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The word "alcoholism" refers to a disease known as alcohol dependence syndrome, the most severe stage of a group of drinking problems which begins with binge drinking and alcohol abuse. Alcohol problems occur at different levels of severity, from mild and annoying to life-threatening. Although alcohol dependence (alcoholism) is the most severe stage, less severe drinking problems can also be dangerous. Alcohol abuse becomes alcohol dependence when drinkers begin to experience a craving for alcohol, a loss of control of their drinking, withdrawal symptoms when they are not drinking and an increased tolerance to alcohol so that they have to drink more to achieve the same effect. Alcohol dependence is a chronic and often progressive disease that includes a strong need to drink despite repeated problems.
The cumulative effects of excessive alcohol consumption, especially when associated with a poor diet, affect every part of the body. The two main sites of damage are the liver and the nervous system: the liver may become progressively damaged through a condition known as cirrhosis, which may lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death. The nervous system may be damaged at many levels. The intellect can be damaged with anxiety and depression, confusion and dementia. The rest of the nervous system can suffer from loss of balance, impotence, numbness of the feet and hands, tremor and blindness. Apart from these two major sites of damage, alcoholism is also implicated in diabetes, inflammation of the pancreas, internal bleeding, weakening of the heart, high blood pressure and stroke, and is harmful to developing pregnancies.
The success of the M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. prevention programs has had a decreasing effect on drinking and driving. At the same time, however the car accident alcohol-related death rate of middle age people is still on a rise. Despite significant reductions in the amount of the alcohol-crash problem, drinking and driving continues to present a major threat to the safety of all road users. About one third of deaths among people between the ages of 15 to 24 are the results of motor vehicle-related crashes. Studies have been done in high schools nationwide on the patterns of alcohol use. These studies have reported that 17 percent of students have participated in drinking and driving one or more times. The odds of drinking and driving have increased 2.5-fold to 14-fold while incidents of drinking rose from 3 to 5 times per month to more than 2.
Alcoholism, besides being damaging to the drinker, can also cause suffering to the people around them. For example, spouses of alcoholics often become hurt as a result of the other's damaging or abusive tendencies while drunk. Frequently, spouses can end up dealing with someone who is not the person they originally married. Arguments can be started, words spoken which, when sober, will be regretted. However, this does not lessen the pain. It takes a great deal of courage, patience and love for a spouse to help their loved one deal with and perhaps give up their love of alcohol.
Children can be influenced from a very young age, and carry their experiences into their adolescent years. Growing up around alcohol can encourage them to drink, and vice versa. However, many parents ponder the issue of how much exposure to alcohol is too much and how much is not enough. Total abstinence of alcohol could lead to intense curiosity and therefore crazy experimentations. Total exposure can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Thus, the best method would be a balance between the two, with the adults of the family setting good examples, and with schools educating children on alcohol thoroughly.
For those alcoholics who continue drinking, only about 1 to 4 percent of adults are able to establish a pattern of moderate drinking. In other words, people who are alcoholic almost always need to give up drinking entirely if they hope to be free of the problem. On the positive side, people who do decide to give up alcohol are able to live without it with increasing ease over time. The most difficult time, by far, is the very early stage of abstinence or "recovery." Many people succeed in achieving a complete recovery at some time in the course of their lives.
Here are some good step by step ways to stop drinking: 1. Write your reasons for cutting down or stopping. Why do you want to drink less? There are many reasons why you may want to cut down or stop drinking. You may want to improve your health, sleep better, or get along better with your family or friends. Make a list of the reasons you want to drink less. 2. Set a drinking goal. Choose a limit for how much you will drink. You may choose to cut down or not to drink at all. If you are cutting down, keep below these limits: Women: No more than one drink a day Men: No more than two drinks a day. A drink is: a 12-ounce bottle of beer; a 5-ounce glass of wine; or a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor. These limits may be too high for some people who have certain medical problems or who are older. Talk with your doctor about the limit that is right for you. Now-write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Your paper might look like this: My drinking goal I will start on this day ____________. I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 day. I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 week. or I will stop drinking alcohol. 3. Keep a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now? Use the "drinking diary" below to write down when you drink.
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