Alcoholism:

There is much debate amongst people if alcoholism is a disease or not. The most simple way to put it is that alcoholism is a mental obsession that causes a physical compulsion to drink alcohol. I am sure that alcoholism is a disease like alzheimer, cancer or aids. It wasn't until 1970, with the establishment of NIAAA and a national public education effort, that people began to understand and accept that alcoholism is a life-threatening, chronic disease involving psychological and physical dependence on alcohol. According to the American Medical Association, “alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant impairment that is directly associated with persistent and excessive use of alcohol. The worst part of alcoholism is the toll it takes upon their families. The important thing to note is that alcoholism is not a lifestyle choice. A few things must be understood to fight and beat the disease:Alcoholism is chronic. Although it is true that alcoholism is known to occur at different rates of frequency among various ethnic groups, it occurs to some extent in every group at every socioeconomic level. Recent research supported by NIAAA has demonstrated that for many people, a vulnerability to alcoholism is inherited.

Alcohol

Studies of laboratory animals as well as human test subjects indicate that genetic factors play a major role in the development of alcoholism, but just how much a factor remains undetermined. Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that alcoholism definitely has a genetic component. A study in Sweden followed alcohol use in twins who were adopted as children and reared apart. The incidence of alcoholism was slightly higher among people who were exposed to alcoholism only through their adoptive families. However, it was dramatically higher among the twins whose biological fathers were alcoholics, regardless of the presence of alcoholism in their adoptive families. " "Short sleepers" are mice that are genetically less sensitive to alcohol. Although a massive amount of scientific research indicates heredity plays some role in developing alcoholism, having a family history of alcoholism does not doom a person into becoming an alcoholic. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone is abusing alcohol or is an alcoholic. You can not say you were an alcoholic but rather you are a recovering alcoholic.

Treatment

Treatment for alcoholism includes elements of medicine, psychology and sometimes medications. With the appropriate treatment and support from their families and friends, many are able to get better and lead healthy and productive lives. In this context treatment is both harm reduction and harm prevention. For some alcoholics, treatment begins with "detoxification"--that is, medical management of acute alcohol withdrawal. This might include AA, individual or group psychotherapy, or a center-sponsored program that continues on a smaller scale the same type of activities offered during the intensive treatment. "This is a powerful enough disease that a great number of people are going to [drink] one more time, at least," said Larry Goodwin, a licensed social worker and director of the Addiction Treatment Center at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney, Md. If you or someone you know is an alcoholic or having issues with alcohol, there are new and improved treatment programs that can be of help. The main treatment for alcoholism is to stop drinking alcohol. It can help you stop drinking while you get other treatments that your doctor will talk about with you. The information below will explain alcoholism and alcohol abuse, symptoms of each, when and where to seek help, treatment choices, and additional helpful resources.

Health

What are some of the long term health effects. Here are some of the health risks associated with alcohol abuse: Alcohol related liver disease (cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and fatty liver) Heart disease Cancer Pancreatitis. Damage may be a result of the direct effects of alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor general health status or from severe liver disease. It is a disease, an actual impairment of the body's health that prevents the person from functioning normally and causes not only pain to the alcoholic but also to family and friends.

Chronic alcohol abuse increases a person's risk for developing serious health problems, such as liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer (especially cancer of the esophagus, mouth, and throat), and pancreatitis. If heavy drinkers do not stop drinking, cirrhosis can cause poor health and, ultimately, death. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.

There is much debate amongst people if alcoholism is a disease or not. The most simple way to put it is that alcoholism is a mental obsession that causes a physical compulsion to drink alcohol. I am sure that alcoholism is a disease like alzheimer, cancer or aids. It wasn't until 1970, with the establishment of NIAAA and a national public education effort, that people began to understand and accept that alcoholism is a life-threatening, chronic disease involving psychological and physical dependence on alcohol. Most experts agree that alcoholism is a disease just as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis are diseases. The main treatment for alcoholism is to stop drinking alcohol. Yet, perhaps for most people, alcoholism is not understood realistically.