Modern Homoeopathy

Monthly E-Newsletter January 2008

Alcoholism

by

Dr Samir Chaukkar M.D.(Hom)

Dr Samir Chaukkar M.D.(Hom)

P.G.Dip. Addictions Treatment (Canada)

Contact: 9892166616,

Email: drsamirac69@gmail.com

 

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is the physical and mental addiction to alcohol. Prolonged use of alcohol will affect both physical and mental conditions, and there are also various social implications from associated behaviors.

Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” is a disease that includes four symptoms:

·         Craving: A strong need, an urge or compulsion to drink.

·         Loss of control: The inability to stop drinking or limit one’s drinking, once begun.

·         Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, restlessness, irritability, tremors, hallucinations, convulsions 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.”

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower.

Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.

Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need Assistance. With treatment and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

Many people wonder why some individuals can use alcohol without problems but others cannot. One important reason has to do with genetics. Scientists have found that having an alcoholic family member makes it more likely that if you choose to drink you too may develop alcoholism. Genes, however, are not the whole story. In fact, scientists now believe that certain factors in a person’s environment influence whether a person with a genetic risk for alcoholism ever develops the disease. A person’s risk for developing alcoholism can increase based on the person’s environment, including where and how he or she lives; family, friends, and culture; peer pressure; and even how easy it is to get alcohol.

Alcohol dependence was earlier referred to as ‘Alcoholism’. Alcohol dependence is more common among males. It usually sets in during the latter part of the second decade or during the early part of the third decade of life. The term ‘Alcohol dependence’ is usually used in reference to the mental, physical, or social damage that results from an excessive consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol dependence is characterized by an increased preoccupation with the drug and reduced control over its intake.

Alcohol dependence is often a chronic, progressive disease, which, if left untreated, can prove to be fatal.

Alcohol dependence may also be contributed by genetic, psychological, and social factors.

Alcohol dependence is seen more commonly associated in males, usually starting in their late twenties, or early thirties of life.

People with alcoholism--technically known as alcohol dependence--have lost reliable control of their alcohol use. It doesn't matter what kind of alcohol someone drinks or even how much: alcohol-dependent people are often unable to stop drinking once they start

Alcohol abuse is generally considered when a person engages in excessive drinking, resulting in health or social problems, but is not dependent on alcohol on a regular basis.

 

Alcoholism is a

(i) Primary disease - Earlier, people believed that alcoholism was the symptom of some other mental disorder. After extensive research, it has now been established that alcoholism is a disease in itself - a Disease that can be controlled by medical and psychological treatment.

Alcoholism is a disease that needs multi-pronged therapy

Alternatives such as change of job, marriage, etc will not help you to recover, if you are an alcoholic. Unless treated so that you totally stop drinking, your condition will get worse day by day.

(ii) Progressive disease - If you are alcohol dependent, your condition goes from bad to worse. Sometimes there may be periods when you may feel there is improvement. But drinking over a length of time will only lead to deterioration. Drinking excessively leads to cirrhosis and pancreatitis, and even to death.

 

(iii) Treatable disease - This is the good news. You can get help and kick the habit. Treatment that will aid the alcoholic to stop drinking without experiencing severe withdrawal problems is available in India. But you have to get one thing straight: If you have a problem with alcohol, stay away from it.

 

Drinking even a small quantity of alcohol after years of abstinence will lead you back to obsessive drinking. Alcoholism is a permanent condition. Only total abstinence will help in arresting the disease.

It is important for you to know that alcoholism is an illness. Alcoholism has a certain set of signs and symptoms. It's not your fault if you or your loved one is involved in alcoholism. You should not feel guilty. That would be unduly hard on yourself. You wouldn't blame someone for having cancer, or heart disease, even though some of their behaviors may have contributed to their disease. If you eat a certain way, or smoke cigarettes, you increase your chances of disease. If you drink or use drugs, you increase your chances of becoming addicted.

Causes of Alcoholism

What causes alcoholism?

