Alcoholism-What you didn’t know

If you don’t take quick action about your alcohol consumption alcoholism will chain you down

It is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic beverages or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. It intrudes into a person’s life with very negligible or no notice at all because normally consumers of this substance majorly take it for pleasure and then in its own will graduates to other unintended levels. Therefore it’s not always easy to see when your drinking has crossed the line from moderate or social use to problem drinking. But you can be rest assured that if you consume alcohol to cope with difficulties or to avoid feeling bad, you’re in potentially dangerous territory. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can sneak up on you, so it’s important to be aware of the warning signs and take steps to cut back if you recognize them. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it and this is going to be our focus point in this article.

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk, because alcohol may be used to self-medicate.

How then do you get to know if you have a drinking problem? Most of the drinking problem indicators come from the consumers themselves? The following are some of the observations you may be interested in

• Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.
• Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.
• Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.
• Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
• “Black out” or forget what you did while you were drinking.
• Regularly drink more than you intended to.

Since drinking is so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social drinking and problem drinking. The bottom line is how alcohol affects you. If your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse

Alcohol production is a big industry the world over and so many brewers will not openly tell you the truth about the contents and ingredients in their product 100%. Many at times they will only tell you what is good for your ears and add to their profit. I will tell you decisively some of the obvious symptoms you probably have been ignoring so that you can take care of yourself. They include:

• Repeated neglect of your responsibilities at home, work, or school because of your drinking. For example, performing poorly at work, flunking classes, neglecting your kids, or skipping out on commitments because you’re hung over.
• Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with prescription medication against doctor’s orders.
• Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking. For example, getting arrested for driving under the influence or for drunk and disorderly conduct.
• Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships. Getting drunk with your buddies, for example, even though you know your wife will be very upset, or fighting with your family because they dislike how you act when you drink.
• Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress. Many drinking problems start when people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress. Getting drunk after every stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an argument with your spouse or boss.

The path from alcohol abuse to alcoholism

It should be noted that not all alcohol abusers become full-blown alcoholics, but it is a big risk factor. Sometimes alcoholism develops suddenly in response to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Other times, it gradually creeps up on you as your tolerance to alcohol increases. If you’re a binge drinker or you drink every day, the risks of developing alcoholism are greater.

Signs and symptoms of alcoholism

Alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. It involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but it also involves another element: physical dependence on alcohol. If you rely on alcohol to function or feel physically compelled to drink, you’re an alcoholic.

Tolerance

You need to ask yourself these questions.

• Do you have to drink a lot more than you used to in order to get buzzed or to feel relaxed?
• Can you drink more than other people without getting drunk?

If the answer to this question is yes then they are signs of tolerance, which can be an early warning sign of alcoholism. Tolerance means that, over time, you need more and more alcohol to feel the same effects.

Withdrawal

Do you need a drink to steady the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and a huge red flag. When you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if it’s taken away. These include:

• Anxiety
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Headache

In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. These symptoms can be dangerous, so talk to your doctor if you are a heavy drinker and want to quit.

Other signs and symptoms of alcoholism (alcohol dependence)

• You’ve lost control over your drinking. You often drink more alcohol than you wanted to, for longer than you intended, or despite telling yourself you wouldn’t.
• You want to quit drinking, but you can’t. You have a persistent desire to cut down or stop your alcohol use, but your efforts to quit have been unsuccessful.
• You have given up other activities because of alcohol. You’re spending less time on activities that used to be important to you (hanging out with family and friends, going to the gym, pursuing your hobbies) because of your alcohol use.
• Alcohol takes up a great deal of your energy and focus. You spend a lot of time drinking, thinking about it, or recovering from its effects. You have few if any interests or social involvements that don’t revolve around drinking.
• You drink even though you know it’s causing problems. For example, you recognize that your alcohol use is damaging your marriage, making your depression worse, or causing health problems, but you continue to drink anyway.

If the description above suits you, then you need see and be handled by the touch of an expert, and that is where AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care comes in.  Doctor Dalal Akoury the founder of this facility is an expert who focuses on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. You are only a clique away to full recovery with doctor Akoury.

Alcoholism-What you didn’t know