The Workings of Alcoholism and Alcohol Treatment

“I haven’t had a drink in two months…I used to tell myself, one drink was ok, now I know that won’t work. I guess I am, um, an alcoholic.”

It’s an amazing thing when an individual is able to acknowledge and own up to a negative behavior. With alcohol and drug abuse it is usually a difficult thing to do. Perhaps with alcohol even more so than other recreational drugs, because it is considered, in many cultures so socially acceptable. After all, real men have to be able to drink right? After work happy hour is a normal part of office culture, two for one deal exist everywhere. Alcohol is perhaps one of the easiest liquid amnesia an individual can get. What’s liquid amnesia? Easy, it helps you to forget. If you cannot remember what is wrong in your life, there’s less chance of being upset- goal accomplished. That is, until you either a) do something while intoxicated that wrecks everything, or b) stop drinking. Then, the hard part starts- a reality without alcohol use.

The Components of Alcoholism

So, what defines an alcoholic? That can be summarized with the following four symptoms:

Craving—a strong desire or craving to drink.

Tolerance—needing more alcohol to sustain a “buzz” or “high”.

Physical Dependence—this includes symptoms such as sweating, shaking, nausea, and anxiety – all symptoms of withdrawal.

Loss of Control—not being able to contol the amount of alcohol one drinks.

The reason one can refer to alcoholism as something having symptoms, is because it is considered a disease. Why? Because a true alcoholic continues to drink irregardless of what conspires. This means, aside from dying, one will continue drinking – health issues, family or legal problems will not keep a drinker from his drink.

Why Would Anyone Start Drinking?

There is a risk for alcoholism associated with family history. This is not to say that an alcoholic uncle in the family automatically predisposes one to drinking, it does mean however, that one’s risk is increased. In addition, work and family conflicts, social support groups or lack there of, monetary situations and improper coping mechanisms with life issues can all contribute to use of alcohol.


How Can Alcoholism be Treated?

As with any substance abuse problem, one needs the help of professionals in the form of counseling and for alcohol, possibly controlled detox. There are medications that can help one to detox from alcohol. The reason medications are necessary for alcohol detox is that it can cause one to go into respiratory depression.
Three oral medications can be used during alcohol detoxification.

They are as follows:

Disulfiram - makes one sick after drinking which can help one not drink again.

Naltrexone – used to help lower the chance of alcohol relapse by reducing cravings.

Acamprosate -are currently approved to treat alcohol dependence.

To assist with other symptoms of withdrawal which include the following: shakiness , nausea, and sweating other medications are available and should be considered in addition to constant supervision during the detox process.

How Can You Tell if Someone Has a Problem?

The best way to figure that out if an individual has a drinking problem is by asking questions such as:

• Do you have to drink first thing in the morning to feel stablized?
• Do you feel as though you should cut down your drinking?
• Does your drinknig make you feel bad or guilty?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

A yes to any of these questions suggests a problem, more than one yes is indivicative of a more severe issue. As with One "yes" answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one "yes" answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best course of action.

Who is Affected By Drinking?

Any population can be affected by alcohol use. However, when drinking in excess the people affected go beyond just the drinker. An alcoholic’s behavior affects friends, family and strangers as well.

Alcohol During Pregnancy?

The answer to that question would be no. it has been shown that heavy drinking most definitely affects mothers and their babies. As to whether moderate or light consumption of alcohol is dangerous, there is currently no research stating that it is safe to drink even a small amount, so it is best that pregnant women refrain. Otherwise, one is at risk for causing FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) which results in learning problems, physical and behavioral problems.

Who is More Affected by Alcohol?

Alcohol affects people of varying age groups and genders differently because of the way the body metabolizes the alcohol. Women and older individuals tend to metabolize alcohol slower and therefore at risk for impairment more quickly than other groups. The elderly population often uses medications, which when combined with alcohol can cause impairment. These things put people at risk for falls, car accidents, and other issues that are related to impaired reaction.

How Serious is Alcoholism?

Serious enough to kill you. As mentioned prior, just detoxification from alcohol can cause death. Constant utilization of alcohol without cessation will eventually damage the liver which can cause a decrease in clotting factors which can lead to excessive bleeding. The side effects and possible illness of alcohol use could result in an article all of its own, but suffice to say if one has this issue or knows someone that does, immediate attention is required.