Information on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
Information On Alcohol Abuse
It’s important to have information on alcohol abuse and alcoholism if you think that you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or alcoholism. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to get the proper treatment if you don’t know what you’re dealing with.
The following behaviors are some of the main characteristics of alcohol abuse and alcoholism:
- Having a strong urge to drink (commonly referred to as a craving)
- The inability to stop drinking once you’ve started
- Needing larger amounts of alcohol to feel the effects
- Lying about your alcohol use – how much and how often
- Promising yourself you won’t drink, and drinking anyway just moments later
- Signs of physical dependence on alcohol including shakiness, sweating, nausea, and anxiety
It is generally agreed that alcoholism is a disease. The general thinking is that this disease has no cure. It is said that even if an alcoholic doesn’t drink for years, they are still considered to be an alcoholic. That is because that person could have a relapse if they were to have even one drink. The best way to avoid relapse is to not drink at all. Information on alcohol abuse shows that it often follows a predictable course. Becoming an alcoholic is often a result of your genes and your lifestyle.
Alcohol and drug abuse information shows that your risk of developing alcohol abuse behavior or alcoholism is greater if you have an alcoholic family member. People may have a genetic predisposition for becoming problem drinkers.
The lifestyle components of alcoholism refer to the people you associate with, where and how you live, your cultural background, the ease with which alcohol can be obtained, and the degree of stress in your life.
Having a genetic predisposition to alcoholism doesn’t mean that you will become an alcoholic or a problem drinker. Conversely, people without a genetic predisposition can become alcoholics.
However, it is useful to know if you have family members who were or are alcoholics so that you can take extra care to protect yourself from exacerbating the risk of becoming an alcoholic. For example, some people who know that they have many alcoholics or addicts in the family never start drinking to begin with. Others who drink make sure that they are very aware of how much and how often they drink.
More Information on Alcoholism, & Treatment
Even though information on alcohol abuse indicates that alcoholism is a disease that can’t be cured, it can certainly be treated. No matter where you live, you are likely located near some type of treatment program. This might be an inpatient facility, outpatient facility, or even just alcoholics anonymous meetings.
While treatment for alcoholism can be very effective for many people, not everyone is helped. Some people stop drinking altogether and never take another drink again. Some people remain sober for long periods of time but then have relapses. Others cannot stop drinking for very long at all, sometimes not at all. Treatment, however, is your best chance at becoming sober and staying sober. Statistics show that the longer someone goes without drinking, the better the chance that they will remain sober indefinitely.
Please see the treatment section of this website for information, or feel free to send in a question if you need help finding information.