The causes of alcoholism are not fully known. A history of alcoholism in your family makes it more likely. Men seem to be more at risk than women. Some drinkers use alcohol to try to relieve anxiety, depression, tension, loneliness, self-doubt or unhappiness.

 

Alcoholism is a disease with multiple causes that combine uniquely for every drinker who eventually becomes alcoholic. One or more of these causes may predominate, but in each case the risk factors are well known. In many cases alcoholism has deeper lying causes that do not disappear once the drinker is sober.  

Personality/traits

Education/development

Established behaviour patterns

Environment

Religion

Damaged relationships

(i) Personality/traits.

Emotional immaturity.

Overly dependent on their parents.

Inability to communicate and be engaged on his deeper experiences.

Tension in his relationships with others.

Inability to manage frustration.

Keeping a front (as a defense mechanism to hide his sense of guilt, poor self image and other problems).

Perfectionism.

Competitiveness.

A sense of feeling inferior as a man or woman.

A feeling of guilt.

(ii) Education/development.

- Conflict between parents.

- Poor religious experiences.

- Nervous parents.

- Sexual deviations by the parents

- Contradictory behaviour of especially the mother

- Sidestepping instead of addressing problems.

- A father despising the mother.

- A mother that is unhappy with her role as mother.

- Lack of discipline.

- Low expectations of the child.

- Lack of leadership.

(iii) Established behaviour patterns. Addiction tends to develop over time. With and without addiction humans establish set behaviour patterns. These patterns do not change simply because the addiction has been broken.

Mental and emotional stress – High levels of stress, anxiety or emotional pain can lead some people to drink alcohol to block out the turmoil. Certain stress hormones may be associated with alcoholism. Since alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is frequently resorted to as a “cover up” during times of temporary or ongoing stress or grief such as that experienced with the loss of a loved one or relationship, unresolved family tensions, and chronic work stress.

 

Psychological factors – Low self-esteem and depression make one more vulnerable to excessive drinking and alcoholism. Having friends or a close partner who drinks regularly, but who may not abuse alcohol could lead to excessive drinking on your part. It may be difficult for you to distance yourself from these "enablers" or at least from their drinking habits.

 

Social and cultural pressures – The glamorous way that drinking alcohol is portrayed in advertising and in the entertainment media sends many people messages that it's OK to drink excessively. The media and popular culture are filled with messages and images that legitimize or even glamorize frequent or excessive drinking. Also, associating with people who are able to drink socially, and encourage the same behavior in those around them, is dangerous to the alcoholic trying to abstain from drinking.  Damaged relationship too leads to alcoholism.

(iv) Environment. Alcohol is a method to escape from

emotional pain

crises

boredom

distress

fatigue

(v) Religion

All humans have a need for security. Religious people experience it via their religion. Alcohol is sometimes called God-in-the-bottle. Alcohol can have the same value to the alcoholic as religion may have for a religious person. For alcoholics alcohol removes the feeling of guilt and inferiority and replaces it with a false sense of security. Insecurity returns when becoming sober again.

Social need. Humans want to live with and experience other humans. In a healthy religious community a sense of communion is experienced.  Alcoholics tend to have very low social skills and therefore do not experience this sense of communion. This is falsely created by having drinking partners or liking the atmosphere in a bar. Alcohol becomes their social lubricant.

 

GeneticsHowever, genetics also play a role and there are indications that alcoholism can be inherited. Certain genetic factors may cause a person to be vulnerable to alcoholism or other addiction. It is estimated that half of all cases of alcoholism are primarily caused by genetics: that is, the alcoholic possesses certain genes which predispose him or her to the disease. One study showed that the amygdala—the area of the brain thought to play a role in emotional craving—was smaller in individuals with a family history of alcoholism. Similarly, some people with alcoholism may have an inherited dysfunction in the transmission of serotonin. The sons of men with alcohol dependence are at increased risk of developing alcohol dependence.

