A Brief Summary Regarding Alcoholism
What is the overall outlook of alcoholism on the average? What basic information would be useful for you to consider? Take a look at this information and you decide what you need to research further.
Some information shows that with Americans somewhere around 12-14 million would be medically considered to have a drinking disorder. While an estimated 17% or more Americans have abused alcohol in their lifetime thus far.
Furthermore, many adult drinkers believe that they have a relative who has a drinking condition. The resulting health problems from drinking in the United States can lead to an overall increase in hospital stays among problem drinkers and there are deaths in the million related to excessive drinking.
Some alcohol related problems which result in hospital stays include:
* Accidents
* Obesity
* Liver disease
* Stomach problems
* High blood pressure
This is just to name a few.... Now consider the fact that the drinking of an alcoholic beverage even at a low dose can impair judgment and coordination. While the moderate drinking of alcohol has short term effects of: * Dizziness ......
And as you advance to an increased dose of alcohol the short term but immediate effects are:
* Nausea
* vomiting
* slurred speech
* disrupted sleep
* Hangovers
While some long term affects of heavy drinking over a prolonged period of time are:
* Addiction
* Organ damage
* Malnutrition
* Ulcers
* Cancer
* Irritation of the gastrointestinal tract
* High blood pressure
And there are still more long term effects.... Furthermore, women do not metabolize alcohol as well as men because women have less alcohol metabolizing enzymes in their stomach. This is related to alcohol dehydrogenase. Additionally, women are more prone to develop cirrhosis of the liver and will have more alcohol related health issues.
While a normally healthy 150 pound man can metabolize 7 to 14 g of alcohol in one hour. This is equal to six to 12 oz. of beer. However there are a few benefits attributed to drinking alcohol but only a few such as: Women who drink some alcohol have been known to have higher bone mineral density than women who do not drink.
People who drink and have heart disease have been helped because good cholesterol HDL acts in a protective way against heart disease. All in all alcohol consumption does more harm than it does good. So by drinking less or by stopping totally the consumption of alcohol you will receive many more benefits than drinking for your healths sake.
Did You Know
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Alcoholism is a progressive and potentially fatal disease. Alcoholism itself is not curable but it is possible to recover completely. Recovering from alcohol is to abstain from all forms of alcoholic beverages and medications that contain alcohol such as cough medicines.
Alcoholism is considered a chronic illness. As with any chronic illness, it affects entire families. As a result, the recovery process also affects the entire family and network of friends of the alcoholic. The good news is that these people can serve as a good support network to enable the alcoholic to abstain from drinking alcohol. The same way a family would support a chronically ill person is how the alcoholic should be treated because alcoholism is chronic.
Anyone who is an alcoholic will be an alcoholic for the rest of his or her lives. Even though there is no cure for alcoholism, there is hope for the alcoholic. That is where recovery comes in – the abstinence from all alcohol on the part of the addicted person. This is where the control part of the disease comes into play. It is important to be able to control the desire to have alcohol and to choose not to drink it. Unfortunately, the sheer nature of being an alcoholic is defined by the lack of an ability to control ones drinking. In order to enter the recovery phase and thus control the disease itself, the alcoholic must come to the place where he or she is able and willing to take control and stop reaching for alcohol.
Research has shown that the alcoholic cannot willfully control his drinking and therefore should be abstinent. The alcoholic has to accept responsibility for his addiction and recovery.
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Always remember, alcohol is not to quench your thirst. Alcohol causes your body to lose water. So if you do not replace the water, you will dehydrate. Therefore it is a very good practice when drinking to also drink or sip a cup of water along with your alcoholic beverage. And in order to make this page even more useful to your research you might ask yourself these questions if you are attempting to determine whether you have a drinking condition.
So if you have you ever wondered about her alcohol consumption then below are a few questions to ask yourself.
1. Do you question your consumption of alcohol? Do you question the amount?
2. Do you become defensive when people mention that you might have a drinking problem?
3. When you drink do you have guilty feelings or does it make you uncomfortable?
Interesting Facts
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Alcoholism, regardless of whether the alcoholic totally abstains from alcohol or just drinks in moderation, is a controllable disease.
However, alcoholism is not considered curable because the alcoholic can relapse back into the acute phase of the disease many times with just one drink or one episode of over drinking. |
4. Does a start up alcoholic drink begin your day? Do you need to calm your nerves with a drink? Is the hair of dog needed to chase your hangover away?
In conclusion, this should give you enough information to realize the serious nature of the condition and help you to further explore the disease known as alcoholism.
Alcoholism in the News
08/20/2008
Ney: Abuses will continue despite new ethics law (The Hill)
Former Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that the lobbying bill passed in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal that sent him to prison probably won't stop abuses in Washington.
Ney: Abuses will continue despite new ethics law (The Hill)
08/19/2008
Penny Pritzker Shows Why She Convinced Buffett to Support Obama (Bloomberg via Yahoo! News)
Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Penny Pritzker was driving to Chicago's Midway Airport in June to meet Barack Obama when her cell phone rang.
Penny Pritzker Shows Why She Convinced Buffett to Support Obama (Bloomberg via Yahoo! News)
08/20/2008
Underage Drinking Solution: Make It Legal? (ABC News)
Getting youth drinking out in open would combat dangers of abuse, schools say.
Underage Drinking Solution: Make It Legal? (ABC News)
08/19/2008
Budget Cuts Force Illinois Treatment Programs to Turn Away Clients (Join Together Online)
A 21 percent budget cut at the Illinois Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is taking a heavy toll on funded service providers, many of whom are being forced to slash staff and show qualified clients the door, the Chicago Tribune reported Aug. 18.
Budget Cuts Force Illinois Treatment Programs to Turn Away Clients (Join Together Online)
08/19/2008
Penny Pritzker Shows Why She Convinced Buffett to Support Obama (Bloomberg via Yahoo! News)
Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Penny Pritzker was driving to Chicago's Midway Airport in June to meet Barack Obama when her cell phone rang.
Penny Pritzker Shows Why She Convinced Buffett to Support Obama (Bloomberg via Yahoo! News)
08/20/2008
Underage Drinking Solution: Make It Legal? (ABC News)
Getting youth drinking out in open would combat dangers of abuse, schools say.
Underage Drinking Solution: Make It Legal? (ABC News)
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