When you live with an alcoholic, you need to put up with a lot. The one thing that you should never do is may excuses for their actions or their drinking. You have to tell the truth, but in some cases, just not saying anything is better. If you make excuses for what an alcoholic does or why he or she drinks, you are just helping them keep on drinking and not taking responsibility for their actions. Sometimes it may be easier to make excuses than admit the true, but it just compounds the problem. One way to think about it is that if you have nothing truthful to stay, then just say nothing.
In the last ten to twenty years society has learned a wealth of information about alcoholism and the consequences involved with drinking too much. Even with this increase in knowledge, it is still shocking when someone discovers a family member with a drinking problem. To add to the difficulty with knowing how to handle this type of situation is the fact that every alcoholic is individual and different. To complicate this issue, one of the main symptoms of alcoholism is denial. Denial can come from the alcoholic, the family, or both.
If you live with someone that drinks, the last thing you should do is accuse him or her of being an alcoholic. Not only will you lose the debate, but they will become upset and in some cases, verbally, physically or mentally abusive. An alcoholic has to be the one to admit that they have a problem and there is no one else that can tell them any different. They will not listen to you no matter what you say. You might mention that the drinking is getting out of hand, but they may not think that there is a problem.
The alcoholic blackout is defined as a period of amnesia or memory loss that is caused when alcohol consumption levels prevent the formation of memories in the brain. The memory gap usually extends for many hours but can go on for several days. Interestingly, the person can act normally and carry on normal conversations during the period of blackout but will never remember anything that went on. Blackouts are sometimes referred to as alcohol poisoning by the medical community and are considered an early high-risk sign of alcoholism.
The first tool you need to give your teen is knowledge. Teens need to understand about drinking alcohol, about peer pressure and about saying NO. You may not be able to control everything they do, but you can give them the tools to make decisions with. If they lack these tools, their decisions will be made without knowledge, by bending to pressure and through fear of saying NO. The second tool you need to provide is concerning Peer Pressure – what it is, how to deal with it and still keep your dignity and friends. The third tool is, to show your teen how to say NO.
Alcoholism refers to a chronic disease that is often progressive and can cause fatal damage to an individual’s health when left untreated. Regular heavy intake of alcohol causes chemical imbalances in the brain or leads to depletion of certain chemicals, which makes your body crave alcohol to feel good. This compels you to remain addicted for the sake of warding away negative feelings.
Stages Of Alcoholism
Typically, there are three stages of alcoholism: early stage, middle stage, and late stage. These stages have characteristic symptoms that the patient himself must be aware of, so that he can help himself before it is too late. The sooner you identify the symptoms, the earlier you can come to your rescue.
Alcoholism is a state in which the body is completely dependent on alcohol to feel normal and good. There are two types of alcohol addiction – alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is a state in which an individual indulges in excessive intake of alcohol, which takes a toll on his health, but retains the capacity to refrain from the habit. Alcoholism, on the other hand, is a dangerous stage wherein the individual completely loses control over alcohol intake and continues to consume it in spite of suffering from severe health hazards. This state is characterized by physical dependence on alcohol, which can be attributed to various social factors as well genetic and psychological issues.
College students have a special risk factor towards the alcohol dependent disease, alcoholism. Students of higher education are typically away from parental and familial support groups. Some students are for the first time experiencing the taste of total freedom of choice. It is not uncommon to have young students “let loose” of their otherwise inhibitions, moral upbringing or convictions and try new things. Parties are perfect opportunities for youth to experiment with newly discovered freedom. Alcohol can be found at most college parties, even if alcohol is prohibited. Others use alcohol to deal with the pressures of college.
Alcoholism can be a particularly difficult disease to recover from. In a world in which we are surrounded by opportunities to drink, it can be stressful for an individual to remove themselves from their addiction. Many people who try to seek treatment for a case of alcoholism fail and relapse, allowing the problem to progress even further. There are others, however, who have been able to remain drink-free despite a past of alcoholism. In this article, we’ll cover some of the basic ways that people have been able to be successful when it comes to kicking a problem with alcohol.
Substance use disorders are the major public health issues facing the United States today. It is estimated that more than 15 million Americans suffer from alcoholism. Several factors mitigate the onset of excessive alcohol use in people. These include genetics, general risk factors, gender, family links and people with emotional and behavioral disorders.
Genetics:
It has been discovered that there is one gene called DRD2 that causes humans to a predisposition toward alcoholism. The presence of this gene does not cause alcoholism itself but it does make the person feel the effects of alcohol more intensely which in turn can lead to the excessive use of alcohol. By itself, this gene is not a predictor of alcoholism but is thought to account for half of the total risk for alcoholism.
