Learn more about stopping your drinking problem

Alcohol use and abuse occurs with a tremendous amount of variability among individuals. Frequently, there is a limited distinction between "social" or "moderate" drinking and "problem" or" harmful" drinking. It is obvious however, that as the frequency of drinking and the amount increases, so does the probability of problem behaviors frequently resulting in medical and psychosocial problems. A very prominent group of individuals affected by alcohol problems to a significant degree, who develop the syndrome of alcohol dependence, are usually referred to by most people as alcoholics. different groups of individuals with alcohol problems usually require different approaches to diagnosis and clinical management.

There are numerous signs of alcohol abuse or addiction. They include having problems are work or school, drinking in situations where you will be driving, having blackouts, legal problems, and getting hurt or hurting others while drinking. Also, you might crave alcohol and get withdrawal symptoms from not drinking. These could include sweating, nausea, or anxiety. Also, oftentimes, a person dependent on alcohol must drink more and more in order to feel the same way when drinking. Alcohol addicts rarely believe they have a problem as well, even if others express concern about their drinking.

The consequences of alcohol abuse are numerous and greatly affect the way people live their lives. At first, people don't believe they have a problem because the way they drink seems normal and the same as everyone else's drinking habits. However, drinking can become a way for people to deal with their problems, which is definitely an indication of alcohol dependence. Mental health problems as a result of drinking are also a sign of alcohol dependence. Most people feel that drinking relieves the symptoms of problems such as anxiety, panic attacks, or bipolar disorder. However, the fact is that drinking actually increases their symptoms. Physical symptoms are also a problem that drinking can cause, such as liver disease.

Teens are often very susceptible to the lure of alcohol. According to a 2004 survey of high school students by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75% of high school students have at least tried alchohol. Many of them have had episodes of heavy drinking. It is a known fact that a leading death factor in teen-related car accidents is alcohol. Alcohol can affect the way the brain fuctions, especially the areas controlling decision-making and emotions, meaning that growth and development can be greatly hindered in teens if they drink alcohol. Memory and learning abilities can be affected, harming a teen's performance in school. The worst danger is that use of alchol in a teen can progress to abuse, and perhaps to addiction.

The first-ever study of its kind has found that kids as young as 12 can show a genetic-driven trend toward alcoholism. While looking to confirm that genes influence the body's response to alcohol -- how many drinks are needed to get drunk -- scientists found that the 12-year-olds who needed to consume the most drinks to get that desired "buzz" were most likely to already be on the road to problem drinking. The effects of alcohol abuse on adolescents is very different from the way problem drinking effects adult alcoholics. As you may expect, adolescents have a relatively short history of problem drinking. Because of their comparatively short history of heavy drinking, one of the major differences related to the effects of alcohol abuse on adolescents is that it is very rare to have physiological dependence on alcohol or alcohol-related medical complications. The abuse of alcohol and drugs however contributes in important ways to morbidity and mortality in adolescents, with the leading causes being motor vehicle accidents, homicide, and suicide. It is usually believed that when dealing with adolescents, given their economic and emotional dependence, whenever it is possible, it is important to have a thorough evaluation of the family in order to understand the adolescent's use of drugs as well as to understand the negative effects of alcohol abuse on them and their families.

Many substances can bring on withdrawal-an effect caused by cessation or reduction in the amount of the substance used. Withdrawal can range from mild anxiety to seizures and hallucinations. Withdrawal from alcohol can cause anxiety, irregular heartbeat, tremor, seizures, and hallucinations. In its severest form, withdrawal combined with malnutrition can lead to a life-threatening condition called delirium tremens (DTs). Alcohol is the most common cause of liver failure in the US. The drug can cause heart enlargement and cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, and stomach. In addition to its direct health effects, officials associate alcohol abuse with nearly half of all fatal motor vehicle accidents. In 1992, the total economic cost of alcohol abuse was estimated at $150 billion.

The most appropriate decisions related to alcohol abuse treatment can only occur by matching individuals with their treatment needs. The individual's screening results should differentiate between mild and more severe levels of physical dependence to determine whether detoxification should be part of an individual's early alcohol abuse treatment. If their withdrawal risk is low, it may be appropriate to refer them to an outpatient treatment setting. If the risk for withdrawal is moderate to high, outpatient or inpatient detoxification may be indicated as an absolute imperative for effective alcohol abuse treatment. There are a large number of life-threatening factors that must be considered in order to determine if alcoholics are at increased risk. Any of the following factors may warrant immediate attention: acute alcohol withdrawal (with the potential for seizures and delirium tremens), serious psychiatric illness (e.g. psychosis, suicidal intentions or behavior), serious medical or surgical disease ( e.g. acute pancreatitis, bleeding esophageal varices). The matching of individuals with optimum alcohol abuse treatment continues to attract significant attention, and there appears to be some evidence suggesting that alcoholics with certain characteristics (e.g. severe dependence, high levels of anger, social networks that support drinking) may respond slightly better to certain types of specific therapy. Finally, the importance of continuing care through aftercare groups and other mutual support organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) cannot be overestimated for individuals in need of alcohol abuse treatment.

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