FollowText.com » Personal-development » Alcohol Problems - Halt your issue with drinking

Alcohol Problems - Halt your issue with drinking

by: DavidPeters
Total views: 15 | Word Count: 906

When a person has unhealthy drinking habits, like drinking too much in one sitting or drinking every day, this can be qualified as alcohol abuse. It can affect many aspects of people's lives, leading to dependence. Dependence on alcohol is also termed alcoholism. This is when a person cannot control the amount they drink and can't quit, even if they try. They have become completely addicted to alcohol, and feel they cannot live without it. It is extremely unhealthy, physically and mentally, as once people became addicted to alcohol, it is very difficult to stop.

The physiological aspects of alcohol dependence are associated with a much greater potential for medical problems such as acute alcohol withdrawal. The first criteria usually associated with alcohol dependence are considered to be tolerance and alcohol withdrawal. The remaining criteria usually are defined as behavioral and cognitive dimensions of alcohol dependence including impaired control when an individual consumes larger amounts of alcohol over longer periods of time than they intend to, and when persistent desires or unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control drinking are not successful despite knowledge of a persistent recurrent physical or psychological problem, and alcohol use becoming incredibly important to the individual, including spending a great deal of time drinking, recovering from its effects, or when important social and occupational activities are given up or reduced because of drinking. These are all key criteria in the diagnosis of alcohol dependence.

Alcohol withdrawal is a condition that follows a reduction in alcohol consumption or when an alcohol dependent individual stops drinking abruptly. In addition to a high level of distress, alcohol withdrawal is also associated with impairment in social, occupational, and other areas of an individual's functioning. Relatively uncomplicated cases of alcohol withdrawal are usually characterized by signs and symptoms of autonomic hyperactivity, and could possibly include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hyperthermia, tremor, nausea, vomiting, insomnia and frequently anxiety.

Teens are often very susceptible to the lure of alcohol. According to a 2004 survey of high school students by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75% of high school students have at least tried alcohol. Many of them have had episodes of heavy drinking. It is a known fact that a leading death factor in teen-related car accidents is alcohol. Alcohol can affect the way the brain functions, especially the areas controlling decision-making and emotions, meaning that growth and development can be greatly hindered in teens if they drink alcohol. Memory and learning abilities can be affected, harming a teen's performance in school. The worst danger is that use of alchol in a teen can progress to abuse, and perhaps to addiction.

Family risk factors for teenagers developing drinking problems include low parent supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental discipline, and a family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Individual risk factors include problems managing impulses, emotional instability, thrill-seeking behaviors, and perceiving the risk of using alcohol to be low. Girls who drink, as well as teens who begin drinking prior to the age of 14 years and those whose mothers have drinking problems, are more likely to develop alcoholism. Teen risk factors for alcoholism differ a bit between the 14- to 16-year-old and 16- to 18-year-old age groups, in that the latter tend to be less likely to drink in excess when they have a close relationship with their mothers.

Alcohol abuse is often associated with medical illness, which frequently becomes a common consequence of heavy drinking and also may occur in the absence of alcohol dependence. Early in the course of drinking, some individual's alcohol abuse problems may show no physical or laboratory abnormalities, but as drinking continues problems begin to manifest themselves in many of the body's organ systems. Obviously, a physical examination is necessary if there is any indication whatsoever of any medical problems. This physical examination will include important information about the presence and also the extent of any organ damage, and should be geared toward examining the organ systems most vulnerable to alcohol abuse including: the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal system, and the central and peripheral nervous systems. The physician will also be alert to other possible concerns related to alcohol such as alcohol withdrawal or delirium, intoxication or withdrawal from other drugs, and the acute presentation of psychological problems. Other nonspecific or systemic health problems associated with alcohol abuse include malnutrition, muscle wasting, specific vitamin deficiencies, infectious diseases (such as tuberculosis, dermatitis, pediculosis, and hepatitis), and trauma secondary to fights and accidents.

The management of alcohol withdrawal through detoxification is an incredibly important initial intervention for a significant number of alcohol dependent people. The objective of alcohol withdrawal is maintaining some comfort as the alcoholic goes through the early stages of treatment, the prevention of treatment complications, and preparing the individual for alcohol rehabilitation. The successful management of alcohol withdrawal is an important aspect of preparing an individual for subsequent efforts at alcohol rehabilitation. Social detoxification which involves the non pharmacological treatment of alcohol withdrawal has also been shown to be effective. This involves frequent reassurance, reality orientation, personal attention, monitoring of vital signs and general nursing care. Social detoxification is most appropriate for individuals with mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Many individuals have significant medical problems associated with alcoholism which substantially complicate therapy, so it is absolutely essential that therapists refer those individuals whose conditions require medical management.

About the Author

Find out how to Stop Abusing Alcohol Written by Ed Philips and Quit Alcohol Today.

Alcohol Problems - Halt your issue with drinking

About the Author

More Articles from: Personal Development