational services that help people get accustomed to their new lives. It’s important to know that sober living houses are not treatment centers.

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Sober living

PTSD and Alcohol Abuse

You may have more conflicts with those people to whom you are close. Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. To learn more about dual diagnosis treatment for alcohol use disorder and PTSD, speak with an Ark Behavioral Health specialist today.

Get professional help from an addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. Addiction to alcohol and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) are very commonly present together as those who have experienced trauma often turn to alcohol to numb their pain. You may drink because you think using alcohol will help you avoid bad dreams or how scary they are. Yet avoiding the bad memories and dreams actually prolongs PTSD—avoidance makes PTSD last longer. You cannot make as much progress in treatment if you avoid your problems. Women who have PTSD at some point in their lives are 2.5 times more likely to also have alcohol abuse or dependence than women who never have PTSD.

Drinking May Prolong PTSD.

Alcohol use may improve their mood but is more likely to temporarily numb negative feelings followed by more serious negative feelings as the effects wear off. It is also possible for alcohol use to intensify the negative feelings that are already experienced. It is up to professionals to screen people in treatment for co-occurring disorders. They must consider the fact that a patient presenting with PTSD may be drinking excessively. For patients with alcohol use disorder, it’s important to look at their pasts for any signs of trauma. Dual diagnosis conditions such as addiction to alcohol and PTSD should be treated together for the greatest chance of recovery from both.

  • When these men returned deeply traumatized from war, they had no outlet for these emotions.
  • There is an unconscious identification with the mother here and perhaps the father.
  • Effective treatment for PTSD focuses on going back to the original trauma and reliving and processing it in a safe environment.
  • It is possible that these two bodies of evidence represent two separate relationships between PTSD and AUD.
  • With current challenges around access to care, treatment in academic psychiatry departments like Mass General’s must be shorter-term.

Because these two issues are so intimately connected, it is essential that treatment address them both. PTSD treatment without concurrent alcohol treatment can lead to ongoing substance abuse and a return to PTSD symptoms. If you address your drinking while still avoiding a traumatic past, you are unlikely to have much success. Different psychotherapeutic techniques and therapies may be used to treat comorbid AUD and PTSD.

Addiction Resources for Veterans

We measure cannabidiol in the serum at baseline and at six weeks to assess the level at which therapeutic effects might occur and dose accumulation of the agent. In addition, investigators are determining whether cannabidiol metabolites convert to tetrahydrocannabinol in the serum and whether cannabidiol elevates anandamide serum levels. Under the guidance of Charles R. Marmar, MD, center director, our researchers use advanced and novel computational methods, biomarker analysis, and imaging approaches to further their knowledge.

Importantly, analyses can be conducted on the risk for the exposure to an event among the entire population, and then among those who experienced an event. Social determinants of health for the diagnoses may vary considerably based on likelihood of being exposed to an event or exposure to a substance. Conversely, risk for who later develops a diagnosis, given exposure, may be different as well.

The Relationship Between Alcohol And PTSD

Mary’s primary care provider was already prescribing fluoxetine 40 mg daily for a depressive episode occurring several years earlier. Dr Steere added prazosin, titrated to 2 mg nightly, for nightmares. Nearly three-quarters of those surviving violent or abusive trauma report alcohol use disorders. You deserve to know what life is like after healing and we can help you get there by providing our comprehensive level of support and high-quality treatment programs. We focus on whole-person healing, and we have created a better rehab experience because of this. Our facilities are located across the country and our highly trained and highly dedicated addiction specialists are standing by now, ready to take your call and help you take your next steps.

  • She described feeling pure horror, and throughout life has had an insect phobia.
  • The Sercis data were collected by the epidemiology unit of the South Australian Health Commission.

Some studies suggest that up to 40 percent of women and men in the United States who have PTSD meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Factors contributing to addiction to alcohol and PTSD sufferers include the severity and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/ptsd-and-alcohol-abuse/ type of PTSD the person experiences. Going through a trauma—whether or not you develop PTSD—can lead to alcohol use problems. Up to three quarters of people who survived abuse or violent traumatic events report drinking problems.

Having both PTSD and a drinking problem can make both problems worse. For this reason, alcohol use problems often must be part of the PTSD treatment. If you have PTSD, plus you have, or have had, a problem with alcohol, try to find a therapist who has experience treating both issues. You may drink because using alcohol distracts you from your problems for a short time. You should know, though, that drinking makes it harder to concentrate, be productive, and enjoy your life. Problems with alcohol are linked to a life that lacks order and feels out of control.

