Key Alcohol Info

image: doctor holding hand of alcoholic image: female jogger depressed over drinking image: nurse checking old female alcoholic image:  old female alcoholic looking lost
 

Do You Have An Alcohol Problem?

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image: businessman in pain over a hangover How do you identify the fact that you have an alcohol problem?  When is it apparent that you are involving yourself in excessive drinking?  How does a person really know if he or she is a "problem drinker"?  When is the "correct" time to address your drinking problems and get the alcohol treatment you need?

If you have ineffectively struggled to discontinue your drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are gone and then you realized that you were drinking in an excessive way just a few days later, the probability is exceptionally good that you have an alcohol problem.

The fundamental idea is that if you have attempted to quit drinking and cannot get this done, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

In a similar manner, if it takes increasingly more amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to realize that you have a drinking problem.

Your Explanation for Drinking

You may be telling yourself that you drink so that you can lessen your tension or get rid of the sorrow that you feel.  Likewise, you may be trying to stay away from an unsafe circumstance and may be looking for something more beneficial, more positive, or less regretful in your life.

If you keep on drinking in an excessive manner, however, you will eventually grasp the fact that drinking does not bring about the same high and you will also comprehend that drinking doesn’t help do away with whatever triggered your sadness in the first place.

As you continue to drink in a hazardous way, regrettably, you may become alcohol dependent and, as a result, you may add another difficult issue to manage rather than finding more productive and wholesome ways of dealing with your alcohol induced predicament.

The Need for an Alcohol Evaluation

image: young woman suffering from alcohol related headacheIf you have determined that you have a drinking problem, perchance the most positive thing you can do for yourself is to call your doctor or healthcare practitioner and arrange for an appointment for a complete physical and for an appraisal of your drinking behavior.

In fact, if you really think that you have a serious drinking problem, it may also be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you might need to get alcohol therapy.

When considering your situation at this juncture, what are your alternatives?  You can unquestionably decide against seeing your doctor and carry on with your pattern of abusive drinking, or you can own up to the fact that you are a "problem drinker," and get the rehab or counseling you need.

It really doesn’t take a genius, nonetheless, to have a handle on the fact that chronic, abusive drinking, if left untreated, will go downhill over time, almost certainly lead to ill health, and could potentially result in an early death.  For these reasons, your most beneficial option is to face your drinking problems and obtain the alcohol counseling that you need.

According to the substance abuse research literature, the three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides and alcohol abuse is a leading factor in all three fatality types.

The Facade of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Person

It is somewhat peculiar to note the fact that multitudes of problem drinkers who are alcoholics lead eventful and dynamic lives and have vehicles, jobs, pets, houses, families, and numerous possessions just like people who are not addicted to alcohol.

image: male ad for alcohol and drug rehab

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been apprehended for a DWI and may have been lucky enough to avoid all alcohol-related legal problems.  Despite these fortunate circumstances, however, these problem drinkers need to drink in order to deal with life on a day-to-day basis while keeping up their facade as they interact with the outside world.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they have the shakes or when they have passed out due to extreme drunkenness or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol addiction, however, and they will be quick to reveal the reality of the drinker's situation, the particulars about the alcohol dependent person’s drinking predicament, and the truth about his or her alcohol-related issues.

A number of personality traits have been correlated with drinking greater amounts of alcohol and drinking more frequently, including sensation-seeking—or the tendency to seek out new and exciting experiences, risk-taking, and impulsivity.

Why Do Alcohol Dependent Individuals Fail to See Their Drinking Problems?

As the medical and alcoholism research literature has underlined, no matter how obvious the alcohol generated difficulties seem to those who interact with the alcohol addicted individual, problem drinkers and alcohol addicted individuals usually deny that drinking is the cause of their alcohol generated predicaments.  Not only this, but people with a drinking problem and alcohol dependent people often blame their alcohol-related issues on other individuals or upon other circumstances around them instead of seeing their part in their predicament.

It may be difficult to acknowledge, but the source of the issue is that alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain.  What is more, once the problem drinker has become addicted to alcohol, he or she commonly resorts to denial, manipulation, and deceit as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control.

And to make the situation worse, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often circumvents the alcohol dependent person’s rare attempts to stop drinking.  As dismal as the alcohol addicted individual’s existence is, nevertheless, the positive news is that quality help is usually accessible – if the alcohol dependent individual admits his drinking problem and reaches out and seeks alcoholism rehabilitation.

Substance abuse researchers in one study found that the largest group of alcoholics in the United States are young adults. 20% of these problem drinkers were found to be highly functional and more than half do not have a family history of alcoholism.

Do You Have an Alcohol Problem: Conclusion

Realizing that drinking is producing several difficulties in your day to day functioning is probably the simplest way to determine if you have drinking problems.  Stated differently, if your drinking is leading to issues with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you more likely than not have quite a few drinking problems that need to be addressed.

It is also important to emphasize the fact that if you have alcohol problems, this means that you are probably engaging in hazardous drinking.

While some problem drinkers may be able to detect their drinking difficulties and substantially diminish the quantity and frequency of their drinking, other individuals, nevertheless, need to deal with their alcohol problems by getting professional alcohol treatment.

The issue at hand is this: if you have an alcohol problem, it is without a doubt in your best interest to get the finest alcohol rehabilitation you can afford so that your drinking problems don’t end up ruining your life and negatively affecting the lives of your family members.

image: female ad for alcohol and drug rehab

Alcoholism research has shown that participation in support groups, combined with other treatment efforts, is more effective in helping alcoholics remain sober than participating in treatment by itself. For problem drinkers who do not prefer a 12-step approach (characteristic of Alcoholics Anonymous, for instance) many other kinds of support groups are available.

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The following three drugs have been approved in the U.S. for the treatment of alcoholism.  First, Naltrexone (Revia). This medication blocks the effects of alcohol in the brain and reduces the craving for alcohol that is experienced by virtually every alcohol dependent person. Second, Antabuse (disulfiram).  This medication functions as a deterrent and a form of "relapse prevention" against drinking by making the individual feel nausea and flu-like symptoms if he or she drinks any alcohol.  And third, Acamprosate (Campral).  This medication relieves the discomfort and distress alcohol dependent individuals suffer when they quit drinking.

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