Alcoholism Symptoms

What is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is defined as an irresistible urge to consume alcohol. People suffering from alcoholism are very well aware of the dangerous effects alcohol could have on their bodies, but still they are unable to resist the urge to consume it. They will usually drink beyond acceptable limits and will be in an inebriated state most often, causing embarrassment and inconvenience to the people with them.

Most people who consume alcohol have more than they can manage. This is seen in alcohol drinkers who lose control of their senses when they have one drink too many. Such an overstepping of limits is called as alcohol abuse. People who abuse alcohol are having more alcohol than their body allows them, but they have not yet come totally under the control of their alcohol habit. However, if they continue drinking for long, then they will not be able to resist alcohol and will become totally addicted to it. This situation is called as alcoholism.

Both alcohol abuse and alcoholism are social vices apart from being detrimental to the person’s health. They can be eliminated only by exercising control and being determined.

Why is Alcoholism dangerous?

Ethyl alcohol – the alcohol which is used in all alcohol products – is a liquid that immediately dissolves in the human blood. Hence when alcohol is consumed, it doesn’t take much time to reach all parts of the human body. Due to this, the nervous system of the person is affected and he/she may lose responsiveness to external stimulus. This is when the person is said to be inebriated.

Constant alcoholism will interfere with the functioning of all the vital organs of the body. The major organs affected are the liver, brain, heart and kidneys.

Liver is perhaps the most seriously affected in the long run. With prolonged alcoholism, the liver may develop cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue. Once cirrhosis sets in, it is very difficult to return the health back to normal.

In the stomach, alcohol can cause several gastric problems which may interfere with digestion. At the same time, each time a person has alcohol, it numbs his/her nervous system. In due course, the person may lose some or all of the fundamental senses.

What are the Symptoms of Alcoholism?

Generally people who are alcoholics can be easily identified even in a crowd. The habit shows some characteristic symptoms. These are as follows:-

A person with the habit of alcoholism will have all the trademark drunkard’s characteristics – red eyes, unkempt hair, mouth reeking of alcohol, unsteady gait, etc. But there are several people who mask these signs well.
Alcoholics usually set specific times for their drinking sessions. These could be before dinner. If alcohol is not available one particular day, they may become very cantankerous.
Even during the time they are not drinking, alcoholics would not be able to focus on the work at hand. This would sour their business and family life.
Over time, alcoholics build a resistance to alcohol. For this reason, they will keep increasing their intake so as to feel the effects of the alcohol.

How can Alcoholism be avoided?

For an alcoholic, avoiding alcohol could be a very difficult task. The withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism may be very severe. So it is not advisable for a hardcore alcohol to stop drinking entirely. Instead, the alcohol should be carefully phased out.

The following steps can be taken to reduce alcohol intake:-

The person must be made to take interest in constructive hobbies and sports.
Love and affection from family members and friends could strengthen the resolve of the person to give up alcoholism.
Attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous will show the alcoholic how people have managed to kick their boozing habits. This will create a very positive outlook in the alcoholic.
Instead of alcohol, other drinks with less alcohol in them can be used, such as wine and cocktails. Eventually even these can be stopped.

How can Alcoholism be controlled with Simple Home Remedies?

There are many home remedies to reduce the effects of alcoholism. The following are some of them:

Fruit juices are very effective in lowering the effects of alcoholism. For removing the effects of a hangover, the juice of a lemon or orange will be very effective. Eating an apple or banana helps to flush out the toxins from the body which collect due to alcoholism.
Both grapes and dates are very beneficial in reducing the urge to consume alcohol. If alcoholics are kept on a diet of only grapes for a couple of weeks, then most likely the temptation to drink will be totally gone.
Introduce many other drinks in the person’s diets so that the craving for the alcoholic drink is reduced.
When the person feels the urge to consume alcohol, having a glass of carrot juice will help to reduce the temptation.

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In order to be adjudicated as disabled before a Social Security Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), an attorney or claimants representative must follow and complete what is called the five step Social Security disability evaluation process. The evaluation process asks the individual seeking disability benefits five separate questions:

(1) Are you working and are you performing substantial gainful activity;

(2) Is your condition severe;

(3) Does your condition meet or exceed a listed impairment;

(4) Can you do previous work; and

(5) What work can you do.

