August 19, 2008
Why Alcohol Therapy and Alcohol Abuse Facts are Needed For Alcohol Related Health Issues
Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following circumstances in a twelve-month period of time:
· Experiencing recurring alcohol-related legal problems. Illustrations include getting arrested for a DWI, for damaging another individual’s property, or for physically hurting another individual while under the influence of alcohol.
· Failure to attend to significant responsibilities at school, work, or home.
· Continued drinking despite ongoing alcohol-related relationship difficulties.
· Drinking in circumstances that can result in physical injury. Illustrations include operating machinery or driving a vehicle.
Stated in a different way, alcohol abuse is defined as a destructive pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. The alcohol-related distress or impairment may be evident through repeated occurrences of problems at work, school, or home, alcohol-related relationship issues, or frequent legal or health problems due to abusive drinking.
Usually, moderate drinking is not interrelated with health risks and can even help to prevent certain forms of heart disease.
Irresponsible drinking, however, has immediate outcomes that can increase the risk of many destructive health conditions.
Abusive alcohol use, either in the form of heavy drinking (i.e., drinking more than one drink per day on average for women and more than two drinks per day on average for men) or binge drinking (i.e., drinking four or more drinks during one sitting for women or five or more drinks in one sitting for men) can lead to increased risk of health problems such as liver disease, unintentional accidents or injuries, or dependence on alcohol.
After a period of excessive drinking, a mixture of factors, mainly withdrawal and dehydration may result is a hangover. Hangovers are frequently accompanied and identified by vomiting, headaches, and nausea. Hangovers, it may be pointed out, may be avoided or their affects substantially diminished if the individual drinks at least a pint of water after a heavy drinking session.
Many people drink a small or moderate amount of alcohol in order to relax and augment their social activities. Drinking alcohol in this manner is not harmful for most adults. When people experience alcohol-related troubles in any facet of their lives, including their health, relationships, employment, school, or their finances, nonetheless, these people have a drinking problem.
These problems can range from mild to severe and depend on how quickly the body metabolizes alcohol, how much and how quickly the alcohol was consumed, how long the individual has been drinking, if the individual drank on an empty stomach, and the individual’s weight.
Engaging in abusive drinking negatively affects the central nervous system as well as the functioning of the brain. In fact, abusive drinking can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is a type of permanent brain damage that is largely associated with an alcohol-related thiamine deficiency.
Hazardous drinking also affects coordination, thinking, and perception. Moreover, abusive drinking increases aggression, reduces inhibitions, and impairs judgment. Finally, people who drink in an irresponsible manner are more likely than others to engage in high risk, inconsiderate, or violent behavior.
It needs to be emphasized that alcohol abuse is different than alcohol dependence in that it does not necessarily include a loss of control, physical dependence, or an extremely strong urge or craving for alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol abuse is less likely than alcohol dependence to include tolerance (the need for increasing amounts of alcohol to get a “buzz” or to get “high”). Both conditions, however, can lead to destruction concerning all aspects of a person’s life.
Not surprisingly, alcohol abuse is a key cause and trigger in domestic violence. This is based on the fact that people who engage in abusive drinking more often than not exhibit inferior decision-making skills, are easily frustrated, manifest poor impulse control, and frequently resort to violence as a solution to their difficulties.
Hazardous drinking can cause serious complications that require immediate medical assistance. Treatment for alcohol abuse often involves detoxification, rehydration, and counseling. In severe cases, alcohol abuse requires inpatient treatment in an alcohol rehab center or in a rehab hospital. Alcohol abuse treatment may include doctor-prescribed medications, support, behavior therapy, education, and counseling. And after the inpatient part of treatment is finished, outpatient rehab is usually set in motion.
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