Alcohol Problems — Confronting A Drinking Problem

When a person has unhealthy drinking habits, like drinking too much in one sitting or drinking every day, this can be qualified as alcohol abuse. It can affect many aspects of people’s lives, leading to dependence. Dependence on alcohol is also termed alcoholism. This is when a person cannot control the amount they drink and can’t quit, even if they try. They have become completely addicted to alcohol, and feel they cannot live without it. It is extremely unhealthy, physically and mentally, as once people became addicted to alcohol, it is very difficult to stop.

The effects of alcoholism include the strong need to drink, a need that can be as strong as the need for food or water. Also, the drinker might not be able to stop once drinking has begun. Short-term memory loss can be imminent, as can be blackouts, where the user appears to others that he or she is awake and fully conscious — but in reality has no sense of time or action. These are only some of the early physical effects of alcoholism, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and ultimately death.

Alcoholism has attracted much attention as an inherited disease, inherent in family genes. Research shows that there is, indeed, a risk of developing alcoholism in some families and not others. Research studies are underway to determine the actual genes that lead to the risk of alcoholism. However, lifestyle is also a key factor, since the activities of friends, the amount of stress in someone’s life, and the availability of alcohol can also play a significant role in determining one’s risk for alcoholism. Experts sober living facility say that even though alcoholism may run in specific families, it doesn’t mean that the child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic. The opposite is true, as well — there are people who become alcoholics even though no one in their family has or had a drinking problem.

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Alcohol and health

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