Substance
Abuse >> Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM:
Every day millions of people feel the negative after-effects
of drinking alcohol but are unaware that they have
a drinking problem. In time, what starts out as an
innocent social activity becomes a habit and then
gradually crosses over into a physiological and psychological
addiction causing havoc in your life. Many signs and
symptoms of alcohol abuse are easy to see, but others
are more difficult to recognize. Over time, heavy
consumption of alcohol does extensive damage to almost
every system in your body. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism
has a major impact on society causing thousands of
innocent deaths each year and exacerbating situations
involving violent crimes and domestic violence.
WHEN DOES DRINKING BECOME
PROBLEM DRINKING?
Alcohol abusers, or problem drinkers,
are people who clearly drink too much on a regular
basis. Their alcohol use is self-destructive or can
present a danger to others, but they are able to set
limits and establish some measure of control over
their drinking.
When alcohol abuse progresses to
alcoholism,
also called
alcohol addiction and
alcohol dependence, the drinker loses
control of the amount they drink, and they cannot
stop using alcohol despite the severe physical and
psychological consequences of excessive drinking.
Some myths about alcohol:
| Myth: |
Alcoholics have no will
power. If they were stronger they could just
stop drinking.
Fact: Alcoholism affects brain
chemistry which causes you to feel compelled
to drink alcohol. Usually you can only stop
drinking if you receive continuing help and
treatment.
|
| Myth: |
I can’t be an alcoholic.
I have control over it because I only drink
on the weekends.
Fact: When you abstain from
drinking for a certain period of time and then
consume a large quantity of alcohol in a very
small span of time, this is called binge drinking.
It is a common symptom of alcohol abuse.
|
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: ALCOHOL
ABUSE vs. ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
Alcohol ABUSE: How can I tell if I have a problem
with alcohol?
Some of the common symptoms of alcohol abuse include
the following:
| SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF
ALCOHOL ABUSE |
| Health |
- Continuing to drink even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your drinking
|
| Financial issues |
- Paying bills late; collection agencies
calling
- Inability to keep track of your money
|
| Legal issues |
- Driving while under the influence (DUI)
|
| Risky behavior |
- Putting yourself or others in danger
|
| Employment or school |
- Continuing to drink even though you realize
your job or education is in jeopardy
- Missing work or school, or going in late
due to alcohol use
|
| Family and friends |
- Feeling annoyed when other people comment
on, or criticize your drinking habits
- Feeling remorse or guilt after drinking
- Associating with questionable acquaintances
or frequenting out of the ordinary locations
when drinking
|
| Social life |
- Scheduling your day around drinking
- Focusing recreational activities around
obtaining alcohol, drinking or recovering
from alcohol use
- Drinking alone or in secret
|
Alcohol DEPENDENCE: How serious is my drinking?
When does alcohol abuse become alcohol dependence?
Many of the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse overlap
with the signs and symptoms of alcohol dependency.
There is a fine line between the two, but the crossover
occurs when the person becomes dependent on alcohol.
An alcoholic is unable to control their drinking,
they have built up a tolerance to alcohol which over
time requires them to drink larger quantities of alcohol
in order to obtain the same effect, and they will
usually experience withdrawal symptoms when they don't
drink.
Some of the common symptoms of alcohol dependence
include the following:
| SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF
ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE |
| Cravings |
- Strong and overwhelming desire to
drink alcohol at a specific time or the next
morning
- Creating a ritual of having drinks before,
with, or after dinner, and becoming annoyed
when this pattern is disturbed or questioned
|
| Tolerance |
- A tendency to drink more than intended
to feel the same effect, or being unable to
stop drinking once you start to drink alcohol
- Consuming a large quantity of alcohol
without appearing intoxicated
|
| Effects on memory and motivation |
- Not remembering conversations or commitments;
sometimes referred to as a "blackout"
- Losing interest in activities and hobbies
that were once pleasurable
|
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND
ADDICTION
Health and behavior effects of alcohol abuse
Short-term alcohol use can have these effects depending
on the quantity of alcohol you consume:
- Loss of inhibition and impaired judgment
- Dizziness, blurred vision and slurred
speech
- Uncoordinated movements and increased
reaction time
- Unconsciousness and even death
|
Social effects of alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction have a major impact
on society. The effect is seen in decreased job productivity
and attendance; increased healthcare costs; and frequently
plays a part in the escalation of situations involving
domestic violence and violent crimes.
U.S. alcohol-related deaths reported in 2006:
- Automobile fatalities: 41%
- Teenage deaths: 25% of all automobile
fatalities
- Homicides: 31%
- Boating accidents: 20%
|
ALCOHOL SCREENING QUESTIONS:
ABUSE vs. DEPENDENCE
Alcohol abusers, or problem drinkers,
are people who clearly drink too much on a regular
basis and whose alcohol use is self-destructive or
can present a danger to others, but they still demonstrate
the ability to set limits and establish some measure
of control over their drinking.
| Alcohol
ABUSE Screening Questions |
| Would you answer
yes to one or more of the following during the
past 12 months? |
- Have you, more than once,
driven a vehicle while you were drinking, or
after having had too much to drink?
- Have you gotten into situations while drinking,
or after drinking, that increased your chances
of getting hurt—like swimming, using machinery,
walking in a dangerous area, or near heavy traffic?
- Have you continued to drink even though you
knew it was causing you trouble with your family
or friends?
- Have you gotten into physical fights while
drinking, or right after drinking?
- Have you had a period when your drinking—or
being sick from drinking—often interfered
with taking care of your home or family, or
caused job or school problems?
- Have you gotten arrested, been held at a
police station, or had any other legal problems
because of your drinking?
|
When alcohol abuse progresses to
alcoholism,
also called
alcohol addiction or
alcohol dependence, the drinker loses
control of the amount they drink and cannot stop using
alcohol despite the severe physical and psychological
consequences of excessive drinking.
| Alcohol
DEPENDENCE screening questions |
| Would you answer
yes to three or more of the following during
the past 12 months? |
- 1. Have you had times when you ended up
drinking more than you meant to, or kept
on drinking for longer than you intended?
- Have you, more than once, wanted to,
or tried to stop or cut down on your drinking
but found you couldn’t?
- Have you found that you have to drink
much more than you once did to get the effect
you want, or that your usual number of drinks
has much less effect on you than it once
did?
- When the effects of alcohol are wearing
off, have you had trouble sleeping, or experienced
physical symptoms such as shaking, feeling
nervous, nauseous, restless, sweating or
rapid heartbeat? Have you sensed things
that aren’t really there, felt bugs
crawling on your skin, or had seizures?
- Have you taken a drink or used any drug
or medicine (other than over-the-counter
pain relievers) to avoid having bad after-effects
of drinking, or to get over an after-effect
of alcohol use, or hangover?
- Have you continued to drink even though
you knew it was making you feel depressed
or anxious, causing a health problem or
making one worse, or has caused a blackout?
- Have you had a period when you spent
a lot of time drinking, being sick, or getting
over the negative after-effects of drinking?
- In order to drink, have you given up,
or cut down on activities that were important
to you, interesting or pleasurable?
Adapted from: National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism |
Deborah Cutter, Psy.D., and Robert Segal, M.A., contributed
to this article. Last modified on: 1/30/08.
Reprinted with permission from http://www.helpguide.org/.
C 2008 Helpguide.org. All rights reserved.
You can find the original article at
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism
signs_effects_treatment.htm
SOURCE: www.helpguide.org
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