Brain chemistry imbalance – As a person engages in a regular habit of drinking, chemical changes in the brain take place. Alcohol consumption depletes gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chemical responsible for inhibiting impulsiveness, and it increases the production of glutamate (which excites the nervous system) and norepenephrine (a stress-producing hormone). Alcohol also acts in the system to release more dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that produce euphoria and a sense of well-being. Therefore, the active drinker is prone to seek more alcohol to accomplish two things: reduce the agitation brought on by hyperactivity in the brain; and restore the pleasure response in the brain stimulated by the alcohol.

 

Type 1 and Type 2  Alcoholism

Type 1 alcoholism accounts for about 75% of alcoholics and is characterized by the following signs and symptoms:

The onset of alcohol-related problems occurs after the age of 25.

A low degree of spontaneous alcohol-seeking behavior and alcohol-related fighting.

Psychological dependence, coupled with guilt and fear about alcoholism.

A low degree of novelty-seeking and a high degree of harm avoidance.

Type 2 alcoholism is characterized by the following signs and symptoms:

The onset of alcohol-related problems occur before the age of 25.

There is a high degree of spontaneous alcohol-seeking behavior and fighting.

Infrequent feelings of guilt and fear about alcohol dependence.

A low degree of harm avoidance and a high degree of thrill seeking.

Type 1 alcoholics do much better in treatment and, because of long-standing antisocial behaviors and attitudes, type 2 alcoholics usually need long-term structure to maintain sobriety (Woodward, 1998).

Alcohol and all drugs trigger the meso-limbic dopamine reward system and the endogenous opioid system, which reward drinking. This is what addicts the brain and makes it impossible to stop drinking. If an alcoholic stops drinking on their own, at the very least they are going to feel restless, irritable, and discontent. Only alcohol will move the patient back toward a feeling of peace.   

 

The Phases of the Disease called Alcoholism

There are three distinctly noticeable phases in alcoholism. Each phase has its signs and symptoms.

The Early Phase

The Middle Phase

The Chronic Phase

The Early Phase

Increased Tolerance: This is the first warning sign of the development of alcoholism. You would need more drinks to get the same pleasurable feeling, which you got earlier with just one or two drinks.

Blackouts: This is not going unconscious or falling flat. During a black out, you may go through many activities like walking, talking, even driving a vehicle ‘apparently normally’, but have no recollection of them afterwards.

Preoccupation with Drinking: Even when you are not drinking, you are preoccupied with when and how you will you can get the next drink.

Avoiding Any Talk About Alcohol: Despite the preoccupation, you do not want to discuss your craving with anybody. Even if you have boasted earlier of you capacity to drink, you want to avoid the subject now. This is also known as Denial.

The Middle Phase

Loss of Control: Initially, there is a loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed. Later on, you lose control over the time, place and occasion of drinking.

Justifying Your Drinking: You feel guilty and depressed. You justify drinking by giving excuses such as unhappy married life, tension at office, pressure from friends to drink, etc. In an attempt to reduce the feeling of guilt, you keep giving different reasons, but your drinking continues.

Grandiose Behavior: You talk big and spend big; more than you can afford. Quite often, alcoholics in this phase do not provide even basic needs for the dependent family, but spend what little they have in extravagant gestures among friends.

Temporary Abstinence: By this time, your drinking has lead to plenty of problems, at home and in the office. You are at the point of losing your job and perhaps your marriage. This might make you abstain for a while.

Changing the Pattern:  Some make a change in the pattern of drinking. They try to change what they drink; arrack to brandy, whiskey to beer. They try a change of place or time. But so long as it is alcohol, no matter how many changes are made, they continue to be immersed in the same problems that haunted them before.

The Chronic Phase

This phase is characterised by noticeable physical, mental and social deterioration. There is a total breakdown in relationship with the family.

Binge Drinking: You drink continuously for days together, do not eat and do not involve yourself in any other activity. At the end of each binge you are left shaken, frightened and guilt-ridden; you promise never to drink again. Soon enough you go on another binge.

