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Alcoholism
and Treatments for Alcoholism
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| Alcoholism is an addictive
dependency on alcohol characterised by craving (a strong need to drink);
loss of control (being unable to stop); physical dependence and withdrawal
symptoms; and tolerance (increasing difficulty of becoming drunk). Alcoholism
is chronic desease, meaning that it lasts a person's lifetime, usually
follows a predictable course and it has typical symptoms. Like with many
other diseases, the risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by
a person's genes and by his or her lifestyle. |
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| Alcoholism
is a life-threatening problem that often ends in death, particularly through
liver
disease (such as liver cirrhosis) or kidney disease, internal bleeding,
brain deterioration, alcohol poisoning, it can actually increase the risk
of heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as cause many
other health problems related to alcoholism. Heavy drinking can cause many
accidents and suicide. |
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| The physical symptoms when
withdrawing from alcohol are seen to be equal to those experienced during
withdrawal from heroin. Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely
succeed. Cutting out alcohol--that is, abstaining--is usually the best
course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have
experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they
drink. If they can't stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking
altogether.
A drink is:
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a 12-ounce bottle of beer;
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a 5-ounce glass of wine;
or
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a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor.
These limits may be too high
for some people who have certain medical problems or who are older. Talk
with your doctor about the limit that is right for you.
Treatments
Treatments for alcoholism
include detoxification programs run by medical institutions. These may
involve stays of a number of weeks in specialized hospital wards where
drugs may be used to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
After detoxification, various
forms of group therapy or psychotherapy can be used to deal with underlying
psychological issues leading to alcohol dependence. Aversion therapies
may be supported by drugs like Disulfiram, which causes a strong and prompt
hangover whenever alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone may improve compliance
with abstinance planning. The standard pharmocopeia of anti-depressants,
anxiolytics and other psychotropic drugs treat underlying mood disorders,
neuroses and psychoses associated with alcoholic symptoms. |
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