Alcoholism Facts

Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder characterized by compulsive, repeated, and excessive consumption of alcohol to the extent that the individual's health, social and economic functioning is impaired.

image: young-business man on phone with a hangover

Alcoholism has four symptoms namely craving, loss of control, physical dependence and tolerance. Craving is a strong urge or need to consume alcohol and loss of control is the inability to control the amount of intake of alcohol. Tolerance can be explained as the need for increased amount of alcohol every time to feel the alcohol's effect.

The factors that lead to alcoholism could be genetic, environmental, psychological or social. Often alcoholism remains undetected for years.

Alcoholism does not depend on the kind of alcohol an individual consumes but it depends on the quantity, long period of addiction and the uncontrollable need of it. Some individuals are able to recover from alcoholism easily while there are others who may require medical assistance.

Excess alcohol or alcoholism can lead to serious health problems. Short-term effects include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech and impaired judgment and coordination. Prolonged and excessive use of alcohol can lead to depression, heart failure, liver cirrhosis, damage to vital organs, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunctions and even brain and nervous system damage.

Alcoholism has a direct effect on the liver. Alcohol effects appear within 10 minutes of consumption and are at their peak for about 40-60 minutes. Since alcohol remains in the blood stream until the liver metabolizes it, continuous and increased consumption of alcohol strains the liver and increases the danger of liver breakdown.

Alcoholism in pregnant women leads to birth of infants with fetal alcohol syndrome in which case the infants suffer from mental retardation and irreversible physical abnormalities.

According to a 1999 Federal Trade Commission report, alcoholic beverage companies have created over a hundred internet web sites to advertise and promote their products. Many of these sites have a strong appeal to youth and can include interactive games and contests.

Various researches indicate that 53% of the men and women in the US report that one or more of their close relatives are affected by alcoholism. 15% of the population in US constitutes problem drinkers, which means that 14 million persons are affected by alcoholism in US alone.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a group of symptoms manifested by individuals who stop drinking alcohol after a pattern of continuous and excessive consumption. These symptoms can range from mild to moderate to severe and include both psychological and behavioral aspects.

Alcoholism provides detailed information on Alcoholism, Alcoholism Treatments, Signs Of Alcoholism, Effects Of Alcoholism and more. Alcoholism is affiliated with Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

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Intervention is a process utilized when all other options have been exhausted in an attempt to help an individual overcome a serious problem such as drug or alcohol abuse/addiction. An intervention is a deliberate process by which change is introduced into peoples' thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It usually involves an intervention specialist as well several people preparing themselves, approaching a person involved in some self-destructive behavior, and talking to the person in a clear and respectful way about the behavior in question. The immediate objective is for the person to listen and accept help.