Alcoholism- Its Treatment and Symptoms

Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease that can be fatal. The condition involves a preoccupation with alcohol and impaired control over alcohol intake. Alcoholism usually involves physical dependence on the drug alcohol, but genetic, psychological and social factors contribute to this addiction.

Alcoholism treatment

Treatment Referral has many different treatment approaches available to the drinker suffering from alcoholism. Day or night treatment is available depending on preference and the choice between long or short-term sober living programs is what differentiates us from the typical turnaround programs. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, research shows that the longer a client stays in treatment the better their chances are for long term sobriety. Treatment Referral offers referrals for long & short term alcoholism treatment.

Getting started (assessment and evaluation of disease symptoms and accompanying life problems, making treatment choices and developing a plan)

Active treatment (residential treatment or therapeutic communities, intensive and regular outpatient treatment, medications to help with alcohol craving and discourage alcohol use, medications to treat concurrent psychiatric illnesses, 12-step programs, other self-help and mutual-help groups)

Alcoholism treatment using Grapes

The restricted diet of grapes for about a month is a vital home remedy for alcoholism. As this fruit contains a very pure form of alcohol, it acts like a healthy alternative to alcohol. The ideal process is to take three meals a day of fresh grapes every five hours. To make this treatment successful, the alcohol should develop strong will power to stop drinking.

Alcoholism Symptoms

Craving Craving alcohol is perhaps the most misunderstood alcoholism symptom. Alcohol consumption is an over-riding compulsion for the alcoholic. "Willpower" or "strength of character" is rarely sufficient to overcome alcoholic cravings. The compulsion to drink can be as powerful an urge as eating and drinking for an alcoholic.

Loss of Control Once an alcoholic begins to drink, he or she cannot control the urge to continue drinking. This is another alcoholism symptom that contributes to the misconception that the alcoholic is weak willed. However, the compulsion to keep drinking is beyond the alcoholic's control.

Any problems caused by drinking - arrests, ill health, fights at home that become worse because you're drunk, complaints of friends, spouses or children, absenteeism at work - are all indications that drinking may have already become a problem for you.

Inability to stop or cut back on your drinking when you've promised yourself or someone else you would.

The psychological symptoms of alcoholism are as follows:

Loss of willpower
Loss of control
Poor concentration
An increase in failed promises and resolutions to one's self and to others

Keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in the car

Gulping drinks, ordering doubles, becoming intoxicated intentionally to feel good or drinking to feel "normal"

Having legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or finances

Building a tolerance to alcohol so that you need an increasing number of drinks to feel alcohol's effects

There are four additional alcoholism symptoms that indicate an alcohol problem has developed into an alcohol addiction. The first of which is craving alcohol, having a strong need or desire to drink. Loss of control over drinking is the second, not being able to stop drinking after the first drink. Next is a physical dependence on alcohol, this is exhibited through withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating and anxiety when alcohol is not consumed regularly. The final symptom is an increasing tolerance for alcohol, meaning larger and larger quantities of need to be consumed in order to get the desired effect from it.