Meaning of Alcoholism
The alcoholism is defined as one of many types of addiction totally toxic substances , so also is classified as a chronic disease that directly affects the brain and therefore the behavior of the patient. It is characterized by developing a dependence on alcoholism and smoking and even drugs, which is why it tends to be normal to talk about alcoholism and drug addiction together. All these substances are dangerous for the body , however, when it comes to alcohol, there are two types, type one occurs in adults, type two in adolescents.
As mentioned previously, it is an addiction and chronic disease that causes anxiety and the need to drink alcohol at any time of the day, this means that there is a type of psychological and physical dependence of the patient for consuming this type of substances, manifesting through various symptoms, one of them is abstinence , which appears when the patient has not ingested the drink for a certain time.
The absence of limits in its consumption is one of the many effects of alcohol, which increases with the passage of time and with the tolerance to narcotic beverages.
It is considered a progressive and in some cases fatal disease and was accepted as such thanks to the American Medical Association and by drug addicts around the world. The World Health Organization defines this term as drunkenness exceeding or tending to exceed the limits of the good customs of a society .
For some experts, dependence on alcoholic beverages may have genetic aspects , but it can also be considered as a mental diagnosis for sustained abuse in the combinations of different social, family or environmental factors in general. If there is something that needs to be mentioned, it is that the disease affects not only the patient, but anyone who is in his environment and has ties to him.
At present, there is no cure for the disease, in fact, different diseases of alcoholism have developed, for example, fetal alcohol syndrome that affects the child in physical or learning problems, alcoholic hepatitis that presents yellow skin and eyes of the patient or alcoholic congestion, that is, intoxication or the well-known drunkenness that can become harmful.
This term is known etymologically because it comes from the noun alcohol and the suffix ism, which is defined as the tendency, propensity or possibility of having addiction to a specific cause , in this case, alcohol.
Symptoms of alcoholism
The symptoms related to this disease can be mild, moderate or severe, it all depends on the amount of time the patient has been drinking alcoholic beverages , however, the most common are anxiety when it is consumed, the loss of total control over thoughts or actions, inability to stop drinking, physical and psychological dependence, which directly generates abstinence, that is, tremors, sweating and fever just when the patient stops drinking. There is also tolerance to alcohol, that is, the need to consume it in exaggerated amounts. There are also other symptoms such as:
- Inability to limit the amounts of narcotic drugs that are ingested.
- Failed wishes to cut down on alcohol.
- Loss of time from drinking or trying to recover from drinking.
- Unbridled desires to continue drinking for long periods of time .
- Failure to fulfill important or daily obligations at work, home, school or society in general.
- Consume the drink even after being diagnosed with a disease caused by alcoholism.
- Abandonment of work activities or hobbies.
- Drinking alcohol when driving or swimming.
It is also necessary to mention that the disorder tends to include cycles of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms. In the first case, it is caused when amounts of alcohol intercept the bloodstream. As more concentrations of alcohol exist in the blood, the deterioration of the organism increases and the presence of other diseases becomes totally imminent, leaving traces of mental changes, inappropriate behavior, unstable moods, difficulty speaking, coordination problems and poor memory and total alteration in judgment.
In the case of abstinence, it happens when the consumption of the drink has been prolonged and intense and, for unknown reasons, is reduced or suspended, it tends to appear during the first 5 days and presents symptoms such as heart racing, sweating, tremors, nausea , trouble sleeping, vomiting, nervousness, hallucinations, restlessness, seizures, and anxiety.
Causes and consequences of alcoholism
On the web, there are many images of alcoholism that graphically show the causes and consequences that derive from this chronic disorder, however, in this aspect the most common ones will be gathered.
Causes of alcoholism
At present, there is no single cause that can determine the origin of this disease, this is because there are multiple factors that give rise to the disorder, including genetic ones , that is, when you have a parent with tendencies to this disease, it is quite likely that the offspring will also develop it. There are also the psychological factors related to the interpersonal environment, social, family and even love factors.
Consequences of alcoholism
This disorder is extremely dangerous, in fact, within the effects of alcohol is the risk of liver cancer or diseases related to the organ, for example, fatty liver or cirrhosis . On the other hand, brain damage and alcoholic hepatitis can be generated.
