Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Alcohol, When Enough Is Enough

Not all alcohol abusers look or act alike. Nor do they start on the road to alcoholism the same way or share the same set of problems. What they have in common is that they are all, in some way, damaging their lives.

There are many ways to be diagnosed as being alcohol dependent. Alcohol abusers often show at least one of these danger signs:

* Tolerance — The need to drink increasingly greater amounts to get the same effects of pleasure (the same high or “buzz”) or noticeable disability (“I can hold my liquor.”).
* Withdrawal — Symptoms, ranging from mild hangovers with nausea and headache to severe shaking, that develop soon after drinking stops and can continue for several days.
* Loss of control — Showing an inability to control drinking behavior or having obsessive thoughts about drinking.
* Concern by others — Problems reported by coworkers or friends.
* Health, family and legal problems — Examples include repeated injuries, driving citations and chronic lateness.

Someone who abuses alcohol is not necessarily disabled. Many alcoholics are high achievers who work every day. It isn’t always easy to detect an alcohol abuser by how much or how often the person drinks among company or by how intoxicated he or she seems to be.

Risk Factors And Resources

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 18 million Americans drink too much alcohol. The likelihood of developing a drinking problem depends on several factors:

* Psychiatric disorders. Anxiety or depression may make a person more vulnerable to addiction.
* Family history. Alcoholism often has a genetic basis, causing people with parents or siblings who have alcohol addiction to have a risk of alcoholism that is three or four times the usual risk. People who have a family history of alcoholism but are adopted to other families still have high rates of alcoholism
* Age. If a person gets intoxicated for the first time at a young age, this person will have a higher risk of later developing alcoholism.

Despite the tremendous power of alcohol addiction, many people do achieve recovery and long-term stability. If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol, don’t wait, seek help today. You may want to start with a call to your family doctor. He or she can give you a medical evaluation and treatment information and refer you to community services that can help. Or you can contact your state agency responsible for overseeing alcohol and drug treatment programs. The recovery program with the most clear history of success, Alcoholics Anonymous, meets in many towns and communities across the country.
______
source: http://www.intelihealth.com

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Benefits of Inpatient Drug Treatment Centers

If you are wondering which type of drug treatment is going to be most beneficial at helping you overcome addiction, consider these benefits of inpatient drug treatment centers: Inpatient drug treatment centers provide around-the-clock medical supervision and support for the individual while in treatment. Unlike outpatient care that leads that addict to go home at….

People drinking more ‘by stealth’

People are drinking more alcohol by “stealth” because of the stronger drinks on the market, an analysis of consumption in the UK suggests. The amount of alcohol consumed per person has risen by 10% since 2000 – despite drink sales remaining steady. Researchers Mintel said wines and lagers were becoming stronger and people were unaware….

Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotic anonymous was started in the late 1940’s, which sprang up from the “Alcoholics Anonymous Program”. Narcotics Anonymous is an “international community-based association”, whose prime goal is of “recovering drug addicts”. The narcotics anonymous is spread across “127 countries worldwide” and has conducted more than “43,900 weekly meetings”. This association is based on a “non….

Just what is a binge drinker and how to get through to them

Just as governments in Australia and Britain are on the brink of introducing new measures to combat alcohol abuse and binge drinking, new research says that campaigns warning about the harmful effect of excessive alcohol consumption don’t work. The researchers say they fail to work because they are widely ignored, in particular by young people….

Understanding Dual Diagnosis

When two mental disorders or illnesses occur at the same time, or in sequence, in the same person, it is known as comorbidity; when these conditions are diagnosed, it is called a dual diagnosis. Mental disorders are defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as “A mental condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of….