Like other diseases, alcohol addiction has signs, symptoms, causes and effects. The hallmarks of alcohol addition are cravings for alcohol and withdrawal symptoms whenever alcohol is not available. When a person has alcoholism, they drink until there are negative effects and normally they dismiss the consequences in favor of another drink. Even though there are individuals who criticize the fact that alcoholism is a disease, medical doctors and men of science agree that alcoholism is a disease.
Alcoholism is a chronic, life-long disease. And, just like other chronic life-long diseases, if the patient does not get help for the disease, there will be health consequences that can be severe. The individuals diagnosed with alcoholism have impaired and compulsive thoughts and behaviors towards alcohol that include distorted thinking, a physical addiction upon alcohol, the lack of ability to limit the quanity of alcohol consumed and an inability to cut back or to stop drinking alcohol. Alcoholism that is not handled properly can develop into cirrhosis of the liver, and heart disease.
Persons with the biggest chance for getting the disease, alcoholism are those with a family history of alcohol addiction and those with mental illnesses and those that are exposed to alcohol on a regular basis. Studies indicate that 40 to 50% of alcoholism is the result of environment factors and 50 to 60% is caused by genetics (family history).
Doctors typically diagnose alcoholism based on three or more of the possible signs or symptoms occurring within a 12-month period of time.
A thirsting for increasingly higher quanities of alcohol to give the same intoxicated effect.
Withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not available
on a regular basis the person consumes more alcohol than initially intended
There are unsuccessful tries to slow down or to stop drinking
Much time and thought is spent on getting alcohol or in being able to get to where the alcohol is.
The subject is recognized to give up favorite activities in order to drink alcohol
Even after the negative events of drinking are described out to the individual, it is still important for that individual to continue his/her drinking
Alcoholism is a dangerous, life-long disease in which most alcoholics rarely achieve the ability to control the cravings for alcohol. Untreated alcoholism leads to serious health troubles such as cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease and high blood pressure. The American Medical Association proclaimed alcohol addiction a disease in 1956. The American Bar Association declares that the principle of dependence on alcohol or other drugs is a disease. Even though it is broadly accepted by the scientific and medical communities that alcohol addictin is a disease, there is still some debate on the topic.
To get more information on alcoholism, visit Dave Owen’s site “Alcoholism Facts and Symptoms”. You will find the information you need regarding the disease of alcoholism.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