If a claimant meets each of the five steps of the evaluation process, then an ALJ will usually find that individual to be disabled. One exception to meeting the five step evaluation process and qualifying for disability is if the finding was materially effected by a drug addiction or alcoholism.

Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (DA&A) is often referred to as the silent “6th step” of the five step Social Security evaluation process for disability benefits. The Social Security Administration’s regulation 20 C.F.R. Section 404.1535 governs DA&A and states, “If we find that you are disabled and have medical evidence of your drug addiction or alcoholism, we must determine whether your drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability. The key factor we will examine in determining whether drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability is whether we would still find you disabled if you stopped using drugs or alcohol.” If DA&A was material in the disability determination and you would not be found disabled but for the use of those substances, SSA will not find that you have met the 6th step.

In order to meet the 6th step of the five step evaluation process, SSA must decide whether the individual would still be disabled if the drug or alcohol usage stopped. To make that determination, SSA will evaluate the claimant’s current physical or mental limitations and decide which of those limitations would be disabling had the use of drugs and alcohol stopped. If SSA finds that the remaining limitations would not be disabling, then the DA&A is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability. However, if SSA finds that the remaining limitations are disabling, you are then considered disabled independent of the DA&A. Although the five step evaluation process is important to meet for a claimant to receive disability benefits it is equally important to meet the DA&A component of the process, also called the 6th step.

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In America alcohol is socially acceptable, readily available and the most commonly abused drug, but that doesn’t mean all Americans are alcoholics. The disease of alcoholism goes beyond merely having “one too many” and it is necessary to gather some facts about alcoholism before rushing into an uninformed diagnosis.

This page is designed to give you some general alcoholism facts to help you understand the impact it has on the alcoholic and society.

Facts to Consider:

Alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by the inability of the person to control his/her drinking, craving for a drink and dependence on alcohol to feel “normal.”

Alcoholism is progressive. It begins with one drink to be sociable, or to enjoy the effects of alcohol, but progresses to the point where people need more alcohol to achieve the same effect, begin to drink more often or earlier in the day, and may even lead to a person’s constant craving for alcohol just to feel “better.”

Alcoholics develop a tolerance for alcohol and can become capable of consuming large amounts of alcohol each day.

Alcoholism is a progressive disease because left unchecked it can cause serious damage to the liver, heart and other major organs of the body, leading to death.

People who have the disease of alcoholism do not always know it, or accept it. An alcoholic may deny any problem, regardless of the consequences the disease brings to their life. It is often necessary for friends and loved ones to intercede and strongly encourage the alcoholic to enter treatment. Denial of the disease is the major enemy of recovery.

- Here are some questions to ask when observing someone you suspect might be having a struggle with alcohol:

Key Alcoholism Facts

1. Do they drink too much?

2. Do they drink throughout the day?

3. Has there been a change in their everyday habits?

4. Do they drink alone?

5. If denied a drink, do they get irritable?

6. Have they missed work?

7. Have they lost interest in activities they love doing?

8. Do they avoid seeing their friends if drinks are not available?

9. Do they get angry if someone mentions their drinking?

More Alcoholism Facts

- The problem of alcoholism is wide-spread. The Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University concluded, “more than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than nine million children live with a parent dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs.”

- Alcoholism is a family disease, because it impacts the entire family, not just the alcoholic.

- Alcoholism is a community disease, because alcoholics are more likely to lose productivity at work, get into automobile accidents, require emergency health care and have legal entanglements.

- Alcoholism is a contributing factor to suicide in many cases.

- Alcohol is a leading cause of birth defects.

- Alcohol abuse and alcoholism, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cost American taxpayers over $67 billion every year. This includes law enforcement, uninsured patients, court costs, lawsuits, etc.

- There is no cure for alcoholism, but it is possible to manage the disease and live a healthy, productive life.

- An alcoholic, even though he/she is in recovery, may be vulnerable to relapse if they take a drink.

Final Alcoholism Fact

- Alcohol withdrawal/detoxification can be very dangerous. People can experience extreme convulsions, delirium tremors (DTs), rapid heart rate, excessive sweating, auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, disorientation, loss of appetite and insomnia. Severe withdrawal can be fatal.

