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!
Alcoholism in the News
09/05/2008
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
Friday: *Now through Sunday at 1203 Maple Avenue, "Jesus Christ Superstar," the rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. Sunday's matinee starts at 2:30 p.
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
09/04/2008
More off-premise alcohol outlets can lead to more injuries among neighborhood children (EurekAlert!)
( Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research ) Injuries are the leading cause of death among children ages one to 14 in the United States. A first-of-its-kind study shows that numerous off-premise alcohol outlets in neighborhoods can reduce overall guardianship of children's activities, leading to increased injuries.
More off-premise alcohol outlets can lead to more injuries among neighborhood children (EurekAlert!)
09/04/2008
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The more places that sell alcohol in a neighborhood, the greater the number of injuries that occur to children who live there, a new study reports.
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
09/05/2008
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
Friday: *Now through Sunday at 1203 Maple Avenue, "Jesus Christ Superstar," the rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. Sunday's matinee starts at 2:30 p.
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
09/05/2008
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
Friday: *Now through Sunday at 1203 Maple Avenue, "Jesus Christ Superstar," the rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. Sunday's matinee starts at 2:30 p.
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
09/05/2008
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
Friday: *Now through Sunday at 1203 Maple Avenue, "Jesus Christ Superstar," the rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. Sunday's matinee starts at 2:30 p.
EVENTS CALENDAR (Indiana Statesman)
Click here to add this page to your favorites
Print This Page
| 