What
is Alcoholism?
Statistics
on Alcoholism
Risk
Factors for Alcoholism
Progression
of Alcoholism
Symptoms
of Alcoholism
How
is Alcoholism Diagnosed?
Prognosis
of Alcoholism
How
is Alcoholism Treated?
What is Alcoholism
Alcohol dependence is also known
as alcoholism; however, health professionals tend
not to use this term because of its potential
to increase stigma and discrimination of the condition.
Alcohol dependency is the most common substance
use disorder in United States. Individuals who
are alcohol dependent tend to prioritise drinking
alcohol over other activities (including seeing
friends and going to work). However, alcohol dependency
is not an all or nothing condition. It occurs
on a continuum ranging from mild to severe. Individuals
with a mild dependence on alcohol may crave an
alcoholic drink when it is not available and find
it difficult to stop drinking after a couple of
drinks. Individuals with severe alcohol
dependence suffer physical and/or psychological
withdrawal symptoms (e.g. vomiting, anxiety) when
they do not consume alcohol.
Those with severe alcohol dependence regularly
drink well above the limits recommended by Guidelines
for healthy consumption of alcohol, while those
with moderate alcohol dependence regularly drink
slightly more than the recommended intake.
There is no one definition of moderate drinking,
but generally the term is used to describe a lower
risk pattern of drinking. According to the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,1 drinking in moderation
is defined as having no more than 1 drink per
day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day
for men. This definition is referring to the amount
consumed on any single day and is not intended
as an average over several days.
Risk Factors for Alcoholism
Some individuals have a higher risk of developing
alcohol dependency than others. Individuals who
drink frequently or in large quantities are more
likely to become dependent on alcohol than those
who don't drink as much. People also have a higher
risk of developing alcohol dependence if they:
• Have a relative that suffers from alcohol
dependency;
• Suffer from a mental health disorder (e.g.
depression, stress and anxiety); or
• Where brought up in a house where consuming
large amounts of alcohol was normal
Progression of
Alcoholism
Alcohol dependency occurs on a continuum.
Many Americans are only moderately or mildly dependent
on alcohol (e.g. they may find it difficult to stop
drinking once they start). They do not exhibit physical
withdrawals like those with severe alcohol dependence,
and do not consider their drinking patterns problematic.
This may be because the major health and social
consequences of alcohol dependence (with the exclusion
of violence) do not begin when an individual first
becomes alcohol dependent. For example, it may take
years for an individual who is alcohol dependent
to have financial or relationship problems as a
result of drinking. In many cases chronic excessive
drinking may have no immediate health and social
consequences.
Even if a mild to moderate drinker is
not feeling the effects right now, they may be
dependent on alcohol if they:
| • |
Consume alcohol
in quantities greater than those recommended
in the US guidelines for average or daily
consumption |
| • |
Need to drink every day or drink
first thing in the morning to settle their
nerves and recover from the effects of drinking
the previous night |
| • |
Experience physical and/or psychological
withdrawal symptoms, including shaking in
the morning, nausea and vomiting |
| • |
Need to take days off work to
recover from the effects of drinking too much |
| • |
Miss going to social events
or seeing friends so that they can drink alcohol;
and/or |
| • |
Need to drink more alcohol to
get drunk |
There is a tendency for some people with mild
alcohol dependence to become more severely dependent.
Cove Center for Recovery Provides Alcoholism
Treatment for the following States:
Drug Rehab Northeast
Region - New
England Division: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont; Middle Atlantic
Division: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania.
Drug Rehab Midwest Region
- East North Central Division: Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin; West North Central
Division: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota.
Drug Rehab South Region
- South Atlantic Division: Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia; East South
Central Division: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi,
Tennessee; West South Central Division: Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.
Drug Rehab West Region
- Mountain Division: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming; Pacific Division:
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away.
If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate
attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
You may also send us e-mail.
Please keep in mind that e-mails are answered within 24 hours Monday
through Friday.
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