Alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction is the most severe form of alcohol abuse known. In addition to suffering from the typical signs produced by the abuse of alcoholic beverages, an alcoholic person also has alcohol dependence, i.e. the person can no longer control his or her alcohol consumption, and in cases where he or she tries to stop drinking shows withdrawal symptoms.
In fact, alcoholism is a chronic disease, which means that the moment someone develops an addiction, he or she will be addicted for the rest of his or her life. For example, if a person who has alcohol dependence, when he suffers physical wear and tear, he will remain an alcoholic, even though his addiction will be successfully treated. Although alcoholism cannot be cured, it can be controlled.
Apart from being chronic, alcoholism is considered a degenerative and progressive disease that has important consequences for the health and social life of those who suffer from it. Although it is a problem that can generate dependence in people of any age, its consumption during adolescence causes greater addiction and physiological damage.
To recover from alcoholism, it is necessary the support of friends, family and specialists alike. An effective treatment program is available at Triora.
What causes alcohol dependence?
Alcoholics think that there is a reason for their addiction and that once the addiction is resolved, the problem of addiction will be resolved as well. Sadly, this is not the case, although addressing the underlying problem will help the addict stay sober in the long run.
Before treating alcohol addiction it is not necessary to understand the reason that causes it, just as when there is a fire it is extinguished before knowing its origin. Likewise, the possible reasons given by the alcoholic should not be used as an excuse to abuse alcohol.
The relationship between genetics and alcoholism
It has long been recognized that there are genetic factors that play an important role in alcohol addiction. If a parent or sibling has suffered from alcoholism, the chances of developing alcoholism increase almost fourfold.
This does not mean that addiction is certain to develop, nor does it mean that recovery is possible.
Risk factors for alcoholism
Virtually all combinations of genetic, environmental and psychological factors play an important role in the development of alcoholism:
- Psychological
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Depression
- Social problems
- Adverse education
- Easy access to alcoholic beverages
- Cultural acceptance
- Employment and unemployment
- Behavioral patterns: family, friends, idols
The consequences of alcoholism
Consuming alcohol causes damage both physically and intellectually. In turn, it affects people socially as a result of their actions and behavior.
Individually, and depending on the severity of the case, it generates various effects:
- Disinhibition when speaking
- Loss of self-control
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Convulsions
- Delirium
- Alcohol coma
- Alcohol-related death
In turn, consuming alcoholic beverages can cause important diseases, such as nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, brain diseases, digestive system diseases, cancer, anemia…
On the other hand, the consumption of alcoholic beverages can lead to physical and verbal aggression in people, cause accidents and even the death of others, for example in the form of traffic accidents.
Incidence of alcoholism
For years, alcohol consumption has been one of the most prevalent habits in society. It is part of what is known as popular culture and forms part of the leisure time of a large part of the population. It can be said that it is the legal drug of which people are least aware of its excessive consumption. In fact, statistics show that less than half of young people see alcohol consumption as a problem.
Internationally, data indicate that 3.3 million people die annually from health problems derived from alcohol consumption, that is, one death every ten seconds.
According to DGT data, alcohol is involved in one out of every four accidents that occur on Spanish roads, and in fact more than 100,000 drivers test positive for alcohol and other drugs each year.
Am I an alcoholic?
If your life revolves around the consumption of alcoholic beverages and this is causing problems at home and in social relationships, it is recommended to seek professional help. Through this self-assessment you can learn more about the signs of alcoholism.