Ethical Breakdown: You borrow, lie and even steal to keep liquor in supply. You have no qualms about being unethical. Your sole aim is to get enough to drink, whatever the means.

Paranoia and Hallucinations: You begin to suspect people around you with little reason. You imagine they are plotting against you. You may imagine voices speaking to you. You may see things that do not exist or may feel things crawling on you.

Lack of Motor Co-Ordination: Your hand trembles as you hold the coffee cup. Even to shave you have to ‘steady’ yourself with a few drinks. You drink to feel better, but it only makes you feel worse.

This is the end of the road. Those who do not stop alcohol consumption even at this stage get mentally ill or die a slow, painful death.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcoholism is "a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law." It includes the following symptoms and is characterized by:

1.                  Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.

2.                  Impaired control: The inability to limit one's drinking on any given occasion.

3.                  Physical dependence: The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. These symptoms are usually relieved by drinking alcohol or by taking another sedative drug; and

4.                  Tolerance: The need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects & get "high".

Alcoholism is a type of drug dependence. There is both physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

 

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic, progressive, and sometimes fatal disease due to the habitual use of alcohol; often described as any "harmful use" of alcohol--meaning the alcoholic continues to drink despite recurrent social, personal, physical, or legal consequences as a result of their alcohol use.

 

Alcoholism is a cluster of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated substance misuse and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling its use, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, a higher priority given to its use than other activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and sometimes a physical withdrawal state. Stereotypes of alcoholics are often found in fiction and popular culture, viz. the "town drunk," or the portrayal of Russians and the Irish as alcoholics.

Alcohol dependence can be harder to break and significantly more damaging than dependence on most other addictive substances. The physical symptoms when withdrawing from alcohol are seen to be equal to those experienced during withdrawal from heroin. Long term abusers of alcoholic beverages can suffer delirium tremens.

Alcoholism has little to do with what kind of alcohol one drinks, how long one has been drinking, or even exactly how much alcohol one consumes. But it has a great deal to do with a person's uncontrollable need for alcohol. This description of alcoholism helps us understand why most alcoholics can't just "use a little willpower" to stop drinking. He or she is frequently in the grip of a powerful craving for alcohol, a need that can feel as strong as the need for food or water. While some people are able to recover without help, the majority of alcoholic individuals need outside assistance to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives. Many people wonder: why can some individuals use alcohol without problems, while others are utterly unable to control their drinking? Recent research has demonstrated that for many people a vulnerability to alcoholism is inherited. Yet it is important to recognize that aspects of a person's environment, such as peer pressure and the availability of alcohol, also are significant influences. Both inherited and environmental influences are called "risk factors". But risk is not destiny.

Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically develop alcoholism.

Alcohol tolerance refers to a decreased response to the effects of ethanol in alcoholic beverages. This reduced sensitivity requires that higher quantities of alcohol be consumed in order to achieve the same effects as before tolerance began to occur.

The alcohol tolerance is connected with activity of Alcohol dehydrogenases (a group of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of alcohol) in the liver, and in the bloodstream. High level of Alcohol dehydrogenase activity results in fast transformation of ethanol to more toxic acetaldehyde. Such atypical alcohol dehydrogenase is less frequent in alcoholics than in non alcoholics. Furthermore, among alcoholics, the carriers of this atypical enzyme consume lower ethanol doses, compared to the individuals without the allele.

Some persons of South-East Asian and near-Eastern descent have a mutation in their alcohol dehydrogenase gene, making this enzyme more active.

Heavy alcohol consumption over a period of years can lead to "reverse tolerance." A liver can be damaged by alcohol abuse leading to a buildup of fat and scar tissue. The reduced ability of such a liver to metabolize or break down alcohol means that small amounts can lead to a high BAC and resulting intoxication.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism. Alcohol abuse does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that result in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:

·                     Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities;

·                     Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery;

·                     Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk; and

·                     Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.

