Some Facts About Alcoholism

 

Alcoholism is a problem that affects a vast cross-section of society.

It is a type of illness that doesnt affect one particular race or social group, and it can be a real problem for both the individual with the problem as well as their close friends and family members.

In this article, well work towards increasing your knowledge about alcoholism so that you can better know some of the risks of disease. 

Alcoholism is a type of disease that is diagnosed when an individual is experiencing four separate symptoms; the first symptom is an insatiable craving to drink alcohol. The second is a loss of control with respects to alcohol, when an individual is unable to limit the quantity of alcohol that they are consuming.

The third symptom is actually a type of physical dependence that an individuals body has become accustomed to. When the individual tries not to drink, they experience physical problem such as nausea, sweating and shakiness.

A high tolerance is the fourth symptom of an alcoholic, since the more that an individual abuses alcohol, the more built-up the bodys resistances to the alcohol gets.

Alcohol is one of the most widely abused substances on the planet.

Caffeine is the other most commonly abused type of drug. Studies have shown that approximately fifteen percent of the American population have a problem with drinking, with between five and ten percent of all male drinkers being problem drinkers and three to five percent of female drinkers being problem drinkers. This adds up to approximately fourteen million alcoholics in the United States alone.

In addition to the damage that a case of alcoholism can cause to ones social life and family structure, the damage that it does to the individuals body can be equally as terrible.

Alcoholics often develop a case of liver disease which may result in cirrhosis of the liver. The muscles of the heart are also often damaged when an individual abuses alcohol.

About twenty percent of teenagers have a problem with drinking. A case of problem drinking in an adolescent is particularly troubling because the lack of knowledge that young people have about alcohol often leads them to make poor decisions, resulting in accidents, reckless behavior, or problems with the law.

Habits that are created at a young age also tend to stay with an individual for life, so its important to make sure that your child is not developing a drinking problem early in their life.

 Did You Know

 

Women process alcohol differently than men. Women who are alcoholics or even occasionally drink too much alcohol face much greater health risks than men who drink the same amounts.

Women who drink will get drunk faster than men get and become addicted to alcohol faster than men become. Although men are more likely to drink alcohol and drink in larger amounts, gender differences in body structure and chemistry cause women to absorb more alcohol, and take longer to break it down and remove.

In other words, upon drinking equal amounts, women have higher alcohol levels in their blood than men, and the immediate effects occur more quickly and last longer. These differences also make women more vulnerable to alcohol’s long-term effects on their health. 

Research has shown that they also suffer the consequences of abuse-related illnesses a lot quicker than men do.  The effects on the liver are more severe for women than for men and women have a higher risk of having alcohol-related liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.  Proportionately, more women die of alcohol related cirrhosis than men do.

Some alcohol-related illnesses that female alcoholics are at risk for include heart disease, ulcers, reproductive problems, pancreatitis, memory loss, and osteoporosis.  

In the late stages of alcoholism, women can develop hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition faster than men according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

Several recent research projects have determined that excessive alcohol consumption in women can result in breast cancer and different cancers of the digestive tract.  

A recent study showed that women who drink two to five alcoholic drinks per day have a 41 percent increase in their risk of getting breast cancer.  Research has shown that excessive drinking in women actually causes the brain to shrink. 

 

 
 
Studies have shown that a full forty percent of children who start drinking before they turn fifteen will become alcoholics at one point in their lives.
 
On any given day, as many as seven hundred thousand individuals receive some form of treatment for a case of alcoholism.
 
This type of statistic clearly shows exactly how widespread the problem of alcoholism is and how it affects our society on a whole.
 
Alcoholism is a problem that isnt going anywhere, but it is important to remember that people are successful in eliminating a personal problem with alcoholism every day. Its not an unbeatable problem if you work hard at it!
 
Interesting Facts

If a family member is worrying you with their behavor when they are drinking, make arrangements so that you have a safe place to go when their drinking gets out of hand.
 
On any given day, as many as seven hundred thousand individuals receive some form of treatment for a case of alcoholism.
 
This type of statistic clearly shows exactly how widespread the problem of alcoholism is and how it affects our society on a whole.
 
Alcoholism is a problem that isnt going anywhere, but it is important to remember that people are successful in eliminating a personal problem with alcoholism every day. Its not an unbeatable problem if you work hard at it!

 

 
 alcohol affects
 

Better Your Health

Site Map
What is the Attraction To Alcohol
Alcoholism is a Widespread Problem
◦ The Difference Between Alcohol Dependence And Alcohol Abuse
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 1
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 2
◦ A Brief Summary Regarding Alcoholism
◦ Alcohol Abuse and the College Campus
◦ The Brain And Alcohol
◦ Health Risks For Women Alcoholics
◦ Holiday Survival Guide For The Alcoholic
◦ How A Child See's Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Detoxification Steps
◦ Alcoholism and the Workplace
◦ The Children of Alcoholics
◦ Common Questions About Alcoholism
◦ Tests for Alcohol Use
◦ Do All Alcoholics Need a Rehab Center
◦ The Dangers and Penalties Of Drinking and Driving
◦ The War On Drunk Driving
◦ How To Determine When Someone Needs Professional Help
◦ Some Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
◦ Diet Hints To Assist With Alcoholism Withdrawal
◦ Helping Someone To Overcome Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Risk Is Linked to Early Aged Drinking
◦ A Portrait Of An Alcoholic
◦ The Symptoms of Alcoholism
◦ Basic Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Hard Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Cautions Concerning Non Alcoholic Beer
◦ The College Campus And Alcoholism
◦ Dangers of Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 1-6
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 6-12
◦ What Causes An Alcoholic Blackout
◦ New Shot to Treat Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism's Physical Effects
◦ Group Support For Alcoholism
◦ Threats From Alcoholism
◦ The Truth About Alcoholism
◦ Treating The Three Main Issues In Alcoholism
◦ Treatments for Alcoholism
◦ Vitamins and Supplements For The Alcoholic
◦ Recovering From Alcoholism
◦ Help Your Teen Avoid Becoming An Alcoholic
◦ What Is Alcholism
◦ Family Members Drinking Too Much
◦ Explain Alcoholism
◦ Who Are The Alcoholics
◦ Women Fighting The Consequences of Alcoholism
◦ Al Anon Support For The Alcoholic's Family
◦ Health Consequences Of Alcoholism
◦ Medications Used For Treating Alcoholism
◦ Screening Tests For Alcoholism
◦ What Is The Difference Between Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
◦ What the Bible Says About Alcohol Abuse
◦ How to Stop Drinking Alcohol without AA
◦ The Truth About Alcoholics Anonymous
◦ Alcoholism - Curable or Just Controllable
◦ The Causes of Alcoholism
◦ So How Much Drinking Really Is Too Much?
◦ Is Alcoholism Hereditary
◦ What Children Need to Know About Alcohol
◦ How to Recognize When Children are Drinking
◦ What You Need to Know about how to Set Up an Intervention for an Alcoholic
◦ How to Quit Drinking Without Gaining Weight