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.
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
alcoholism signs and symptoms
,alcoholic help
,alcohol recommendations
,alcohol abuse help
,alcoholism health
,genetic alcoholism
,liver alcoholism
,books on alcoholism
,alcoholism detox
,definition of alcoholism
Generals, Alcoholism and pregnancy, Signs and Symptoms, Moderate drinking, Who's Most At Risk? What to Expect at Your Health Provider's Office? Treatment, Options, Prevention Treatment Plan, Prognosis, Drug Therapies, Complementary and Alternative Therapies, Nutrition (Western Medicine), Herbs, Western Herbs, Traditional Medicine Herbs & Diet, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Following Up, Recommendations, ANNEX 1 - 'Alcohol worse for female brains'
Classification Alcohol and Health Short-term effects of alcohol Long-term effects of alcohol Alcohol and cardiovascular disease Alcoholic liver disease Alcoholic hepatitis
One of the commonly prescribed anti-fungal drugs is the broad spectrum fungicidal drug called Nystatin. This drug is available in cream, liquid, tablet and powder forms but, the powder form is usually the preferred form for the treatment of yeast infections as it can be used both internally and externally.
One of the effects that yeast cells have on the body when they grow out of control is called Candida alcoholism; this effect of Candida alcoholism is responsible for the manifestations of the symptoms of foggy head and dizziness which are part of the symptoms of Candida overgrowth.
Although there are over 40 different species of Candida yeast, it is only a few of these different species that can infect human beings. In this article we shall be looking at the different types of this fungal micro-organism that can infect human beings and, here are the following species of Candida that can infect human beings:
Candida infection of the oesophagus or the food pipe is not one of the common types of Candida infection but it is important that you get conversant with how it presents so that when it shows up occasionally, you can easily recognise and treat it.
Tennis elbow is the usual term used to relate to lateral epicondylitis. This problem brings about inflammation to the lateral or the outside area of the elbow. The condition is due to the extensive utilization of the muscles within the elbow known as wrist extensor muscles, which is connected to the lateral elbow. Tennis players and other athletes that frequently extend the wrists in the course of practices and games often experience this ailment.
Toddler's can be delightful but they can also be extremely demanding and hard work. Toddlers behavior makes them feel and do lots of different illogical actions, Example: not want to be apart from their carers, want attention, are egocentric, active, impulsive and messy, constantly interrupt and show little respect, are stubborn and change their minds frequently, are sensitive to upset, excitement and tension...
It is helpful to have an idea of childhood behavior so that you will understand how your child's behaviour might alter as they develop, so that you can be aware of what is normal and when you should be concerned .Many types of normal behaviour can be problematic, and your tolerance levels for these may vary more with your mood than with the child's behaviour itself.
For children with ADHD there are many child interventions to help these children and their families, the main ones being medication, behavior treatment i.e. working with the child at home and at school, parent training in groups or alone, family work or liaisons with school and treating other problems and complications
As I have discussed in other articles there is a response that the body takes to fear and threatening situations and that is to release chemicals and hormones into the blood stream. It is a result of the release of these hormones into the body that we get the responses we do to fear or threat situations. This does not mean that you are experiencing panic attack symptoms but merely this is the way the body deals with these kinds of situations.
There are a couple of theories out about anxiety stress disorder and they are split into Psychoanalytical theory and Learning theory.The lessons learned in this article can help anxiety from becoming an anxiety stress disorder by simply looking at your fears and what makes you anxious and confronting it instead of placing it in the subconscious mind out of the way festering.
Discuss this Article