Although alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, many effects of alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics. Alcohol abuse is a drinking pattern that results in significant and recurrent adverse consequences. Alcohol abusers may fail to fulfill major school, work or family obligations. They may have drinking-related legal problems, such as repeated arrests for driving while intoxicated. They may have relationship problems related to their drinking.

For many people, drinking alcohol is nothing more than a pleasant way to relax. However, people with alcohol use disorders drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others.

What Are the Signs of a Problem?

Warning Signs

As one continues to drink excessively, one’s tolerance for alcohol increases, that is, one is required to take more and more to experience the same effect.

One may gradually become physically addicted to and psychologically dependent on alcohol. Roughly two out of every ten people who drink end up as alcoholics. And nobody is immune – it can happen to anybody – you, him, her or me. One thing is certain – the more often you drink, the greater are your risks.

Many people don’t realise it is a powerful drug. They simply drink before they think and end up getting hooked on to it.

Thoughts About Associated Pleasures: You start thinking constantly about pleasures associated with drinking. Though you are aware that you have had problems with alcohol, still you imagine that drinking was a pleasant experience.

Fear About Well Being: You feel a lack of confidence and extreme anxiety in life without alcohol. If there is any stress, you seem to want a quick peg.

Loneliness Leading to Depression: You experience intense loneliness. All these days, you were drinking with your cronies, or you were drinking alone. All your highs had been in relation with liquor. You had cut yourself off from many social relationships to be with the bottle. Now you are alone. There are people around you but there is no communication.

Irritation and Anger: You consider staying away from drink a major sacrifice. So you think everyone and everything else should conform to your expectations. This, naturally, does not happen and this leads to stress, anger and frustration.

Impatience: Things cannot happen soon enough for you. You can’t wait to get your suspension order revoked, or the promotion that was delayed.

Compulsive Behaviour: You try many mood altering activities. You talk continuously in the presence of others or keep absolutely quiet. You might make impulsive and impractical purchases to impress friends or family. You might take to gambling or some other route of escape from reality.

Self Pity: This is the biggest and most negative rut you can get into. You seem to think you have been singled out for injustice.

Tunnel Vision: You try to drown yourself in work and escape from social or family obligations. Or you shy away from responsibilities at work and try to integrate yourself with another aspect of life. You do not look at the facets of your life with balance.

Denials and Over Confidence: You deny that you have to make lifestyle changes. You deny that you have to change your attitude to life. You do not want to discuss your problem. You boast that you have kicked the habit. Quite recklessly, you even say that you can drink without getting addicted again. You do not realise that at this point, you are not ready for this test at all!

How can you tell whether you may have a drinking problem? Answering the following four questions can help you find out: The CAGE Questionnaire

·                     Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?

·                     Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

·                     Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?

·                     Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (as an “Eye opener”) to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. If you answered “yes” to more than one question, it is highly likely that a problem exists. In either case, it is important that you see your doctor or other health care provider right away to discuss your answers to these questions. He or she can help you determine whether you have a drinking problem and, if so, recommend the best course of action.

Even if you answered “no” to all of the above questions, if you encounter drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or the law, you should seek professional help. The effects of alcohol abuse can be extremely serious—even fatal—both to you and to others.

 

When does drinking become a problem?

For most adults, moderate alcohol use--no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women and older people--is relatively harmless. (A "drink" means 1.5 ounces of spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer, all of which contain 0.5 ounces of alcohol.)

Moderate use, however, lies at one end of a range that moves through alcohol abuse to alcohol dependence. Although severe alcohol problems get the most public attention, even mild to moderate problems cause substantial damage to individuals, their families, and the community.

HIGH RISK SITUATIONS-

If you are among the millions of people in this country who have a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism, you may have wondered what your family's history of alcoholism means for you. Are problems with alcohol a part of your future? Is your risk for becoming an alcoholic greater than for people who do not have a family history of alcoholism? If so, what can you do to lower your risk?

