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Many people consider alcoholism to be an addiction, while others consider it a disease. The truth is that alcoholism can in fact refer to many different problems related to drinking, and if you or someone you know has a problem with drinking, it is important to educate yourself with the facts of alcoholism.
How is an alcoholism diagnosis made? In some cases people who abuse alcohol realize the severity of their habits, and will reach out for help from medical professionals at their own initiative. However, a lot of times it takes an intervention from concerned loved ones in that person’s life and encourage an alcoholic to get professional help.
There are two main types of alcoholism; alcohol abuse, and alcohol dependency. Technically, alcohol dependency is the actual medical term used to describe alcoholism, but alcohol abuse is often categorized as such as well. Continuous alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing a dependency significantly.
To assess a level of risk in regard to drinking habits, the NIAAA determines that the risk of developing an alcohol problem is increased for those who drink more than a single day or the limit indicated for a week; and at very high risk if they drink more than both limits.
Alcoholism can affect a person’s health, work life, social life, and family life. It is a major problem that hundreds of thousands of Americans face every day. Doctors guess that chronic alcohol abuse will lower a person’s life expectancy by as many as 12 years.
Though many people are aware that alcohol increases the risk of liver complications and heart disease, many people do not realize how many other risks alcohol poses. Alcoholics are also more likely to cause injury and emotional pain to people in their social circle and they are more likely to be involved in accidents and crimes.
Searidge Foundation’s Alcohol Rehab Medical Treatment and pharmacotherapy treatment programs aspire to heal alcohol addiction. Scientific research has shown that a comprehensive approach for the treatment of alcohol addiction is vital for sobriety.
People with alcoholism need a broad range of addiction treatment options including cognitive behavioural therapy, pharmacotherapy-if necessary, support group involvement (for example, AA or SMART Recovery), family therapy, psychiatric treatment when necessary, alternative therapies and a wellness and nutritional approach to recover from alcohol addiction.
The contributing factors to alcoholism are numerous, misunderstood and devastating. Health Canada estimates that 14% of the population suffers from the dangerous effects of alcoholism. But what exactly determines someone’s likelihood of falling into that 14% of Canadians who consume high enough quantities of alcohol to put them in danger?
There have been several research studies over many years attempting to link a person’s genetic traits to alcoholism, and while many studies have yielded interesting results, there has been no definitive proof.
It has been suggested that a person who has one or more parents that were alcoholics may also have inherited genes that increase the chances for them to become an alcoholic as well. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they will, only that there is a higher risk of developing a dependency if too much alcohol is consumed too often.
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