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The alcoholism treatment center works by analyzing the relationship between depression and dependency on alcohol. Prolonged dependency on alcohol gives rise to depressing symptoms; this is a very commonly manifested symptom among the long time drinkers. On the basis of the recent studies undertaken it was found that 40% of the drinkers resembled depressive illness. Again it was found that about five to ten percent of the individuals suffering from depressive illness suffered from alcohol problems. The therapies and the clinical sessions aim at alleviating the depressive behavior of the addicts. They work towards reducing their dependency on alcohol which produces euphoric feeling and sensations of drowsiness.

With prolonged addiction the motor balance and coordination skills gets impaired. The alcoholism treatment center work towards helping the addict regain back his/her rational sensibilities, disoriented and confused feelings. According to the recent data retrieved from researches, individuals who have been fraught with drinking problems manifest depressive symptoms by the time they are about 60 years of age. The rehabilitation centers enlighten the addicts to stay away from drinking habits so that the mood swings, conditions of depressed sleep, and reduced appetite can be averted.

These are some reasons which primarily lead to depression. Those who are depressed feel that turning to alcohol can alleviate their symptoms of depression. The therapists of the alcoholism treatment center have established links between depression and alcohol resulting out of social and psychological reasons. Many a times it may so happen that a person goes into depression first and there after turns to alcohol for relief. This makes the entire scenario even worse. There are different other ways in which relation between alcohol and depression can be established.

• Depression can result from drinking
• You may slip into a state of depression while you are going through the withdrawal phase
• Depression may at times result out of problems associated with drinking

The alcoholism treatment center aims at assisting the drinkers who have been under the influence of serious sedation and is on the verge of suffering from breathing problems. Intake of antidepressants along with alcohol can cause serious damages to the digestive system. You may be suffering from increased side effects resulting out of the antidepressants. These are some serious problems which can be averted as you get in touch with the therapists and counselors of the rehabilitation centers. With the holistic, systematic and scientific treatments offered you can come out of your state of addiction as well as depressive mood swings.

Every care is taken to help the patients reduce their alcohol dependency for maintaining a healthy state of mind. Heavy drinking in the long run also affects the central nervous system affecting the chemical balances and there after on setting the episodes of depression. This is primarily the reason why the health care practitioners advise patients who are predisposed to mood swings to desist from drinking habits altogether. With proper care and treatment the recovering addicts can regain back control in their life and lead a normal lifestyle.

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Alcoholism comes with many side effects. Some of them are physical and some of them are emotional. Perhaps one of the hardest to deal with are the side effects that happen when your body hasn’t had any alcohol. These side effects are often call withdrawal symptoms and the severity of them depend on how dependent on alcohol you are. The most common side effect is the shakes. Along with the shakes you might experience the sweats, a rapid heart beat and increased pressure. Even more so, you will have the urge to drink even more in order to stop the side effects that come when you haven’t had alcohol in some time. This is what makes abstinence from alcohol so difficult. The longer you are dependent on alcohol, the more severe these symptoms will be.

Other side effects that come from a drinking dependency is excessive use of alcohol. You have to drink more to feel “normal” or at least what is normal to you. Alcohol is not cheap, chances are you will burn through most of your money buying the alcohol to sustain your dependency. One drink is never enough for you and not feeling that buzz that alcohol can give you makes you sick. In order to feel right, you have to drink more. This is when alcohol begins to take over your life. It’s just another little nasty side effect right?

Some of the physical side effects you may feel as time goes on are frequent blackouts, hangovers and upset stomach. You may find that you blame everyone else around you for how you feel. As your disease progresses and you become more and more depended on alcohol you begin to isolate yourself from everyone else. You might stop sleeping or find that you can no longer get good nights sleep and you will rather drink your dinner than eat one.

Heart disease could be another effect of your drinking. Long term alcohol dependency has been know to be the cause of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and even some strokes. Your liver is going to be affected by all your drinking and you might find yourself suffering from liver failure or even Cirrhosis of the liver.

Neurologically there will be some side effects also. Alcohol is a toxin that is going to do damage to your brain. You may find that you have a loss of balance, loss of intellectual abilities and unable to concentrate on anything. Your hands might become numb and you may feel that you are always in a state of mental confusion.

None of these side effects are good for you and they are warning signs that you are harming your body. If you are suffering from any of these and are a heavy drinker, perhaps it is time to open your eyes and see the problem. You are hurting yourself and hurting people who love you also.

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