About Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse are very serious medical conditions whose causes are not perfectly understood by the medical community. The effects, however, are much more evident to medical professionals, law enforcement specialists, and to society in general. Understanding alcohol abuse and addiction is a first step toward proper treatment and recovery.

History

• Alcohol, and alcohol addiction, has been with humanity for almost as long as humans have been practicing agriculture. Mesopotamia and Egypt used alcohol (int he form of beer) to placate the population. In Genesis 2:20-25, Noah cursed Ham in a fit of drunken rage. In Islam, the drinking of alcohol is forbidden because of its personality-altering and addictive qualities. The so-called "Puritan Work Ethic" was based on sober living and hard work, a reaction to what was seen as the constant drunkenness of most Europeans in the 17th century. 19th century temperance (anti-alcohol) movements culminated in the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 1919. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was formed by Candice Lightener in 1980 in response to drunk driving which claimed her 13 year old daughter's life.
  Throughout most of alcohol's history, drunkenness and alcohol addiction was seen as a moral failing of the addict, particularly in a religious context. It wasn't until the 20th century that medical research revealed that the addiction to alcohol was as much genetic as it was behavioral. It is generally believed that the children of alcohol addicts are more likely to become addicts themselves, though not always to alcohol. This explains why some people are able to avoid addiction while others can not. Alcohol addiction can surface in any stage of life, but usually occurs when the victim is relatively young. Also, the addiction can take several manifestations, some of which are not readily apparent to outside observers.

Significance

• According to WebMD, between 12 and 14 million Americans are addicted to alcohol, most of which are young to middle aged. Alcohol addiction is sometimes referred to as alcoholism, but addiction and abuse can take many forms. Some alcohol abusers are so-called "binge drinkers" who drink large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time, but do so irregularly. Alcohol abusers are not usually physically dependent upon alcohol, but they are nonetheless considered a "behavioral addict" that uses alcohol to induce certain feelings or to hide or blot out other feelings. Alcohol addiction is a medical disease that has no cure because the physiology of the person is dependent upon the presence of alcohol in the blood stream. Alcohol addiction is treatable, but not curable; and addict is addicted for the rest of their lives.
  According to the National Institute of Health, in 1998 alone, the economic cost of alcohol addiction and binge drinking totaled almost $185 billion to the American economy. This figure includes medical costs, loss of productivity, motor vehicle crashes, and crimes. In 1995, the cost to the economy topped $166 billion. In 2004, almost 40% of all traffic crashes involved alcohol, about 33% of those were fatal to at least one person involved.

Effects

• Alcohol addiction can cause multiple medical problems for the addict in addition to the economic costs. Cirrhosis of the liver, a permanent scarring of the liver, is a major concern with alcohol addicts; cirrhosis of the liver is most prevalent in alcoholics and those infected with chronic viral hepatitis. Alcohol addicts also face increased risks of strokes, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, anemia, pancreatitis, and mental or cognitive dysfunction. Alcohol addiction is also has physiological side effects that accompany insufficient intake; to "shakes" where limbs or even the whole body spasms uncontrollably (and usually painfully), depression, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and in severe cases "delerium tremens." Delerium tremens is the most severe aspect of withdrawal, especially in heavy-users of alcohol, and can include uncontrollable seizures, severe hallucinations, fevers, stomach or head aches and deep sleeps that last a day or more continuously. Unfortunately, delerium tremens may also be brought on without attempts to stop alcohol consumption and may be a side effect of the damage done to brain cells by alcohol's effects.

Considerations

• Alcohol addiction, as opposed to alcohol abuse, can rarely be treated without medical attention. The most successful cases of recovery who have the best chance of living sober receive around-the-clock treatment at a residential rehabilitation facility that offers multiple types of therapy in order to overcome the addiction. Typically, such residential care offers the services of a physician (MD), a psychologist or psychiatrist, addiction counselors, nursing staff, and even massage therapy sessions. While living in the facility, an addict's entire life is controlled in order to remove the outside influences that trigger addiction and hamper recovery. Medical treatment for the physiological effects of withdrawal is important because without adequate medical attention, the addict may experience a life-threatening seizure, stroke, heart attack, or other medical condition. Psychological counseling arms the recovering addict with mental tools to cope with addiction and temptation as well as addresses underlying psychological issues which may have sparked addiction in the first place. Massage therapy is used to deal with the physical manifestations associated with withdrawal as well as to enhance the recovering addict's sense of well being; studies at the Mayo Clinic have shown that massage therapy aids in successful treatment of alcohol addiction in several ways including a feeling of confidence and connectedness to other people.
  Some people who abuse alcohol (but are not physically dependent upon it) may be able to cut down on drinking on their own, or even go through long "dry spells" where they do not partake of alcohol at all. Those who wish to treat the underlying psychological causes or triggers of binge drinking benefit from outpatient psychological care, including group therapy, individual counseling, or other kinds of counseling. Alcohol abuse may be difficult to determine and physicians or alcohol addiction specialists should be consulted before self-diagnosing.

Potential

• Both chronic alcohol addicts and acute alcohol abusers seem to benefit from group support mechanisms such as 12-step programs or group therapy. This establishes a connectedness with others dealing with the same problems and maintains an informal counseling network in case of emergencies such as trigger situations or stressful cravings. Programs structured to different alcohol abuse and addiction demographics exist to tailor long-term support and treatment plans. For example, AL-ANON is geared toward assisting teenage alcohol abusers, addicts, and children of addicts while Alcoholics Anonymous is geared more toward adults and may offer male-only, female-only, mixed gender, gay/lesbian and other specialized meetings.