Health Insurance

What Is An Alcoholic? What Is Alcoholism? What Is Alcohol Abuse?

An alcoholic is a person who suffers from alcoholism - the body is dependent on alcohol. An alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism is a chronic (long-term) disease. People who suffer from alcoholism are obsessed with alcohol and cannot control how much they consume, even if it is causing serious problems at home, work and financially. Alcohol abuse generally refers to people who do not display the characteristics of alcoholism but still have a problem with it - these people are not as dependent on alcohol as an alcoholic is; they have not yet completely lost their control over its consumption. Consuming moderate quantities of alcohol will not usually cause any physical or psychological harm. Unfortunately, for some people social drinking eventually leads to heavier drinking, which can cause devastating health and psychological problems. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, approximately 1 in every 13 people in the UK is an alcoholic - a sizable proportion of the UK population drinks excessively. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), 15% of people in the United States are problem drinkers, and about 5% to 10% of male drinkers and 3% to 5% of female drinkers could be diagnosed as alcohol dependent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are at least 140 million alcoholics in the world, and the majority of them are not treated. A US study estimated that about 30% of Americans report having an alcohol disorder at some time in their lives. Alcohol consumption more severely affects women than men, according to a coordinated study carried out by researchers at RTI International, Pavlov Medical University, Leningrad Regional Center of Addictions, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. News on Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs For the latest news and research on Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs, and to sign up to newsletters or news alerts, please visit our: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News section. A Canadian study found that alcohol is a factor in 1 in 25 deaths worldwide. The British Medical Association says that alcohol kills six people in Scotland every day. The lifetime risk of alcohol-use disorders for men is more than 20%, with a risk of about 15% for alcohol abuse and 10% for alcohol dependence, according to researchers from the University of California, San Diego, USA. What are the symptoms of alcoholism? The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are very similar, and are often just a question of degree or intensity. Typically, the last person to be aware that he/she has a serious drinking problem is the alcoholic himself/herself - they are in denial. Some signs and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcohol abuse include: *Drinking alone. *Drinking in secret. *Not being able to limit how much alcohol is consumed. *Blacking out - not being able to remember chunks of time. *Having rituals and being irritated/annoyed when these rituals are disturbed or commented on. This could be drinks before/during/after meals, or after work. *Dropping hobbies and activities the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them. *Feeling an urge to drink. *Feeling irritable when drinking times approach. This feeling is more intense if the alcohol is not available, or there appears to be a chance it may not be available. *Having stashes of alcohol in unlikely places. *Gulping drinks down in order to get drunk and then feel good. *Having relationship problems (triggered by drinking). *Having problems with the law (caused by drinking). *Having work problems (caused by drinking, or drinking as root cause). *Having money problems (caused by drinking). *Requiring a larger quantity of alcohol to feel its effect. *Nausea, sweating, or even shaking when not drinking. A person who abuses alcohol may have many of these signs and symptoms - but they do not have the withdrawal symptoms like an alcoholic does, nor the same degree of compulsion to drink. The problems linked to alcohol dependence are extensive, and affect the person physically, psychologically and socially. Drinking becomes a compulsion for a person with a drink problem - it takes precedence over all other activities. It can remain undetected for several years. What is binge drinking? In the UK, binge drinking occurs when a man consumes more than eight units of alcohol and a woman consumes over six units in one sitting. Drinking large amounts of alcohol now-and-again is worse for the heath than frequently drinking small quantities. Binge drinking has become a growing problem in many countries, especially in the UK where 40% of emergency hospital admittances are alcohol-related. Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a study carried out by researchers from the Universitз© de Montrз©al and the University of Western Ontario. Men who drink 22 or more units of alcohol a week have a 20% higher rate of admissions into acute care hospitals than non-drinkers, researchers from the University of Glasgow found. What causes alcohol dependence (alcoholism)? Alcohol dependence is a gradual process which can take from a few years to several decades to become a problem - with some very vulnerable people addiction can come in a question of months. Eventually, over time, regular alcohol consumption can disrupt the balance of the brain chemical GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which controls impulsiveness, as well as glutamate, which stimulates the nervous system. Brain levels of dopamine are raised when we consume alcohol - dopamine levels may make the drinking experience more gratifying. Over the long- or medium-term, excessive drinking can significantly alter the levels of these brain chemicals, making the person"s body crave alcohol in order to feel good and avoid feeling bad. These risk factors may also be linked to excessive drinking: *Genes - scientists say there are specific genetic factors which may make some people more likely to become addicted to alcohol, as well as other substances. People who have a family history of addiction are at higher risk for abusing alcohol. Alcoholics are six times more likely than nonalcoholic to have blood relatives who are alcohol dependent. Researchers from the Universidad de Granada, Spain, revealed that "the lack of endorphin is hereditary, and thus that there is a genetic predisposition to become addicted to alcohol". *The age of first alcoholic drink - a study found that people who started drinking alcohol before the age of 15 were much more likely to have an alcohol problem later in life. *Smoking, especially non-daily smokers - A study by Yale University researchers found that non-daily smokers are five times more likely to have a problem with alcohol compared to people who have never smoked. *Easy access - Experts say there is a correlation between easy access to alcohol (cheap prices) and alcohol abuse and alcohol-related deaths. A US study found a strong link between alcohol tax increases in 1983 and 2002 and a significant drop in deaths related to alcohol use in one American state - the effect was found to be nearly two to four times that of other prevention strategies such as school programs or media campaigns. *Stress - some stress hormones are linked to alcoholism. If our levels of stress, anxiety are high some of us may consume alcohol in an attempt to blank out the upheaval. Military service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders simultaneously, according to researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. *Peer drinking - people who have friends who drink regularly or abuse alcohol are more likely to drink excessively and eventually have an alcohol problem. *Low self-esteem - experts say that people with low self-esteem who have alcohol readily available are more likely to abuse it. *Depression - people with depression may deliberately or unwittingly use alcohol as a means of self-treatment. On the other hand, a statistical modeling study suggested that alcohol abuse may lead to depression risk, rather than vice versa. *Media and advertising - in some countries alcohol is portrayed as a glamorous, worldly and cool activity. Many experts believe that alcohol advertising and media coverage of it may convey the message that excessive drinking is acceptable. The Royal College of Physicians is asking for a European Union ban on alcohol advertising to protect children. *How the body processes (metabolizes) alcohol - people who need comparatively more alcohol to achieve an effect have a higher risk of eventually having an alcohol problem, a study carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found. How is alcoholism diagnosed? In the USA a person must meet the criteria laid out in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), published by the APA (American Psychiatric Association). This includes a pattern of alcohol abuse which leads to considerable impairment or distress. The patient should experience at least three of the criteria below during the past 12 months: *Alcohol tolerance - the patient needs a large quantity of alcohol to feel intoxicated. However, when the liver is damaged and cannot metabolize the alcohol so well, this tolerance may drop. Damage to the central nervous system may also reduce tolerance levels. *Withdrawal symptoms - when the patient abstains from alcohol or cuts down he/she experiences tremors, insomnia, nausea or anxiety. Typically, the patient drinks more to avoid these symptoms. *Beyond intentions - the patient ends up drinking more alcohol, or drinks for a longer period than he/she intended. *Unsuccessfully attempting to cut down - the patient is continuously trying to cut down alcohol consumption, but does

Pages: [1] 2 

Add your comment:

Name:
Site address:	http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits (spam protection):