How Healthy Are You?

Stop Drinking Advice…Alcohol Is A Real Threat

Society tends to aid in the development of alcoholism by making alcohol seem glamorous, showing that by drinking, you will become more popular, more glamorous and more worthy of respects from others. The physical effects of alcoholism are somewhat gruesome. Excessive in take and prolonged use of alcohol can cause serious disturbances in body chemistry. Many alcoholics exhibit swollen and tender livers. The prolonged use of large amounts of alcohol without adequate diet may cause serious liver damage, such as cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholism also causes loss of muscular control. It is no exaggeration to suggest someone displaying any of these extreme signs should get help for their drinking problem. Treatment is acquirable in many forms ranging from help from your GP to a stay in an alcohol recovery centre.

Generally speaking, the signs of alcoholism are unclear to many people. It is not unusual to have questions as to what alcohol dependency is exactly, how is different from alcohol abuse, and when an individual should look for treatment due to their drinking problem. The following information will wage you with the answer to these questions and many others you many have. Alcoholism addiction (also known as alcohol dependence) is characterized by several signs: Cravings - A strong need, or compulsion, to drink. Loss of control - The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion. Physical dependence - Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. Tolerance - The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.

Stopping alcohol completely is usually best if you are, or have been, alcohol dependent. Also, if you have a condition due to alcohol such as liver damage. Otherwise, reducing to a innocuous level of drinking is an option. (A note of caution: do not stop alcohol suddenly if you are alcohol dependent. Some withdrawal effects can be severe. It is best to cut down gradually and then stop, or see your doctor about a ‘detox’.) If you are trying to cut down, some tips which may help include the following: Consider drinking low alcohol beers, or at least do not drink ’strong’ beers or lagers. Try pacing the rate of drinking. Perhaps alternate soft drinks with alcoholic drinks. Consider cutting back on types of social activity which involve drinking. Perhaps try different social activities where drinking is not a part. Perhaps reduce the number of days in the week where you go out to drink. Resist pressure from people who encourage you to drink more than you want to.

One unit of alcohol is in about half a pint of beer, or two thirds of a small glass of wine, or one small pub measure of spirits. See leaflet called ‘Alcohol and Sensible Drinking’ for details. Drinking above the recommended innocuous limit is hazardous. That is, it increases your risk of developing diseases such as cirrhosis (liver damage), alteration to the pancreas, certain cancers, heart problems, sexual problems, and other conditions. About 1 in 3 men, and about 1 in 7 women, drink more than the innocuous limit. In general, the more you drink, the greater the risk. For example, if a man drinks five units apiece day (not greatly over the recommended limit) then, on average, he doubles his risk of developing liver disease, raised blood pressure, some cancers, and of having a violent death.

About a third of U.S. women drink alcohol. Of these women who drink, only one out of ten averages two or more drinks a day. For women, two drinks a day is above what the Dietary Guidelines for Americans call “moderate:” no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men (see below for more on the Guidelines, and the recommendations for moderate drinking). Why the difference between women and men? Alcohol passes through the digestive tract and is dispersed in the water in the body. The more water available, the more diluted the alcohol. As a rule, men weigh more than women. In addition, pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than men, so a woman’s brain and other organs are exposed to more alcohol before it is broken down. These differences play a role in both the short- and long-term effects of alcohol on women.

Research suggests that women who have trouble with their closest relationships tend to drink more than other women. Heavy drinking is more common among women who have never married, are living unmarried with a partner, or are divorced or separated. (The effect of divorce on a woman’s later drinking may depend on whether she is already drinking heavily in her marriage.) A woman whose husband drinks heavily is more likely than other women to drink too much. Many studies have found that women who suffered childhood sexual abuse are more likely to have drinking problems. Depression is closely linked to heavy drinking in women, and women who drink at home alone are more likely than others to have later drinking problems.

Older women need to be aware that alcohol will “go to their head” more quickly than when they were younger. Also, caregivers need to know that alcohol may be the cause of problems assumed to result from age. These include depression, sleeping problems, intake poorly, heart failure, and frequent falls. An important point is that older persons with alcohol problems respond to treatment as well as younger persons. Those with shorter histories of problem drinking do better in treatment than those with longer-term problems with drinking.