  • The goal of post-traumatic stress disorder treatment is to help men and women regain a sense of control over their life and reaction to stress.
  • This can stand in stark contrast to the traumatic losses of the past.
  • Mary described herself as living between worlds, and not belonging to any of them.
  • Regarding pharmacology for AUD, topiramate is a sensible choice to target alcohol use.
  • Also, respondents with PTSD were more likely than those without PTSD to have co-occurring AUD, after controlling for sociodemographic factors such as age and race.
  • Even during times when a person isn’t actively thinking about the traumatic event, something that reminds them of what happened can trigger a response that evokes the same “fight or flight” reaction they felt when the trauma first occurred.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can help people identify their emotions and triggers for symptoms to help them develop better coping mechanisms. The type of treatment that is best for you can depend on the type of trauma you experienced. The information collected at the St. Louis location provided one of the first estimates of the prevalence of PTSD in the general population. PTSD can get in the way of your daily life, straining relationships and making it hard to focus at work. Both disorders may cause legal problems or self-destructive behavior, such as drinking so much you develop health problems or harm others. Alcohol abuse also increases the chance that you’ll be involved in a traumatic event that causes PTSD, such as a drunk driving accident that takes someone else’s life.

Antisocial personality disorder and SUD were the most common co-occurring disorders. We are dedicated to transforming the despair of addiction into a purposeful life of confidence, self-respect and happiness. We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. PTSD is a complex condition that experts are still working to fully understand. Some of those who have PTSD describe feeling as if they are caught in a never-ending cycle of “fight or flight,” in which they react again and again to the events of the past.

Is it bad to drink with PTSD?

Alcohol and drugs can make it harder to enjoy life, and they can keep you from taking care of your responsibilities. Using alcohol can even make your PTSD symptoms worse. Taking alcohol or drugs may lead to substance use disorder. This is when alcohol or drugs cause problems in your life.

Given the 4- to 5-month waitlist for therapy through CATSD, Mary was referred to AUD treatment while she waited for trauma-focused therapy. This included a referral for psychopharmacology and an intensive outpatient program (IOP). She was first seen by psychiatrist Dr Rachel Steere of the MGH West End Clinic (WEC) in August 2021.

Addictive Behaviors

Investigators also conduct human laboratory studies using traumatic stress–induced craving tasks. “Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD and relapse prevention for AUD are two of the most widely used and efficacious behavioral treatments for these conditions,” said Back. Vujanovic successfully developed and pilot tested a therapy manual that combines CPT with RP. “The preliminary data demonstrate safety, feasibility, high rates of retention and patient satisfaction,” said Back.

Binge drinking is when a person drinks a lot of alcohol (4-5 drinks) in a short period of time (1-2 hours). Veterans over the age of 65 with PTSD are at higher risk for a suicide attempt if they also have drinking problems or depression. To effectively treat a person with AUD and PTSD, a treatment program must address both issues. Dual diagnosis treatment gets at the root cause of PTSD and alcohol abuse to resolve the problem and prevent relapse. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect someone who has gone through or witnessed a traumatic experience, such as violence or an accident.

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Sober living

How to Help an Alcoholic Stop Drinking 10 Tips for Support

And like with most things, some of it is better than others. We’ve been working with alcoholics and addicts for more than 20 years and know just how difficult it can be to get through to someone stuck in addiction. Jellinek viewed alcohol addiction as a chronic relapsing condition that needed to be treated by health professionals and developed a theory on the progression of the disease through various stages.

We offer multiple levels of care and evidence-based therapies that address the underlying issues of addiction, so your loved one is less likely to relapse. It’s important to know and acknowledge how extremely difficult this is for both you and your loved one. It’s completely understandable if you’re struggling in all aspects of your life because substance abuse can take over families and become the focus. This is incredibly difficult, but you will get through it. Being addicted or loving an alcoholic or addict is devastating for everyone involved. Drug addiction and alcoholism affects everyone in its path.

