FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 1
Many people who have relatives, friends or work colleagues who are alcoholics want answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about alcoholism in order that they can understand the disease better. Let us shed some light on some of these frequently asked questions. What kind of a drug is alcohol? Alcohol is a depressant that serves to slow down the work of the central nervous system and by so doing, it impairs a person’s judgement and memory, decreases their motor coordination, decreases their intellectual performance as well as decreasing their ability to react quickly to external stimuli. When alcohol is consumed in extremely large doses it can be devastating to the respiratory system because it slows down and then can cause the drinker to fall into a coma or to die very suddenly. First of all, what is alcoholism exactly? Alcoholism is, "A disease that includes the craving for alcohol and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job, or getting into trouble with the law." Alcoholism is often referred to as "alcohol dependence syndrome" and the four main characteristics of it are craving, loss of control, physical dependence and tolerance. What exactly are the four main characteristics of alcoholism? A craving for alcohol is a compulsion or a very strong need to consume alcohol while loss of control refers to the repetitive inability to cease drinking once it has started. A person has become physically dependent on alcohol when they experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, shakiness and sweating after a long bout of drinking, which is often called a binge. Often the symptoms that accompany physical dependency can be relieved by consuming another form of a sedating drug or else by consuming more alcohol. Finally the more an individual drinks, the greater their tolerance to alcohol becomes. Did You Know
How common is alcoholism throughout the United States? There are an estimated 14 million individual presently residing in the United States who either abuse alcohol on a regular basis or are deemed alcoholics. This works out to be every one in three adults. The highest rates of alcohol dependency appear to be in young adults ranging from the age of 18 to 29 years of age while the lowest rates are for those adults who are 65 years of age and older. In regards to the many ethnic groups residing in the United States, the rates vary although no current research points to alcoholism being any higher in one group in relation to others. There are several million other adults in the United States who may not be alcoholics but are still problem drinkers.
Interesting Facts
What are some of the effects on the body that alcoholism causes?
Those who are heavy drinkers are more prone to certain types of cancer, in particular those that develop in the throat, the larynx (or voice box), the liver and the esophagus. Heavy drinkers are also prone to the development of cirrhosis of the liver, which is fatal. Brain damage can occur as a result of alcoholism as can high blood pressure, an increased chance of a heart attack or stroke and problems with the functioning of the immune system. Women who consume alcohol during their pregnancies increase their chances of doing harm to their developing fetuses. These disastrous health effects are only the tip of the iceberg of the harem that alcohol can wreak on the body.
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