Alcohol is used for different purposes by people.
Some use it as a drink in parties just to enjoy while some people are dependent on alcohol and they cannot spend their day without the intake of alcohol.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism both words are used interchangeably but in actual these two things are very different.
Alcohol abusers are those who intake a huge amount of alcohol just for the sake of fun and enjoyment.
The alcohol abusers are not dependent and can easily spend their life without using alcohol on a daily basis.
Alcoholism is a condition in which the person is completely dependent on alcohol and he/she needs alcohol to get through the day.
Without alcohol consumption the person is unable to do anything.
Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:
Alcohol abusers are likely to take a large amount of alcohol at a time leading to certain changes in their behavior, such as:
- Slurred Speech
- Loss of balance while walking
- Slow reflexes
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Loss of memory
- Risky behavior
- Despite of being conscious unable to remember actions, this is also known as: “blackout”
The symptoms of Alcoholism are:
- Unable to survive without alcohol
- Lying about the consumption of alcohol
- Can go to any extent just to get few drops of alcohol
- Show aggressive behavior if told not to use Alcohol
- Inability to control craving and drinking
Alcoholics have also been found to suffer from gut issues due to their excessive drinking habits.
Studies have found that excessive drinking leads to the inflammation of the bowel, making it common for people to develop chronic gut disorders such as IBS.
This often leads to diarrhea after drinking heavily, which is another sign of inflammation.
Health issues caused related to the use of alcohol
Alcohol used in any amount can lead to severe health related issues. Alcohol abusers are more prone to suffer from Alcoholism.
Alcohol use can lead to both short-term and long-term problems. Alcohol use disorders can cause shortening of breath, heart problems, sexual dysfunction, brain damage, cirrhosis and liver damage in many cases.
Alcohol withdrawal
A person who is habitual of taking alcohol may face withdrawal symptoms when he/she suddenly stops using alcohol.
Some common withdrawal symptoms include the likes of:
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Shaking
- Aggressive behavior
Alcohol withdrawal at times can be a medical emergency also leading to seizure, hallucination, and fever etc.
Alcohol addiction recovery and treatment:
Patients with alcohol addiction should show willingness to improve his/her condition and return to normal life.
Such alcohol adductors are put in a rehab.
The therapist can conduct In-patient as well as out-patient rehabilitation programs, depending on the choice of the patient.
For in-patient programs the patient is kept in the rehabilitation center until and unless he is totally independent of alcohol.
This treatment may take 1 month to 12 months of time.
Whereas, the out-patient program does not require the patient to stay in the rehabilitation center and the patient can stay at home while he/she follows the rehab program.
During the rehabilitation process the therapist will help the patient to cope up with the withdrawal symptoms.
The therapist may conduct patient counseling and a brief intervention program to help the patient recover from alcohol addiction.
Some effective therapies applied at an alcohol treatment program to overcome alcohol addiction include the following.
DETOXIFICATION
Detoxification involves the flushing of alcohol traces from the body.
Detoxification can also show some withdrawal symptoms but it is a mandatory process for alcohol addiction treatment.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
CBT requires mutual help to overcome the negative thoughts that can cause the patient to start drinking again.
The therapist will advise the patient to join a support group to easily overcome the addiction problem.