What
is alcoholism?
Alcoholism - also referred to as “alcohol dependence”
- is a disease that will make you crave alcohol and continue
to drink alcohol, even if you’ve had alcohol-related
problems. These problems can include
losing a job, or getting into legal troubles.
Signs of Alcoholism
There are four primary signs of
alcoholism:
- Cravings - which feel like a strong
need, drive or compulsion to drink alcohol.
- Impaired control - which makes you
unable to limit your drinking at any given time.
- Physical dependence - you may suffer
withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, such as nausea, shakiness,
sweating, and anxiety. These can come into play when
you have stopped alcohol use after having experienced
a period of heavy drinking.
- Tolerance - this means that you
may experience an increasingly large amount of alcohol
in order to feel it.
As stated, alcoholism is, indeed, a disease, which is
chronic and frequently progressive. Just like many other
diseases that exist, alcoholism has a relatively predictable
course, including its recognizable symptoms, and its genetic
and environmental influencing factors that are becoming
better defined every day.
While there isn’t an actual cure for alcoholism
yet, it is a very treatable disease. Medications have
recently become available that prevent relapses, which
is extremely helpful to those struggling to keep it under
control.
It should be kept in mind that even if you become sober
for a long time, and have regained health, it is possible
to relapse once more. Therefore you will need to avoid
all alcoholic beverages to avoid such a relapse.
But how can you tell if you or someone you’re
close to has an alcohol problem such as alcoholism?
Dr.
John Ewing developed the famous “CAGE” test
that you can ask of yourself or of your loved one, in
order to find out whether or not you should seek a doctor’s
help about alcoholism.
The “CAGE” test is as follows:
- 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
to steady your nerves or get rid of a hang over (Eye
opener)?
If “yes” has been your answer for any one
of these questions, there may very well be an alcohol
problem such as alcoholism present. If
you have answered “yes” to more than one
of these questions, there is a very high likelihood of
an alcohol related problem.
If you think that you or someone you know may have an
alcohol problem such as alcoholism, it is very important
to speak to a doctor or other health care provider, as
soon as possible. This expert can determine if a drinking
problem is present, and can suggest the best course of
action.
Check out the articles about alcoholism on this site
for great information. Learning more can inform you with
regards to helping someone who might suffer from alcoholism,
or reaching the right people to help you with your own
problem.
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