Many scientific studies, including research conducted among twins and children of alcoholics, have shown that genetic factors influence alcoholism. These findings show that children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics also have a higher risk for many other behavioral and emotional problems. But alcoholism is not determined only by the genes you inherit from your parents. In fact, more than one–half of all children of alcoholics do not become alcoholic. Research shows that many factors influence your risk of developing alcoholism. Some factors raise the risk while others lower it.

Genes are not the only things children inherit from their parents. How parents act and how they treat each other and their children has an influence on children growing up in the family. These aspects of family life also affect the risk for alcoholism.

Researchers believe a person's risk increases if he or she is in a family with the following difficulties:

·                     an alcoholic parent is depressed or has other psychological problems;

·                     both parents abuse alcohol and other drugs;

·                     the parents' alcohol abuse is severe; and

·                     Conflicts lead to aggression and violence in the family.

The good news is that many children of alcoholics from even the most troubled families do not develop drinking problems. Just as a family history of alcoholism does not guarantee that you will become an alcoholic, neither does growing up in a very troubled household with alcoholic parents. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families does not mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. The risk is higher but it does not have to happen. If you are worried that your family's history of alcohol problems or your troubled family life puts you at risk for becoming alcoholic, here is some common–sense advice to help you:

Avoid underage drinking - First, underage drinking is illegal. Second, research shows that the risk for alcoholism is higher among people who begin to drink at an early age, perhaps as a result of both environmental and genetic factors.

Drink moderately as an adult - Even if they do not have a family history of alcoholism, adults who choose to drink alcohol should do so in moderation—no more than one drink a day for most women, and no more than two drinks a day for most men, according to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some people should not drink at all, including women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant, recovering alcoholics, people who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require attention or skill, people taking certain medications, and people with certain medical conditions.

People with a family history of alcoholism, who have a higher risk for becoming dependent on alcohol, should approach moderate drinking carefully. Maintaining moderate drinking habits may be harder for them than for people without a family history of drinking problems. Once a person moves from moderate to heavier drinking, the risks of social problems (for example, drinking and driving, violence, and trauma) and medical problems (for example, liver disease, brain damage, and cancer) increase greatly.

Talk to a health care professional - Discuss your concerns with a doctor, practitioner, or other health care provider. They can recommend groups or organizations that could help you avoid alcohol problems. If you are an adult who already has begun to drink, a health care professional can assess your drinking habits to see if you need to cut back on your drinking and advise you about how to do that.

What causes alcohol-related disorders?

Problem drinking has multiple causes - genetic, physiological, psychological and social factors all playing a role. Not every individual is equally affected by each cause.

For some alcohol abusers, psychological traits such as impulsiveness, low self-esteem, and a need for approval prompt inappropriate drinking.

Some individuals drink to cope with or "medicate" emotional problems.

Social and environmental factors such as peer pressure and the easy availability of alcohol can play key roles.

Poverty and physical or sexual abuse increase the odds of developing alcohol dependence.

Genetic factors make some people especially vulnerable to alcohol dependence.

Contrary to myth, being able to "hold your liquor" means you're probably more at risk--not less--for alcohol problems. Yet a family history of alcohol problems doesn't mean that the children of those with alcohol problems will automatically grow up to have the same problems--nor does the absence of family drinking problems necessarily protect children from developing these problems.

Once people begin drinking excessively, the problem can perpetuate itself. Heavy drinking can cause physiological changes that make more drinking the only way to avoid discomfort. Individuals with alcohol dependence may drink partly to reduce or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

How do alcohol use disorders affect people?

While some research suggests that small amounts of alcohol may have beneficial cardiovascular effects, there is widespread agreement that heavier drinking can lead to health problems. Short-term effects include memory loss, hangovers, and blackouts. Long-term problems associated with heavy drinking include stomach ailments, heart problems, cancer, brain damage, serious memory loss, and liver cirrhosis. Heavy drinkers also markedly increase their chances of dying from automobile accidents, homicide, and suicide. Although men are much more likely than women to develop alcoholism, women's health suffers more, even at lower levels of consumption.

