What is Alcoholism?

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Alcoholism is a widespread disease that can affect anyone. It has caused millions of lives to be lost, torn apart families, and ruined relationships. Alcoholism is a treatable disease, willing the patient wants to be treated Alcoholism affects both men and women. It is also known as alcohol dependence syndrome, and is characterized by a few key points. Alcoholics crave drinking alcohol and feel a strong desire or need to drink. They frequently lose control when they start drinking, and can not stop themselves once they have an alcoholic beverage. Their tolerance for alcohol increases, and they can become physically dependent on alcohol.

Symptoms of alcoholism include:

• Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
• Feeling a need or compulsion to drink
• Gulping drinks and ordering doubles to become intoxicated in the hopes of "feeling good" or "normal"

How Widespread is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a widespread problem that knows no limits when it comes to age, race, and gender. Statistics say about 14 million people (one out of every 13 people)in the United States alone are alcoholics, and over 66% of the population regularly drinks alcohol. Men are statistically more likely to suffer from alcoholism then women, and people who began drinking at an early age, fourteen years old or younger, are more likely to have problem with alcohol at some point in their lives.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse is not the same as alcoholism. There is no strong craving for alcoholic beverages, or physical dependency on alcohol or loss of control. Alcohol abuse is typically defined by a certain pattern of drinking that occurs over an extended period of time.

Signs of Alcoholism

There are many mental and physical signs of alcoholism. Symptoms and signs of alcoholism differ for each person suffering from the disease, but in the early stages of the disease alcoholics may suffer from blackouts and begin obsessing about alcohol and drinking. They may even begin planning their activities and social outings around drinking and the presence of alcohol. People may also experience personality changes and mood swings. In the late stages of alcoholism, people begin experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms when they are unable to or stop drinking. One of these symptoms are deleriumtremens, also known as morning shakes.

Ambrosia Treatment Centers offer intervention and treatment for successful recovery from alcoholism. We offer daily, individualized attention to deal with alcoholism and build a framework for recovery to take place.

Getting Help

The decision to get help from alcoholism must come from the person themselves. There may be ways to persuade a loved one to get the help they need, such as talking to them about their problem or conducting an intervention. However, if a person does not want to help themselves, a treatment program will more than likely fail.

More Resources on Alcoholism:

• http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/alcoholism/hic_Alcoholism.aspx
• http://health.howstuffworks.com/alcoholism.htm
• http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/
• http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1018795126.html
• http://depression.about.com/od/screeningtools/l/blmast.htm

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