Apr
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alcoholism
There are no concrete causes for alcoholism; however, there are four considered causes of alcoholism: genetics, emotional state, psychological factors, and social and cultural factors. Genetics is a very controversial topic when dealing with alcoholism because there is no gene that pops up and says “I am the alcoholic gene”. A person’s risk increases if he or she is in a family where an alcoholic parent is depressed or has other psychological problems; or both of the parents abuse alcohol and other drugs; or the parents’ alcohol abuse is severe; and quarrels lead to aggression and violence in the family. There have been frequent studies that been regulated to find this gene but none have been able to prove that there is in fact a gene that causes alcoholism. So if genetics causes alcoholism whenever a parent is seen drinking severely their children could be assumed to follow in their footsteps but that is not true. .
The emotional state of one can lead to alcoholism. High stress plays a part in making some people alcoholic, but just like genetics, being under high stresses does not lead one to being an alcoholic. Also having a high anxiety or emotional pain can factor into one drinking heavily and becoming an alcoholic. Yet, alcohol helps nobody, it causes extreme problems though.
After discussing the causes of alcoholism, one might be asking themselves what are the symptoms of alcoholism? Some symptoms are: making excuses for drinking, lack of control over drinking (an alcoholic may not drink all the time but when they start they have a difficult time stopping), excessive alcohol consumption, tolerance to the effects of alcohol and many more. The main symptom that accompanies alcoholism is denial. Until the alcoholic can admit they have a problem, he or she believes that they can control the situation. To break the denial and have an alcoholic tell you “I am an alcoholic and I have a problem,” is the first step in getting help.
Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, incurable disease characterized by loss of control over alcohol and other sedatives. The loss of control in drinking can be an alcoholic telling themselves its going to just be one drink but instead they have four or five. If you take alcohol away from the alcoholic, they will start having withdrawal issues. The more the alcoholic drinks the higher level of dependency on it becomes. Symptoms of withdrawal can be jumpiness or nervousness, shakes, anxiety, irritability or easily excited, depression and fatigue.
An alcoholic who starts to recognize that they have a problem can accept some form of treatment. Treatments can includes rehabilitation centers for alcoholics in India like Hope Trust that can involve an evaluation, a brief intervention, an outpatient program or counseling, or a residential inpatient stay. Along with rehabilitation centers that help with addictions; one can go to Alcoholics Anonymous in India. Treatment is just the first step in overcoming the addiction to alcoholism.
Some alcoholic don’t attend a treatment center or AA meetings; they simply stop drinking. Some become a Dry Drunk, a condition of returning to one’s old alcoholic thinking and behavior without actually having taken a drink. Dry drunks have traits that consist of: exaggerated self-importance and pomposity, grandiose behavior, a rigid, judgment outlook, impatience, childish behavior, irresponsible behavior, irrational rationalization, and projection and overreactions.
alcoholism
Alcoholics are not social drinkers. Alcoholics cannot stop their drinking, the drinking has become apart of them that they need to drink. Social drinkers are able to stop and are able to put the drink aside and continue on with their lives. For a social drinker the alcohol is really not necessary, even though it might be enjoyable to do at the time. Social drinkers can hold off on drinking if they have committed to doing something. Alcoholics are physically dependent on the alcohol and it is impossible for them to return to social drinking. In an alcoholic’s confused mind, the need to drink may literally seem like a matter of life or death. There should not be any ban or restriction on alcohol by any authority, it is nothing immoral to drink and enjoy alcohol. But getting addicted is not good and should be taken care of.
Along with alcoholic, their family, children and friends also suffers. For this, rehabilitation centers or AA provides Family Help which offers understanding help; support to families and friends of problem drinkers and also help and direct for children of the alcoholics to how to cope with the situations.
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Some alcoholics have more than just alcohol problems. Some suffers with both a mental disorder and an alcohol or drug problem. Usually the mental disorder is an underlying reason which can lead to the alcoholic using alcohol to self medicate. Some of these disorders include depression, anxiety or more severe emotional and mental problems.
Some of the diagnosis that exists with alcohol is bipolar. Bipolar disorder, often called manic depression, is a mood disorder that is characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood from euphoria to severe depression, interspersed with periods of normal mood (i.e., euthymia). Bipolar disorder represents a significant public health problem, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Alcoholism can make bipolar symptoms worsen with time. As the degree of alcoholism happens, the more the bipolar symptoms get in the longer run.
After looking at alcoholism, before you assume that a child of someone or a friend is just following in their parents footsteps; understand that there might be other factors playing a part. Whether he was born with a predisposition to alcohol or having a mental disorder, look at how society promotes drinking. Genetics is not the sole cause of alcoholism and neither is their environment. Some who are alcoholics just make that choice because they want that paradise feeling. There is help for the alcoholic who wants help in treatment centers as well as Alcoholics Anonymous. For the family there is help also. Do not give up on them before trying Rehabilitation centers or AA or think of them only as a drunk. Some of those “drunks” have far more problems than just alcoholism to deal with. Some are self medicating their other illnesses. They might know of those illnesses and some do not. Attend an open AA meeting to see what it might be like or contact a local agency dealing with alcoholism if you need help. But simply do not give up before the miracle can happen.
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1 viewsNo Responses to “Alcoholism, an addiction”
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Sidhartha Dhar Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 1:52 amHi Nice post on Alcoholism. I know what alcohol can do to a family, specially the children. It can have devastation effect on all concerned.
I think this problem is more severe in the villages than the cities.
In rural areas where there are no such rehabilitation facilities, it is a grave problem.
Here, in Arunachal Pradesh, the local tribal people use a desi drink known as “Apung”. It is sort of a rice beer. The problem is that everyone from the children to the old people take it and this has caused severe social problems. Rehab will definitely won’t work here.
PS: Don’t leave “no comment” comment on posts. Just saying “nice” or “good” or even “****” will do.
Sid
Three Ink Drops
karthik Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 12:51 pmalcohol should be banned with other tobacco products..nice post
unpretentious_diva Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 12:54 pmNiether it can be banned, nor it should be banned.
Why should not it be banned?
Because it is my freedom of choice to enjoy social drinking whenever I want. And I am not ready to pay extra becos of bans.
Why it can’t be banned?
Because if you bann it, people will suffer more and will be killed.
The illegal beverages, poisonous alcohol will be sold, smuggling will start.
No policve, no government can stop it.
Arun Kumar Says:
May 4th, 2008 at 2:20 pmyep…alcohol consumption can never be stopped…
but our Govt certainly can do one thing…”cause awareness”…tell em about liver cirrhosis…renal failure….fibrosis…DEATH…
tina angelin Says:
May 27th, 2008 at 2:00 pmA very honest post on alcoholism…I 4 1 am not against ppl who drink…bt it is a prob wen ppl over drink….and thats sometin m against..i dnt think alcohol should be banned….But yes it must be consumed at a reasonable rate…
Oh n btw..did u change ur blog layout
Cheers
tee
wilma Says:
June 4th, 2008 at 11:32 amalcohol is not helpful to health…ban it!
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wilma
Suffering from an addiction. This website has a lot of great resources and treatment centers.
<a href=”http://www.treatmentcenters.org”>http://www.treatmentcenters.org</a>
Mystery of Referendums | Reason for Liberty Says:
February 14th, 2009 at 2:10 pm[…] last post, one of my friend suggested that people should vote to decide whether a person could sell alcohol or not. His argument is driving after drinking may cause accidents. Now let us discuss his idea. A […]
Gary Martin Says:
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 amI agree with the comment here. Bipolar shouldnt be a stigmatised illness.