Myth: Alcohol Helps Me Manage My Pain

According to research, as many as 28% of people with chronic pain misuse alcohol to alleviate their symptoms. Yet if you have chronic pain, it's best to put down that drink.

While alcohol can deliver a certain amount of relief by slowing down the brain and nervous system, the amount of alcohol you'll need to drink to relieve chronic pain would probably be more than the recommended guidelines for safe alcohol consumption.

If you or someone you love is drinking daily for pain relief, you'll also likely build up a tolerance, needing more to achieve the same pain-relieving effects. In addition, mixing alcohol and painkillers is downright dangerous, with possibly fatal consequences.