Alcohol Abuse Advice

Alcohol Addiction

To find out if their patient has problem drinking, or even alcoholism, physicians often use the CAGE screening questions to help determine if they have a problem which should be addressed. The first question is based on the letter “C” and asks if a person has ever thought about Cutting back on their drinking. The second letter, “A”, is when a physician asks if you have ever felt Annoyed with people asking you questions about your drinking. The “G” asks if you have ever felt Guilty about your drinking, and the final letter “E”, asks if you have ever had an Eye opener in the morning, i.e. drinking alcohol in the morning to get going. People who answer two or more questions in the affirmative are more than 90 percent likely to have a drinking problem. Approximately one in ten Americans will suffer from alcohol dependence during their life. A person who is dependent on alcohol may develop a tolerance to the effects of alcohol which include disinhibition, and decreased cognitive functions such as reasoning. As person who is dependent on alcohol may also develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which in their most severe form can include nausea and vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, tremors, and even the occasionally fatal delirium tremens. There are a variety of treatments for alcohol dependence, and for alcoholism. People who have alcoholism are encouraged to avoid drinking alcohol as this may lead to a relapse into heavy drinking. The earlier that a person who has a problem drinking alcohol is identified and offered at least some form of treatment, the more likely that they will be able to identify their alcohol consumption as a problem and the less likely they will develop alcoholism. A brief intervention may include discussing with a person how they have a problem drinking alcohol, and discussing with them how their alcohol consumption is affecting their life and the lives of other people around them. If a person does not believe that they have a problem, then they are less likely to seek treatment. However, a person who does accept that they have problem drinking, will be more receptive to suggestions to join a self help group such as alcoholics anonymous. Because alcoholism is a complex disease, family members of people with problem drinking are encouraged to participate in Al-anon, or Alateen, so that they may gain support, as well as help a loved one who has an alcohol dependence. There are some medications which doctors prescribe for a patient who has alcohol dependence or alcoholism, such as disulfiram, which causes symptoms of nausea, vomiting, a sense of dysphoria, the opposite of euphoria, when a person takes this medication and also continues to drink alcohol. However, use of this medication requires that a person takes disulfiram, which they may quit at any time and return to drinking. Naltrexone is another medication which works by blocking the opiate receptors in the brain, and is thought to decrease the cravings that a person with alcohol dependence or alcoholism experience. By discussing these medications with your doctor, you likely will find a treatment regime that will help you to regain the quality of life you had before you developed alcohol dependence.

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