Among the symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis are yellow eyes and skin, sweating, withdrawal, tremors, loss of appetite and fever. This disease can lead the patient to death due to different factors, either due to car accidents, injuries, suicides or making them become homicidal due to drunkenness.
Treatment of alcoholism
In some cases, the treatments are not only based on medications, it also requires other important factors that affect the life of the patient, however, the first step in trying to cure a disease is the acceptance and recognition of the diagnosis in question. .
Generally, people with this disorder tend to go into denial, which makes the person think that they do not need treatment because, according to what they think, they are not sick.
It is quite difficult to know all the defense mechanisms that a person with this disease has, however, it will take family and friends to convince the patient that they should seek professional help, of course, the conversation should take place when the person is sober and not hungover. Then, when the problem is fully identified by the subject, we proceed to abstinence and then to the possible treatments that work fully .
Treatment must be multidisciplinary , this means that psychological, group, family or couple therapy is needed, administering drugs, relapse prevention, social services, among others.
Detoxification
In this phase the drink is kept under control with supervision . Detoxification is based on prescribing the patient a series of sedatives and tranquilizers that control and alleviate the most basic effects of withdrawal and lasts between 5 and 7 days approximately.
Medical tests are needed to indicate if there are other problems or diseases and thus know if the drugs supplied are counterproductive with the other diagnoses. In general, the most common problems are in the blood and liver , so it is important to provide various vitamin supplements that help the patient.
In this phase, acute symptoms may appear that are relatively normal but that should be treated in the same way, including depression .
Rehabilitation program
Its base of existence focuses on helping all those patients who are affected by the disease and takes action after detoxification and, consequently, abstinence.
These programs include some advice and psychological supports that demonstrate a type of efficacy for treatment. These supports are known as cognitive behavioral therapies , which helps the patient to change their way of acting and thinking.
Family therapy is also applied systematically, as well as some nursing and medical care. Classes are also given on illnesses related to alcoholism and the effects it has.
Aversion therapies
These are disgust therapies in which various drugs are used that tend to interfere with the metabolism of alcohol and, consequently, produce a series of unpleasant effects for the patient, even after two weeks of treatment.
The therapy cannot be used in pregnant women or those with other chronic diseases .
Support groups
These are all those groups that facilitate group therapy in which they share their experiences with drinking, the amount of time they have been sober, how they are coping with the treatment and how they feel about it.
In the world, there are about 34 support groups, among them, Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART recovery program, SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) and Life Ring recovery, all help patients who have abused narcotic beverages and improve their quality of life.
There are also groups such as Women for Sobriety dedicated solely to women, Moderation Management, for subjects who wish to reduce their intake of alcoholic beverages, among others.
Prevention of alcoholism
Actually, prevention for this type of diagnosis must be given from adolescence . Remember that right at the beginning of puberty, adolescents tend to experiment with different drinks or substances and that is where parents or caregivers should talk about alcohol, its dangers and consequences.
Therefore, the family turns out to be a fundamental pillar , but it is not about prohibiting, but about talking about the problem, approaching it wisely, with reductions in consumption and seeing drinks as something normal that can be ingested from time to time and not as a taboo that must be consumed secretly.
If you start with the talks at an early age, it is unlikely that adults will have to suffer from this disease and if they are very close to suffering it, it is recommended to go to the psychologist and talk about all the problems that overwhelm you, so that It is clear to him that alcohol is not a solution , it is just another problem.
Alcoholics Anonymous
It is an international community that helps people who have an addiction to alcoholic beverages. It was founded in 1935 in the USA by Bob Smith and William Griffith Wilson . Over the years it was expanding in many countries of the world, until finally in 2018 it was found in more than 180 nations.
It has complete autonomy and is in charge of carrying out group therapies with medical assistance . Each member shares their experiences with the group, recounts how the disease started, how they coped with it, and how it affected their lives as well as those of the people around them.
This group has as much effect as the other aid groups, it is efficient and most of the people who enter do not drink narcotic beverages again or simply do so in small quantities, so the disease is completely controlled.
They are based on 12 steps or traditions that make it possible for people to help each other, although it has a single prohibition and that is not to receive monetary aid from any public or private, since they are a non-profit association.