Causes and Effects of Alcoholism

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, over 76 million Americans have, or live with someone who has, an alcohol disorder. Medical experts contribute alcoholism to a number of factors, including genetics, family history, immediate environment and the chemical (ethanol) found present in alcohol.

Genetics: Scientists have found a common gene present among those who suffer from alcohol disorders, as well as other addictive disorders. People who carry this certain gene are more susceptible to developing an addiction than those who do not carry the gene.

Family History: When there is a family history of alcohol disorders or addictive personalities, the chance of a person developing an addiction is increased by over 50 percent.

Immediate Environment: Children who live with an alcoholic parent or who live in unfortunate circumstances also have an increased chance at developing an alcohol disorder themselves. Being in a turbulent environment with anger, irritability, stress, lack of communication or poor role modeling may cause people to self-medicate which will lead to addiction, overdose or death.

Alcohol Ingredients: Ethanol, the main ingredient in alcohol, is extremely addictive and has the power to manipulate the normal functions of the brain. Medical experts have found that the body will become used to the chemicals in alcohol producing certain feelings that the brain will no longer produce those feelings naturally. The body will depend solely on alcohol to create the feelings and will not function normally without it. Additionally, the body will become tolerant to its effects that it will require more and at a more frequent rate in order to maintain normality. Users will need to increase their intake, which may lead to overdose and death.

Not only will alcoholism lead to overdose and death, it can also cause detrimental effects to the heart, kidneys, immune system, liver and stomach. The enzymes in the stomach break alcohol down into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde, which is a relative to formaldehyde, a substance that can damage both the gastrointestinal tract and brain. After the stomach breaks the alcohol down, it reaches the liver and becomes acetate, which can become toxic and cause sweating, nausea and vomiting. Alcohol intake also reduces the productivity of the immune system which causes the susceptibility to all kinds of illnesses. Additionally, consuming alcohol causes dehydration and an increased heart rate which can lead to cardiac problems and nutrient deficiencies.

When someone or their loved one has had enough of being buffeted around by an alcohol addiction, the next logical step is to look for alcohol detox centers offering a detox alcohol program. No medical professional will recommend attempting to quit alcohol alone. That is because they withdrawal symptoms are too dangerous, and often severe. Detoxing from alcohol can be even more severe than detoxing from heroin. It requires supervised, clinical care.

Medications can be administered to help the individual detox, along with behavioral therapy that allows an individual to straighten out their thinking habits. Both inpatient and outpatient detox alcohol programs are offered.

What Makes an Alcohol Detox Program Worth Considering?

Millions of people enter alcohol rehab each year. This just refers to the US. Around the world the number of alcoholics’ balloons into astronomical numbers. Those who cannot find rehab are unfortunate. It takes clinical, focused help to beat the addiction. Detox symptoms can be cruel for many, and may include shakes, profuse sweating, accelerated heartbeats, hallucinations, dehydration, and even strokes or heart attacks. This is a main reason why alcohol detox should never be attempted alone. Alcohol detox clinics provide the programs, clinical help, and equipment needed to get patients back on the path to sobriety.

The first brave act is admitting there is an alcohol problem. The next challenge is sourcing alcohol detox treatment centers that can provide the comprehensive and individualized treatment that leads to abstinence. While not all alcohol detox clinics will offer the same services, the effective ones all have a number of services in common. Ask the following questions to make the right rehab questions.

1. Ask what to expect from rehab. What will the rehab center define as success for each patient? Is it simply a matter of detox, or is it a matter of how many meeting the recovering alcoholic will attend? Success can also be measured by the number of recovering alcoholics who remain abstinent.
2. Ask if the recovery program offers both short and long-term, and inpatient or outpatient programs. Addiction is a complex matter that can damage individuals on both mental and physical levels. Rehab may have to continue beyond 30 days.
3. Are holistic alcohol detox treatment plans offered? There should be enough treatment plans to offer individualized support. It is also wise to ask if there are substitute drugs that may, themselves, cause an addiction or harm.
4. Ask about staff member credentials. From psychiatrist to doctors, nurses, and clinicians, staff members should be well-qualified and experienced. The treatment center should also be able to provide proof of program success rates.

Al alcohol detox worth considering will also provide a robust aftercare program that keeps patients dialed in and focused on gaining full sobriety. Aftercare is the bridge that allows patients to full reenter society. Patients will still have access to therapies, counseling, and other things to keep them on the straight-and-narrow road.

Abstinence is tough for many, because there are so many opportunities for relapse. Alcohol can be found at every facet of society; parties, weddings, business meetings, sports, bars, and restaurants etc. Effective alcohol takes all these things into consideration.

One must consider that a standard drink consists of .6 ounces of pure alcohol. Large amounts of pure alcohol are found in the following: beer, malt liquor, wine, and 80-proof alcohol. Taking a drink on occasion is not damaging to an individual’s health. However, taking one drink can lead to the next, and the next, and the next. Thus, drinking can become excessive. Just what is considered to be excessive drinking?

1. Binge drinking that includes heaving drinking. Women who drink more than for drinks during an occasion are considered binge drinkers. Men who consume five drinks or more during any one occasion are considered binge drinkers. Men who drink more than 15 times a week are considered heavy drinkers. Women only have to drink eight drinks a week or more are considered heavy drinkers.
2. Moderate drinkers, of course, consume less liquor than binge drinkers. If a woman drinks one glass of alcohol a day, she fits the category of being a moderate drinker. If a man consumes two drinks a day, he is considered a moderate drinker. Many people do not consider that taking prescription drugs, over the counter, while drinking can complicate matters.

Alcoholism amongst teens and adolescents is on the rise as well. Drinking among youth starts before the age of 12, even though statistics only collect data for youth 12 years old and up. Liquor is readily available and is cheap.