Drinking problems also have a very negative impact on mental health. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can worsen existing conditions such as depression or induce new problems such as serious memory loss, depression, or anxiety.

Alcohol problems don't just hurt the drinker. According to NIAAA, more than half of Americans have at least one close relative with a drinking problem. Spouses and children of heavy drinkers are more likely to face family violence; children are more likely to suffer physical and sexual abuse and neglect and to develop psychological problems. Women who drink during pregnancy run a serious risk of damaging their fetuses. Relatives and friends can be killed or injured in alcohol-related accidents and assaults.

Drinking and Driving                        

It may surprise you to learn that you don’t need to drink much alcohol before your driving ability is affected. For example, certain driving skills can be impaired by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) as low as 0.02 percent. (The BAC refers to the amount of alcohol in the blood.) A 160-pound man will have a BAC of about 0.04 percent 1 hour after drinking two 12-ounce beers or two other standard drinks on an empty stomach .And the more alcohol you drink, the more impaired your driving skills will be. Although most States set the BAC limit for adults who drive after drinking at 0.08 percent, driving skills are affected at much lower levels.

Interactions with Medications

Drinking alcohol while taking certain medications can cause problems. In fact, there are more than 150 medications that should not be mixed with alcohol. For example, if you are taking antihistamines for a cold or allergy and drink alcohol, the alcohol will increase the drowsiness that the medicine alone can cause, making driving or operating machinery even more dangerous. And if you are taking large doses of the painkiller acetaminophen and drinking alcohol, you are risking serious liver damage. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before drinking any amount of alcohol if you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medicines.

Social and Legal Problems

The more heavily you drink, the greater the potential for problems at home, at work, with friends, and even with strangers. These problems may include:

·                     Arguments with or separation from your spouse and other family members;

·                     Strained relationships with co-workers;

·                     Absence from or lateness to work with increasing frequency;

·                     Loss of employment due to decreased productivity; and

·                     Committing or being the victim of violence.

 Health benefits

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

§                     Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication

§                     Reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack

§                     Possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes

§                     Lower your risk of gallstones

§                     Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Long-Term Health Problems

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?

Whatever it is that leads adolescents to begin drinking, once they start they face a number of potential health risks. Although the severe health problems associated with harmful alcohol use are not as common in adolescents as they are in adults, studies show that young people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk for a range of potential health problems.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including:

§                     Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer

§                     Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood

§                     Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease

§                     Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure

§                     Stroke

§                     Brain atrophy (shrinkage)

§                     Cirrhosis of the liver

§                     Miscarriage

§                     Fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development

§                     Injuries due to impaired motor skills

§                     Suicide

Some problems, like those mentioned above, can occur after drinking over a relatively short period of time. But other problems—such as liver disease, heart disease, certain forms of cancer, and pancreatitis—often develop more gradually and may become evident only after many years of heavy drinking. Women may develop alcohol-related health problems sooner than men, and from drinking less alcohol than men. Because alcohol affects nearly every organ in the body, long-term heavy drinking increases the risk for many serious health problems, some of which are described below.

DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL USE

 

ORGAN SYSTEM

DISEASE

Gastrointestinal system
 
 
Nutritional deficiencies
 
 Hematological disorders
 
 Cardiovascular system
 
CNS
 
 
Metabolic disorders
 
 Miscellaneous
Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrohosis, esophagitis, acute gastritis, gastric bleding, vomiting, pancreatitis, 
malabsortpion, hepatocellular carcinoma.
 
Thiamine, pyridoxine, vit. A, folic acid, ascorbic acid
 
Anaemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia
 
Cardiomyopaty, hypertension
 
Wernicke-korsakoff’s syndrome, dementia, cerebellar degeneration, peripheral nuropathy, myopathy, 
head injury.
 
Ketoacidosis, hyoglycaemia, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesemia
 
Fetal alcohol syndrome, osteoporosis, tuberculosis, psoriasis, domestic & traffic accidents