Alcohol Abuse Advice

What are The Key Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism and Why Does It Affect Me?

Alcoholism is a disease that effects brain chemistry in the body and as such it is far more difficult to give up drinking than many think. Many think that because they only drink beer or wine they aren’t in fact alcoholics or that they only drink at weekends so again they cannot be alcoholic. This is a myth as alcohol is a drug and as with any drug if you abuse its use you will have side effects and alcohol is no different. Drinking wine or beer merely means that you drink more of it and weekend drinking is binge drinking where you consume large quantities in a short period of time. All symptoms of alcohol abuse.

 

So what can trigger alcoholism?

 

There are many triggers that can turn someone into an alcoholic. Social drinking has been woven into the social fabric of our culture and a lot of people enjoy the social life of bars ,clubs and pubs as a meeting place to unwind and share a drink with good company however there is a downside to this as alcohol abuse affects not only your health but your family and friends and society itself. There is a fine balance and it is a fact that these days the balance is being tipped over towards alcohol abuse as social and peer pressures upon people increase. This can be hard to identify in cases of depression, anxiety or loneliness, grief or even family history.

 

Family history plays its part and although not proven it is thought that if you have a family history of alcoholism there is a greater risk of alcohol abuse.

 

Alcohol can in some cases worsen some mental illnesses and even create new ones too so it needs to be taken with care if there is history of mental illness within your family.

 

Peer pressure is becoming an increasing source of alcohol abuse especially amongst younger adults as we feel that we may not be accepted into a group if we don’t drink as heavily as they do or as frequently either. Sometimes works parties and social gatherings make you feel pressured into drinking more than you would normally do adding to the pressure.

 

One of the major causes is stress or a huge life change as many of us simply haven’t got the life skills to cope with these major changes and the result is a turn to alcohol to help to relieve the pressure. A mistake of course as alcohol will never get you through your trauma or stressful situation.

 

So how can you tell if someone is suffering with alcoholism, luckily there are some basic patterns that can help to identify the suffering.

 

The first sign is that drinking takes over their life and becomes more important than anything else, family, friends or their job even. Another sign is the effect it has on them physically and emotionally which can often impair judgement to sometimes dangerous levels.

 

Once the alcohol abuse turns into alcoholism it is called alcohol dependency or addiction and in this stage alcohol becomes essential to perform functions and it is practically impossible then for an alcoholic to stop even though they have severe physical and psychological consequences. This shows up in relationships which are doomed from the start as an alcoholic cannot see that a relationship is going wrong as they are not able to make the rational decisions needed in relationship building.

 

Here are some of the physical signs of alcohol abuse and alcoholism:

 

While intoxicated: slurred speech, dizziness, clumsiness or unsteadiness

Blackouts, when you drink so much you pass out

Weight loss

Unexplained sore or upset stomach

Redness in the face or cheeks

Numbness or tingling in hands and feet

 

Health effects of alcohol abuse

Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications, affecting virtually every organ in your body. These effects include:

 

Liver inflammation, which can lead to cirrhosis, a serious, irreversible liver condition

 

Increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer

 

Stomach problems and nutritional deficiencies

Neurological problems such as confusion, numbness and trouble with memory

 

Birth defects

 

As you can see alcoholism is a serious disease and if untreated can cause a lot of damage both to the individual concerned as well as friends and family.

 

It is a long road but the rewards of getting the right treatment early are well worth the trauma of getting off alcohol for good. Both mentally and healthily.

 

 

For more information and instructions on how to beat alcohol addiction in 60 days please visit the website.

 

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