Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disabling addictive disorder. It is characterized by compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol despite its negative effects on the drinker's health, relationships, and social standing. Like other drug addictions, alcoholism is medically defined as a treatable disease. The term "alcoholism" is a widely used term first coined in 1849 by Magnus Huss, but in medicine the term was replaced by "alcohol abuse" and "alcohol dependence" in the 1980s DSM III. Similarly in 1979 an expert World Health Organisation committee disfavoured the use of "alcoholism" as a diagnostic entity, preferring the category of "alcohol dependence syndrome". In the 19th and early 20th centuries, alcohol dependence was called dipsomania before the term "alcoholism" replaced it.

Alcohol can briefly produce a pleasant and relaxed state of the mind. However, alcohol problems and depression commonly occur together.

There are several reasons for this.

 
1. Both alcohol problems and depression are extremely common. They may occur together completely independently. 

2. People with depression sometimes use alcohol as a form of self-medication, for example either in an attempt to cheer themselves up, or sometimes to help them sleep. Although in small quantities alcohol can briefly lift mood, if used to try to cope with a depressive illness, problems arise. Tolerance to the effects of alcohol can lead to individuals needing it in larger quantities to have an effect. 

3. Alcohol in large quantities, whether taken to treat a depression or not, produces a depressant effect on people's mood.

In the second stage of alcoholism, the need to drink becomes more severe. During this stage, moreover, the person with the drinking problem typically starts to drink earlier in the day.

As tolerance increases, however, the problem drinker consumes alcohol not for emotional stress relief but because of his or her dependence on alcohol.

During this stage, while the alcoholic's loss of control has not yet become noticeable on a regular basis, it is, nonetheless, sporadically observed by others such as family members, friends, and coworkers.

It is interesting to note that a key aspect in this stage of the disease is that the problem drinker's physical problems start to become more frequent and intensified.

The following list typifies some of the drinking problems and classic alcoholic behaviors suffered by problem drinkers in the second stage of alcoholism:

    *  Sneaking extra drinks before social events
    * Feelings of guilt and shame
    * Drinking because of dependence rather than for stress relief
    * Increasing physical problems
    * More frequent blackouts
    * Blaming problems on others and on things external to themselves
    * Sporadic loss of control
    * Unsuccessful attempts to stop drinking
    * Chronic hangovers
    * Increasing tolerance
    * Denial

So if you find alcohol syndrome symptoms around you, you should immediately alert. we do not want to be part of them, right?


from:
en.wikipedia.org
www.netdoctor.co.uk
www.about-alcohol-facts.com