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Alcohol Abuse Answers
What is alcoholism and how does it affect my life?
Alcoholism is usually
defined by the following traits:
- A strong urge to consume alcohol, known also as craving.
- The inability to stop drinking, once started.
- A physical dependence involving withdrawal symptoms including nausea, sweating,
shakiness, and anxiety.
- An elevated tolerance to alcohol.
To understand how
alcoholism might be affecting your life, take a look at the statements
below. If three or more of them, occurring at any time in the same 12-month
period, apply to you or you observe these traits in a family member or
friend, you should consider talking to you doctor or healthcare provider.
-
It
takes more alcohol to get "high" than it did before.
-
I
have a few drinks to decrease my shakiness, nausea, or sweating.
-
I
can’t stop drinking once I start.
-
I
spend a lot of time thinking about drinking.
-
I
have tried and failed to cut down or stop.
-
I
have alcohol-related medical or behavioral problems.
-
I
have cut down on social or professional activities in order to drink.
For more information on
alcoholism contact:
Sinnissippi Centers
Inc
Alan Singer, Area
Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email:
alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website: www.sinnissippi.com
More information can be found at
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
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Questions
What are
the terms and definitions of alcohol problems?
Abstinence:
The act or practice of
restraint from the appetite or desire for alcohol; not allowing any alcohol
to enter one's system.
Addictive:
The
aspect of being biologically or psychologically habit-forming.
Alcohol Dependence: A
disease characterized by the excessive consumption of and
dependence on alcohol, leading to physical and psychological dysfunction.
Alcoholic: A
person suffering from alcoholism; of or relating to alcohol.
Alcoholism: A
disease characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on
alcohol, potentially leading to physical and psychological dysfunction.
Chronic: A
disease or condition that lasts for a long period of time or reoccurs
frequently.
Craving: A
strong yearning or desire to consume or indulge in alcohol.
Denial: The
state or act of asserting that something alleged is not true; refusal to
acknowledge a condition or situation.
Dependence: A
persistent and compulsive need or addiction.
Elevated Tolerance: A
state of increased physical resistance to the intoxicating effects of
alcohol, making increased consumption of alcohol necessary to produce
intoxication.
Relapse: To
regress after partial recovery from an illness or condition.
Sober: The
state of not being affected by the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
Sobriety: The
state of not being under the influence of or affected by alcohol.
Tolerance: A
decreased response to alcohol, usually over a period of prolonged exposure.
Treatment Plan: The
projected course of therapy determined by a healthcare provider, based on
information gathered about the patient and condition, usually the first step
in the treatment process.
Withdrawal: The
body's physical reactions to the absence of alcohol in your system and the
symptoms it produces; also known as withdrawal symptoms.
For more information on
alcoholism contact:
Sinnissippi Centers
Inc
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email:
alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website: www.sinnissippi.com
More information can be found at
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
Back
to Questions
What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?
Alcoholism is a term
commonly used to describe the medical disorder of alcohol dependence. Many
health professionals prefer more precise language that distinguishes between
alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse.
Alcohol dependence is
an illness with four main features:
-
Physical
dependence, with a characteristic withdrawal syndrome that is relieved
by more alcohol (e.g., morning drinking) or other drugs;
-
Physiological tolerance, so that more and more alcohol is needed to
produce the desired effects;
-
Difficulty
in controlling how much alcohol is consumed once drinking has begun;
-
A craving
for alcohol that can lead to relapse if one tries to abstain.
Alcohol abuse is
different from alcohol dependence. Abusers are not necessarily physically
addicted to alcohol, but develop problems as a result of their alcohol
consumption and poor judgment, failure to understand the risks, or lack of
concern about damage to themselves or others. Because they are not addicted,
alcohol abusers remain in control of their behavior and can change their
drinking patterns in response to explanations and warnings. An alcohol
abuser either:
-
Persists
in habitual drinking or occasional binge drinking that causes or
exacerbates a persistent or recurrent social, work, financial, legal, or
health problem;
-
Or uses
alcohol repeatedly under circumstances, which are physically dangerous,
such as driving while, intoxicated.
Many people
who abuse alcohol eventually become alcohol dependent.
For more information on
alcoholism contact:
Sinnissippi Centers
Inc
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email:
alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
More information can be found at
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
Back
to Questions
What
are the potential warning signs of an alcohol problem?
The presence of any of
the following indicators suggests that an individual may have a serious
alcohol problem or be at high risk for developing one. Any one indicator is
not conclusive evidence of a serious problem, but it is relevant
circumstantial evidence and should be noted.
-
Drinking
is causing or exacerbating a persistent or recurring social, work,
financial, legal, or health problem. This is the heart of the alcohol
issue.
-
Individual
has tried unsuccessfully to cut down the extent of alcohol use. Or, once
the person starts drinking, he/she sometimes loses control over the
amount consumed. Both are indicators of alcohol dependence.
-
Individual
commonly drinks while alone. Regular solitary drinking, as compared with
social drinking, indicates potential current or future alcohol
dependence.
-
Individual
drinks to relax prior to social events, as compared with using
alcohol at social events. Drinking prior to social events
indicates potential current or future alcohol problems.
-
Individual
drinks first thing in the morning as an "eye-opener" or to get rid of a
hangover. This is a strong indicator of dependence.
-
Individual
claims a high tolerance for alcohol, for example, makes statements such
as: "I can drink a lot without its having any effect on me, so I don't
have to worry." High tolerance is an indicator of alcohol dependence --
it takes more and more to have the same effect on the body.
-
Individual
uses alcohol as a means of coping with life's problems. This indicates
possible psychological or emotional problems and greatly increases the
likelihood that alcohol already is or will become a problem. On the
other hand, if motivation is experimentation, peer pressure, or
adolescent rebelliousness, this does not necessarily predict future
abuse.
-
There has been a recent increase in
individual's drinking. A change for the worse in drinking pattern may
signal the existence of other relevant issues.
There is a family history of alcohol
abuse. Genetic studies indicate that alcoholism tends to run in families and
that a genetic vulnerability to alcoholism exists. The disruption of family
life in an alcoholic home also plays a role in creating vulnerability to
alcoholism later in life. On the other hand, many children react to parental
alcoholism by carefully avoiding alcohol themselves. According to one study,
the chances the child will follow in the parent's footsteps depend, in part,
upon which parent is the alcoholic and the nature of the relationship with
that parent. Children of alcoholic mothers are at far greater risk than
children of alcoholic fathers.
For more information on
alcoholism contact:
Sinnissippi Centers
Inc
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email:
alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website: www.sinnissippi.com
More information can be found at
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
Back to
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