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Alcoholism and alcohol abuse affects millions of people, from every social class, race, background, and culture. While you can’t do the hard work of overcoming addiction for your loved one, your patience, love, and support can play a crucial part in their long-term recovery. With these guidelines, you can help ease your loved one’s suffering, preserve your own mental health and well-being, and restore calm and stability to your relationship and family life. In over 30 locations around the world, the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program helps alcoholics recovery a lasting sobriety. The Narconon program offers much more than just an environment where a person learns to discipline themselves to not drink.

how to help an alcoholic

You can also participate in a program that’s designed for the friends and family members of alcoholics, such as Al-Anon. Standing by your friend or family member’s progress during and after treatment is important, too. Even after recovery, your person will be in situations they can’t predict. Ways you can help include avoiding alcohol when you’re together or opting out of drinking in social situations. Ask about new strategies that they learned in treatment or meetings.

Helping an Alcoholic Loved One

As well as reducing their sense of isolation, your loved one can receive advice on staying sober and unburden themselves to others who understand their struggles firsthand. Studies suggest that the social connection provided by these groups can help your loved one build confidence in their own ability to avoid alcohol in social situations and support their sobriety. Finally, if you truly want to know how to help an alcoholic, you need to help them take the first steps. This might involve helping them choose an appropriate alcohol recovery program, or it might mean confirming that their health insurance plan covers certain addiction treatment programs. Sometimes, all you need to do is physically help them get to an addiction treatment center for that very first day. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your struggle.

  • When a person is truly an alcoholic and they have already been given chances to stop on their own, then it is not time for more chances.
  • Alcohol abuse and addiction (also known as “alcohol use disorder”) doesn’t just affect the person drinking—it affects their families and loved ones, too.
  • Jellinek viewed alcohol addiction as a chronic relapsing condition that needed to be treated by health professionals and developed a theory on the progression of the disease through various stages.
  • If family members try to “help” by covering up for their drinking and making excuses for them, they are playing right into their loved one’s denial game.
  • Your loved one may longer engage in the hobby they’d cultivated for years, or they might stay away from friends, family, and social gatherings.

Unfortunately, alcoholism doesn’t just impact the alcoholic. It can also cause crippling effects on the alcoholic’s loved ones, especially their children. The major desire of anyone who loves an addict is to see them clean and sober. Many loved ones find themselves disappointed by a recovering addict and the progress that they’ve made, or haven’t made. It is definitely best to avoid disappointment, because the recovering addict will sense that disappointment, which will in turn make them feel hopeless and more likely to relapse. A trained professional interventionist (sorry, not your niece studying psychology in college), can be a vital resource to you, your family, and the alcoholic.

Self-Medicating Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

All of this can be done in an encouraging rather than in a confrontational way in most cases. In addition to understanding what alcoholism looks like, it’s important to know what alcoholism actually is. Therefore, alcoholics can’t simply choose to get better, no matter how much they may want to.

how to help an alcoholic

You suggest they cut back, not go out to bars as often. But alcoholism, by definition, is a very different matter. Keep in mind that your loved one is behaving in this way due to changes to brain structure induced by alcohol abuse.

When the individual does not consume alcohol regularly, they may experience withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings. AAC can provide help for people with AUD and improve treatment outcomes for those in recovery for alcohol use disorder. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

Can you treat an alcoholic?

Does Treatment Work? The good news is that no matter how severe the problem may seem, most people with AUD can benefit from some form of treatment. Research shows that about one-third of people who are treated for alcohol problems have no further symptoms 1 year later.

Be prepared to discuss any problems that alcohol may be causing. You may want to take a family member or friend along, if possible. In 2009, only 2.6 million of the 23.5 million people who abused drugs and alcohol received treatment, according to… While there is no cure for alcoholism, it can be effectively treated using a combination of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and psychotherapy. Active alcoholism creates a very irrational mentality for the person engaging with this disease.

Step 2: Offer your help

Relationship problems can be the most painful; it can take years to rebuild trust, and in some cases, it just isn’t possible. Additionally, relapse is always sober house a possibility, even after many years. Understanding and preparing for these problems will make it easier to deal with them and lessen their impact.

  • These programs allow patients to live in the treatment facility for a determined amount of time.
  • You’d probably do just about anything to change things for them.
  • An old drinking buddy who found recovery or a sober aunt or uncle they admire and respect can sometimes accomplish in an hour what you’ve been trying to do for years.
  • You can also try one of HelpGuide’s guided audio meditations to help you stay calm and focused as you make this challenging journey.
  • The truth is you cannot force someone to face their demons, get help or admit they have a problem.
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Sober living

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Children with alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) can have problems with their heart, kidneys, bones, or hearing. Although there is no precise cure for this condition, children with FAS may have a wide range https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of developmental abnormalities and health complications when undiagnosed and left untreated. Therefore, the best way to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome is by abstaining from consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Their IQ varies widely, but the mean is about 70 (normal IQ is about 100). FAS adolescents and adults continue to show behavioral problems such as being easily distracted, and having poor social interaction, making independent living difficult. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights the danger of binge drinking early in a pregnancy, even before a woman realizes she’s pregnant.

