ALCOHOL ABUSE AND RECOVERY INFORMATION

Going through the unearthed recipes starting from even those of 4300 BC the realization comes that popularity of alcohol has been continuing unabated all along the chapters of human civilization.  In those periods too when prohibition was in force, that popularity remained undiminished.  Further, no slackening of that trend is noticeable in the current scenario. It is therefore the time now to take stock of the risks associated with drinking of alcohol beyond limit and that too as a routine.

By alcohol what do we understand?

One of the byproducts of combination of yeast with sugar is alcohol. Ethanol is its real chemical name while for human consumption there is no other form of alcohol that can be marked ‘safe’.

Various fermentation modes have developed different types of drinks. The majority of the people of this time can drink alcohol smoothly and without any troubles developing out of that. But if drinking goes beyond limit quantitatively and/or that continues for long at one stretch, troubles can arise.     

By alcohol problem what do we mean?

An alcohol problem can be defined as one resulting from the failure to exert check on the quantity of alcohol taken. A number of reasons can be the cause behind:

1)     Having successfully passed through a period without alcohol one feels strong desires and the pressing necessity to go back to drinking.

2)     Incapacity to regulate the quantity drunk on a particular day or night as the case might be.

3)     When one remains without alcohol for longer than normal period physical sensations such as shakiness and anxiety appear and these are known as withdrawal symptoms. 

4) To have the same feeling when one has to increase the quantity of alcohol consumption and this condition is known as tolerance.

An alcohol problem-what are the symptoms?

 

The sufferer may not necessarily feel the pinch of an alcohol problem. He/she has some difficulty also to admit the presence of a problem. A few of the symptoms of a likely alcohol problem are:

¨       Problems related to work or job

ü       Becoming late in attendance

ü       Taking too much off / too frequent illness

ü       Drinking too much during lunch break

¨       Symptoms of physical nature

ü       Headaches

ü       Nausea

ü       Sweating

ü       Palpitations

ü       Shakiness

¨       Symptoms of psychological nature Insomnia

ü       Insomnia

ü       Nightmares

ü       Anxiety

ü       Blackouts

ü       Agitation

ü       Personality changes

q       The shy is now filled with confidence

q       A calm and quiet person now bursts into anger

¨       Problems concerned with family matters

ü       Becomes argumentative in nature

ü       Hides bottles etc. related to drinking

ü       Becomes irritable

ü       Feels guilty about drinking habit

ü       Hates talking about alcohol related matters

¨       Problems of social importance

ü       Criminal acts resulting from drinks

q       Engages in fighting or assaults others

q       Drives under influence of drink or DUI

ü       Continues drinking even after identification of the problem

Availing treatment for alcohol problems cure

 

Identification of alcohol problems is not at all difficult if only the affected person is not dishonest to hide facts, and the next important point is that there are different treatments within reach now. Normally Alcoholics Anonymous and their 122-step plan and meetings come first into the mind of concerned people in this connection. Besides the above other methods too exist.

To free someone from the grip of alcohol a doctor or a physician is now equipped with 2 drugs, antabuse and naltrexone to be precise. It is also possible for the medical professionals to help identify and treat any fundamental problem that could be actually behind alcoholism. 

Another very effective tool is of course counseling or cognitive behavior therapy. Not only the affected person, but his family members as well can take part in the treatment procedures.

Trimming down in a gradual and regular manner the quantity drunk is a method of high popularity rating. To bring down alcohol consumption to safe levels is the aim of this method. The boundary level is 2 drinks per day for men while for women it is 1 drink per day.