Alcoholism

Considered a chronic disease, alcoholism is a serious condition that makes your body dependent on alcohol. The American Psychiatric Association reports that 10 million adults have alcoholism. Moreover, nearly 24 percent of Americans may have become dependent or abused alcohol at point in their lives, according to the National Comorbidity Survey. Additionally, 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that alcoholism has affected one or more people in their families.

Moderate or so-called “social drinking” has not proven to be harmful for most adults. Moderate or “social drinking” is considered up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink is calculated as a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, or liquor. However, excessive or repetitive drinking can lead to alcohol abuse and life-affecting consequences for yourself and those around you.

The quantity of drinks is often a misleading characteristic of alcoholism. Often, some think because they do not drink a lot, they may not be abusing alcohol. However, health professionals link the disease with other factors such as how long one has been drinking, how the drinking has affected the person’s behavior, if the drinking has led to health problems and the patterns of drinking in everyday life. For instance, signs of alcoholism are the habit of not remembering events or conversions known as “blacking out;” being unable to control the amount of alcohol you drink; drinking in secret; feeling a necessary need to drink; hiding drinking from your family; and irritability when alcohol is not available. Those with alcoholism also tend to have a high tolerance causing them to order more alcohol to achieve the state of drunkenness desired or to feel “right.”

Health care and psychiatric professionals also find that those affected with alcoholism drink before and after normal life activities (work, events, family occasions) in order to adapt to situations. Those affected with the disease often hide alcohol in places like their car, work place or around the home and drink during inappropriate times. Serious problems with relationships, career, family, everyday responsibilities, finances and legal troubles have all been reported as common and serious consequences of a person’s battle with alcoholism. Physical symptoms are common with alcoholism as well, including sweating, nausea and irritability when you cannot drink.

People who think they might have alcoholism are commonly asked questions about their level of dependence on the substance. Those questions might include: Are you constantly thinking you need to cut back on your drinking, yet cannot seem to achieve this goal? Do you need a drink as soon as you wake up, or to fall asleep? Are you defensive and irritable when people draw attention or comment on your drinking habits? Is your drinking leading to serious issues with family, work or relationships?

There are serious health problems associated with alcoholism. As one continues to drink habitually, at the beginning you may feel elated, but the alcohol sedates your body and affects your central nervous system. It lowers your judgment, impairs speech and muscle coordination. Drinking in excess can also cause chronic fatigue and irritability. The disease has also been linked to short-term memory loss. Other common health problems among those with alcoholism are liver disorders such as alcoholic hepatitis, gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular issues and heighted risk of cancer. Women who drink during pregnancy may cause certain birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome, which can lead to physical deformities and development problems.

Many people deny they have a problem with drinking. But, alcoholism is a real disease affecting millions of Americans that has serious consequences. Those who think they may be affected by alcoholism should seek medical help.