The Truth About Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease. The alcoholic craves an alcoholic beverage as strongly as a person who is hungry craves food, or a person who is thirsty craves a glass of water. There is a genetic connection discovered by scientists who have studied the disease. In other words, alcoholism can run in families; much the same way as other diseases can.
There are other factors that are present just as even though Diabetes may run in your family, not all siblings contract the disease. So, it is with Alcoholism. Not all family members will become alcoholics. The other factors may be the presence of peer pressure, availability of alcohol, etc. It is not true that Alcoholism can be cured.
There is no such accuracy in the thinking that a person who has been drinking for just a short period of time can be cured. The length of time the person has been drinking has nothing to do with the disease being a part of that persons physical makeup. An alcoholic can through professional help and a system of support be able to stay dry/sober over a period of time; but the disease will still be there and the person must always remember that.
Understanding the disease and that there is no cure is an important part of being able to be in control of the disease. Even though there is no cure for Alcoholism, a person can be helped to stop drinking by using the tools of counseling and medications prescribed by a physician who is experienced in treating Alcoholics. Some of the more commonly used prescriptions used to treat Alcoholism are disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. These medications are used to both reduce the occurrence of drinking and to help avoid a relapse into heavy drinking. These medications are also used to foster abstinence in the person who suffers from Alcoholism.
Treatment for Alcoholism is like the treatment for any other chronic disease; there are varying degrees of success. The degrees can vary from total success in that a person undergoes counseling, and medication therapy and never touches a alcoholic beverage again, to someone who experiences several relapses to someone who cannot stay sober despite counseling, support and medications.
There are things that family members, friends and others who care about Alcoholics can do when the person who is suffering refuses to get help. Some of these things are: Do not protect the person by covering up the consequences of their drinking. The person needs to be forced to be responsible for the consequences of his/her disease and the actions they partake in while drinking. Sometimes the court will force a person into a treatment center, this is a difficult way to have help come about; but for some it is a blessing in disguise.
Speak of your concerns to the person as soon as you can following an alcoholic event. Make sure that the person is sober before approaching them, so that they have the ability to understand what is being said. Any discussion should be conducted in privacy and when all involved have had the chance to calm down.
During the discussion there should be a listing of what consequences occurred or what the results of the drinking event were. Be as specific as you can in regard to these results and consequences. Using examples can help the person relate to your concern regarding the drinking problem.
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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It is important to get help for the person suffering from Alcoholism. Have counseling, treatment and support information ready and available when you decide to discuss or confront the person. Discussing and offering information with the alcoholic is called "intervention". It is where you intentionally confront the person with the issues involved in the drinking problem, but in a way that is helping to solve the problem and not just to be critical or as a form of punishment.
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. |
There are support groups for all members of the family of Alcoholics: spouses, significant others, teens and children. These support groups help those close to an alcoholic to understand the disease better and to be able to connect with others who have similar experiences.
Alcoholism in the News
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10/06/2008
Moms dish in a new book (The Wichita Eagle)
Moms are the most fascinating group of multitasking mavens around. So when I met fellow mom/editor, Molly Rosen (a friend of a friend of a friend, and fellow mom), who was compiling a book about women in their 40s, my only question was, "How soon do you need my essay?" From tattoos to affairs, from motherhood to mayhem, from battling alcoholism and eating disorders and everything in between, ...
Moms dish in a new book (The Wichita Eagle)
10/06/2008
Local runner's recovery from alcoholism featured in upcoming book - roanoke.com (Roanoke Times)
Once she was sent to jail, marathon runner Pam Rickard could hide her addiction no longer. During her ascent from the abyss of alcoholism, the refrain from her favorite hymn resonated in her heart. Related Video See video of Pam Rickard Photo gallery See more images of Pam Rickard as she moves through her daily life Resources Pam Rickard said her reason for telling the ...
Local runner's recovery from alcoholism featured in upcoming book - roanoke.com (Roanoke Times)
10/06/2008
October 6th, 2008 (Empire Page)
State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today awarded funding for 12 additional prevention programs in New York to raise awareness of the warning signs of problem gambling.
October 6th, 2008 (Empire Page)
10/06/2008
Hasselhoff a 'falling-down drunk' (The Arizona Republic)
David Hasselhoff is a "falling-down drunk", says his ex-wife.
Hasselhoff a 'falling-down drunk' (The Arizona Republic)
10/06/2008
Mental Health Parity Approved With Bailout Bill (NPR)
The financial bailout President Bush signed last week actually began its legislative life as a bill addressing mental health benefits. The law intended to save Wall Street also requires many businesses to offer mental health coverage equal to that for other illnesses.
Mental Health Parity Approved With Bailout Bill (NPR)
10/06/2008
October 6th, 2008 (Empire Page)
State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today awarded funding for 12 additional prevention programs in New York to raise awareness of the warning signs of problem gambling.
October 6th, 2008 (Empire Page)
10/06/2008
The Amethyst Initiative: Should drinking age be lowered? (The Record Searchlight)
Dear Straight Talk: I am the daughter and granddaughter of alcoholics. As a recovering alcoholic, I haven't had a drink in 21 years. So far, two of my children have the disease of alcoholism. My 16-year-old daughter spent time in a locked-down psych ward for attempted suicide, followed by drug and alcohol treatment. Today she's clean and sober. My 26-year-old son is also sober after a ...
The Amethyst Initiative: Should drinking age be lowered? (The Record Searchlight)
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