Other FASD Diagnoses

In infancy and early childhood (0–5 years) they include delayed developmental milestones, poor sleep/wake cycle, attentional deficits, impulsivity, and difficulty adapting to change. Taking a history of maternal drinking can be helped by specific screening tools, included in the Prevention of FAS Recommendations. For the purpose of this guideline, the term FAS (FAE, ARBD) is used to describe the full continuum of abnormalities attributed to prenatal exposure to alcohol (see preface). While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease. Throughout childhood, individuals with FAS may struggle with interpersonal boundaries. They might need excessive physical contact and show hyperactivity.

  • This condition can be prevented if you don’t drink any alcohol during pregnancy.
  • Most often, a healthcare provider can diagnose FASDs based on the mother’s history and how the baby looks.
  • Living in stressful, isolated, or adverse conditions may increase the chance of FAS.

No safe level of prenatal alcohol consumption has been documented. All children with evidence of alcohol effects during pregnancy should have a complete eye examination. More serious problems need to be identified early for treatment and ultimately to ensure proper school placement. It was not until 1973 that a clear description of FAS was made, and only recently have there been studies describing FAS in adolescents and adults. Although facial characteristics are not as distinctive with age, many problems remain. These individuals are shorter and have smaller heads, but their weight is closer to normal.

Behavioral signs

This puzzling observation may reflect the maternal rate of alcohol breakdown via her liver. Diagnosing FAS at birth can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Not all children with FAS display all the symptoms of the syndrome. Unlike cocaine, where tests can show whether the drug was taken in the past, the physician has no test to perform that would reveal a mother’s drinking habits. Suspicions may be aroused if the mother was drunk at prenatal visits or when she delivered.

While the defects vary from one person to another, the damage is often permanent. Quit drinking if you are trying to get pregnant or if you think you’re pregnant. Tony Loneman, a character in Tommy Orange’s novel There There, was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which he calls “the Drome”. Alcohol — including wine, beer, and liquor — is the leading preventable cause of birth defects in the U.S. At the same time as you ask the doctor for a referral to a specialist, call your state or territory’s early intervention program to request a free evaluation to find out if your child can get services to help.

Related signs

Some symptoms can be managed with treatment by a healthcare provider, but they won’t go away. If you did drink any amount of alcohol during pregnancy, it’s important to know that your healthcare provider and your baby’s pediatrician need to know to help you plan for your child’s future. If you suspect your child has fetal alcohol syndrome, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis. The symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome tend to get worse as a person grows up. After delivery, you should continue to pay attention to when you drink alcohol if you’re breastfeeding your baby. Parental training is meant to help parents to help families cope with behavioral, educational and social challenges. Parents might learn different routines and rules that can help their child adapt to different situations. Often, having a stable and supportive home can help children with FAS avoid developing mental and emotional difficulties as they get older.

If the child is more than 3 years of age, parents or caregivers can talk to a pediatrician and contact any nearby elementary school to ask for an evaluation. If the staff members are not familiar with the evaluation process, the next step is to ask to speak with the district’s special education director. The frequency, strength, and quantity of alcoholic drinks have an effect, fas symptoms as well as the timing of consumption. Drinking alcohol late in a pregnancy increases the likelihood of FAS. Although the authorities have not approved any medications specifically for the treatment of FAS, doctors may use some drugs to treat certain symptoms. For example, stimulants may help with attention or emotional regulation, while neuroleptics may help with aggression.

fas symptoms

Using the information that is available, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other scientists estimate less than 2 cases of FASD in every 1,000 live births in the United States. When researchers look at the whole spectrum of disorders (FASD), the frequency may be as high as 1 to 5 out of every 100 kids in the U.S. and Western Europe. To prevent FASDs, a woman should avoid alcohol if she is pregnant or might be pregnant. This is because a woman could get pregnant and not know for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Changes in the eyelids are common in FAS but may not hinder visual development. Signs of FAS are telecanthus and a droopy eyelid (ptosis), which occurs in about 20 to 25 percent of affected babies.