The Truth About Addiction To Alcohol

There are many people out there that do not realize that people can become dependent on alcohol. While it is legal, abuse can cause serious lifestyle and health ramifications. Here are several things that many people do not know or understand about alcohol addiction.

It is not easy for someone who is an alcoholic to make the decision not to drink. While it may seem as easy as not imbibing, the reality is that this is one of the hardest things in the world for someone who is addicted. Just as with any other drug, people who are addicted to alcohol have severe cravings when they have not had any in a certain amount of time. They may become moody and edgy, which leads them to drink in order to cure these symptoms.

Many people drink because they have underlying mental health issues. It is sometimes hard to walk into a psychiatrist's office and tell him that you may need medication, which is the number one reason why many people choose not to go. Drinking is sometimes used as a "medication" to rid people of all of the negative feelings they have been dealing with. For example, many people who have clinical depression drink in order to lift their spirits.

Alcoholism can lead to several life-threatening illnesses. While you may have heard of cirrhosis and liver cancer, there are several other parts of the body that can be affected by excessive drinking. The pancreas and the kidneys are great examples of this. Damage top any of these organs can lead to long-term health problems and/or death.

You may think that drinking is something minor, but it can mean the difference between life and death. Now that you have more information available to you, it can help you understand why you should not drink and/or why you should seek help for someone you know who does.

Three Signs Of Alcohol Abuse

 

Three signs of alcohol abuse to watch for in yourself or in someone you care about are physical cravings, an increased  tolerance to alcohol and a loss of interest in regular activities. Alcohol abuse is slightly different from alcohol dependence in that the physical cravings for alcohol are accompanied by adverse physical symptoms ranging from nausea to panic attacks to seizures.

A person suffering from alcohol abuse literally must consume alcohol to keep withdrawal symptoms from occurring. A person with alcohol dependence is certainly able to benefit from going to a rehabilitation program, but this individual typically will not suffer physical symptoms that are so bad  that they could prove deadly. A person who abuses alcohol must undergo detoxification in a safe, medical environment because withdrawing from alcohol would prove very uncomfortable for them as well as dangerous.

Besides the physical need and craving for alcohol, another sign of abuse is an increased tolerance to it. The  person suffering from alcohol abuse is someone who is unable to feel the effects of alcohol and must drink increasingly more alcohol in order to get “buzzed”, if not inebriated.

In fact, alcohol abusers tend to want to get drunk, not simply buzzed or relaxed. While every person is different, a person who abuses alcohol typically drinks more than 10 drinks per day. Finally, one of the other major signs of alcohol abuse is a loss in interest in regular daily activities.

An alcohol abuser  drinks to the exclusion of most other activities.  Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand with alcohol abuse. Alcohol is often s used to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, however, it tends to aggravate these conditions.  If you or someone you know exhibits these traits, it is important to  get professional help right away.

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