Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is dangerous to your health and well-being. Treatment can help you quit!
Alcohol addiction is a dangerous and often deadly disease but it is treatable. Although alcohol addiction can be devastating to both the individual who suffers from the addiction and to those who love and care about the addict, there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Through counseling, therapy and various forms of treatment, alcohol addiction can become a thing of the past even for those suffering from the most significant alcohol addiction problems including alcoholism.
Below is list of some of the most common subjects that surround alcohol addiction, including information about treatment for alcohol addiction, the statistics and facts surrounding alcohol addiction and the symptoms one should look out for in themselves or in a loved one who drinks.
Alcohol Addiction Counseling
Counseling for alcohol addiction is most often provided in a group setting but can also be offered on an individual or one-on-one basis. Individual counseling for alcohol addiction consists of a set time period that the patient spends with a counselor to discuss personal problems or reasons for drinking whereas group counseling usually consists of a relatively small to medium group of addicts coming together to discuss recovery in a controlled or moderated group. It is highly recommended that those suffering from alcohol addiction seek a combination of both individual and group counseling for maximum effectiveness of this type of treatment.
Alcohol Addiction Facts
The facts surrounding alcohol addiction are not only devastating, they are just plain sad and disheartening. While there are many myths about alcohol addiction, the facts don’t lie. Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease that affects millions of people and their loved ones. Even children who grow up around alcoholics are more susceptible to becoming alcoholics when they grow up making this disease actually, in some ways, contagious. It is estimated that one in every ten people is addicted to alcohol so now is the time to get the facts on alcohol addiction because chances are you know someone who is suffering from the dangerous and deadly disease.
Alcohol Addiction Programs
Various programs exist to help patients overcome the physical and psychological dependence they have on alcohol. These alcohol addiction programs are typically considered twelve step programs, non-twelve step programs, residential treatment or intervention programs. Intervention programs are considered controversial by some therapists because they can break the trust that patients have in their friends or family members who are actively involved in the intervention. The most common alcohol addiction program is Alcoholics Anonymous which is a twelve step recovery program.
Alcohol Addiction Statistics
There are many statistics surrounding the use of alcohol and the effects that alcohol addiction has on individuals, families and on society as a whole. Alcohol addiction affects millions of people in negative ways and trickles down to the children and loved ones of those addicted causing undue harm to everyone around the addict. New reports show that genetic disposition is a primary factor in determining whether a drinker will, or will not, become an alcoholic. Most importantly, drinking alcohol can and will make an individual become part of the statistics that have been outlined as a result of alcohol abuse.
Alcohol Addiction Symptoms
The symptoms of alcohol addiction include both physical and psychological components that take a great toll on the addict. An individual who cannot limit their consumption of alcohol is likely to quickly fall victim to the many dangerous symptoms of alcohol addiction. Physically, an individual suffering from alcohol addiction may feel weak, tired, nauseous, sick or otherwise off. Psychologically, the symptoms of alcohol addiction can result in anxiety, depression, mood swings, anger and a number of other emotional problems.
When an individual stops drinking, they are likely to suffer alcohol withdrawal symptoms which can appear within mere hours of the last drink being taken. These symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, cold sweats, headache, tremors, depression and anxiety. It’s important for those suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms to seek immediate medical attention as these symptoms can become severe, or even deadly, if they are left untreated.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Treatment for alcohol addiction typically includes a period of detox, rehabilitation and aftercare. Most alcohol addiction treatment programs utilize a series of counseling and therapy to help the patient learn new ways of coping with their alcohol dependence, stress and other triggers that would normally cause them to drink alcohol. Many different types of treatment are offered for those suffering from alcoholism including medication based treatment, inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment as well as structured aftercare programs.
The benefits of seeking treatment for alcohol addiction affect not only the patient but also those who love and care about the addict too. In addition to helping families and friends rebuild their relationships with the recovering addict, alcohol addiction treatment has intrinsic benefits to society as a whole. Newly recovered alcoholics are able to re-enter society as functioning individuals who no longer put others at risk as a result of their alcoholism.