Locating Resources

Posted: August 12th, 2013

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Locating Resources

Alcoholism

It is also known as alcohol dependency and is characterized by signs of addiction physically even when one experiences problems in terms of health, emotional and social problems. A condition needs special attention. The people most prone to alcoholism are young people due to peer pressure, people under depression, stress, self-esteem problems and relationship problems and the people whose culture embraces alcohol drinking. Symptoms connected to alcoholism include poor nutrition, hiding alcohol use, shivering after a period of not having a drink, neglecting responsibilities due to drinking, withdrawal from society, uncontrollable drinking and decreased performance. Dependence on alcohol is identifiable through memory lapses, alcohol-related diseases such as liver diseases and malfunctions when one has not had a drink. Tests done to detect this problem include magnesium blood tests, tests on liver function, complete blood count (CBC) and blood alcohol level to indicate whether one has been drinking recently.

Many alcoholics do not realize they have a drinking problem. However, due to intervention from other people, they seek treatment. The best form of treatment is abstinence. Treating alcoholism is not that easy since the alcoholic experiences withdrawal symptoms that make him consider going back to drinking. This mode of treatment is best performed in a controlled environment such as seeking medical care, mental health support, counseling and therapy. They can also engage in support groups such as alcoholics anonymous (AA), AL-ANON, SMART, LifeRing recovery, SOS, Women for Sobriety only for women among others. The groups help alcoholics accept their condition, share their experiences and support one another in dealing with their addictions. If alcoholism is left unattended to, it can increase risks to many health problems like cirrhosis, nerve damage, erectile dysfunction, heart damage and many others.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001940/