Alcohol addiction

Alcohol Addiction
Presented By
Institution
Abstract
Alcohol Addiction is the near total reliance or dependence on alcohol regardless of whether it is destroying one’s health or social life. The problem is highly prevalent in the world as indicated by the fact that there were 23 million addicted to alcohol out of the l490 million people in the EU. Symptoms of the condition include tremors when one is sober, deteriorating health, finding excuses to drink and inability to stop drinking when one starts. However, there is a variety of treatments in medications and therapies that can help address the condition.
Alcohol addiction occurs when one take so much alcohol that there occur some chemical changes in the brain leading to alcohol dependence. The chemical changes increase the pleasurable feelings one gets when they take alcohol, and this causes one to want to take alcohol more often. Alcohol addiction is a disease described as having a physical, psychological dependence on alcohol. CITATION Nat164 l 1033 (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2016) People suffering from alcohol addiction are psychologically helpless that they continue to drink even when the drinking causes them severe negative consequences such knowingly harming one’s health or threat of a job loss.
Alcohol dependence has been noted to run in some families and hence it is at times hereditary. When one has a parent who is addicted then that person’s chance of also getting addicted increase fourfold.

However, few people get addicted to alcohol due to such factors. The environment in which one grows up also contributes in whether one gets addicted CITATION Car11 l 1033 (Carnes, Carnes, & Bailey, 2011).
The symptoms of alcohol addiction include tremors or shaking in the morning and other times during the day when one is sober. There could be alcohol-induced illnesses; One may also suffer memory blackouts or several memory loss when drinking. When one tries to stop taking alcohol, they suffer withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and hallucinations. Moreover, the quest to drink more alcohol than the body can handle is also a symptom of alcohol addiction CITATION Car11 l 1033 (Carnes, Carnes, & Bailey, 2011). On the social front, the inability for a person to meet social and financial obligations due to interference by alcohol is a sure sign of alcohol addiction. There are also many alcohol addicts who find excuses to drink as long as there is a chance to indulge. Basically when alcohol is the number one priority in someone’s life, then that person is addicted to it and needs to seek treatment for the disease.
The prevalence of alcohol addiction is widespread. As an example to shoe the prevalence of the condition, out of the 490 million people in the European Union, 23 million of them are dependent on alcohol or suffer from alcohol addiction. In the United States, 17.6 million people (one in every 12) are addicted to or dependent on alcohol. In itself, alcohol kills more teenagers than all the other drugs combined CITATION Car11 l 1033 (Carnes, Carnes, & Bailey, 2011). Besides, alcohol is also a leading cause of suicides, homicides and accidents in the world especially among the 15 to 24-year olds. Alcohol addiction or alcohol consumption contributed to the deaths of 3.3 million people in the world in 2012 which was 5.9% of all global deaths. Alcohol addiction leads to more than 200 diseases as well as injury-related conditions CITATION Wor15 l 1033 (World Health Organization, 2015). Some of the diseases include liver cirrhosis and numerous cancers. The issue with alcohols dependence or addiction is that many people cannot tell when they are falling into alcohol dependency. There are millions of people engaging in binge drinking and it if left unchecked that leads to addiction.
The treatments for alcohol addiction are aimed at achieving abstinence in the victim. When combined with medications, social support, good healthcare and motivation play a central role in treating alcohol addiction. Treatment achieves varying results, but the majority (about 60%) remain sober one year after they embark on treatment CITATION Car11 l 1033 (Carnes, Carnes, & Bailey, 2011). People who have psychiatric disorders and lack social support encounter relapses moments after undergoing comprehensive treatment.
The treatment for alcohol addiction comes in 3 ways namely:- detoxification-an emergency measure meant to rid the body of toxins or chemical residue in the body. During detoxification, one may experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Rehabilitative drugs help to boost the person’s health, and they may include supplements (multivitamins, immune boosters among others).Some drugs such as Naltrexone and Acamprosate help to reduce heavy drinking and making it easier to maintain abstinence CITATION Wor15 l 1033 (World Health Organization, 2015). Regardless of how severe one’s alcohol addiction is, they can obtain help and get on to full recovery. Reports show that more than one-third of people who have to sever alcohol problems, or addition gets to full recovery.
Treatment of alcoholism can also be in the form of mutual support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) which aim at having people share their experiences with alcohol and hence build each other CITATION Nat164 l 1033 (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2016). In this case, the addict feels that he is not walking the journey to sobriety alone but rather he has a support group.
The treatment plan is best done with a primary care doctor. He can be a great source of treatment referrals and continual check-ups. The primary care physicians help with evaluating the risk level of another a person’s addiction CITATION Car11 l 1033 (Carnes, Carnes, & Bailey, 2011). He also created a plan with the patient, and he also accesses whether different medications will auger well with the bodies if each of the clients.
Alcohol addiction is almost always treated effectively when the victim takes the initiative and the commitment to lead a sober life. Many people are compelled by their families and friends to seek treatment, but it fails because the person may not be ready to quit. Since people addicted to alcohol are tricky, they may attend rehabilitation centers or community support groups to please the person pestering them to stop. However, when catastrophe strikes, for instance, a job loss or family breakup many alcohol addicts voluntarily seek to stop alcohol dependence.
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Carnes, P., Carnes, S., & Bailey, J. A. (2011). Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs. Gentle Path Press.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2016). Alcohol Facts and Statistics. Retrieved Oct 4, 2016, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
World Health Organization. (2015). Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health. Retrieved Oct 4, 2016, from http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/msb_gsr_2014_1.pdf?ua=1