Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol Abuse is a major social, economic, and public health problem. Alcohol abuse is described as the consumption and preoccupation with alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the alcoholic’s normal personal, family, social, or work life, etc.. These problems can range from mild to severe. Alcohol abuse is involved in more than half of all accidental deaths and almost half of all traffic deaths. A high percentage of suicides involve the use of alcohol along with other substances. The severity of an alcohol abuse problem depends on factors including the type of alcohol you drink, how much you drink, and how long you have been drinking. Alcohol abuse is sometimes referred to as alcoholism.

Every year, more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product. Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked — alcohol is a drug — the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world. Alcohol is consumed more frequently than all other illicit drugs combined and is the drug most likely associated with injury or death. In 2007, Americans consumed approximately 7.7 billion gallons of alcoholic beverages and approximately 14 million people in the United States suffer from alcohol abuse, that's 1 in every 13 adults according to the NIAAA.

Alcohol abuse can be deadly. It kills friendships, marriages, families and communities. No one associated with the alcoholic goes unscathed. Alcohol abuse can develop very quickly or happen gradually over years. In the beginning, your drinking might not seem to be any different from the way other people drink. You may drink only with friends or at parties. It may stay like this, or you may begin to drink more. Your drinking might become a way for you to feel normal or to cope with life's problems.

You might think that you can quit drinking at any time. Many people who have alcohol abuse problems quit for days, weeks, or even months before they start drinking again. But unless you can consistently keep your drinking under control and not fall back into unhealthy patterns, you have an alcohol abuse problem.

When those suffering with alcohol abuse are asked why they continue to drink excessively, they will occasionally attribute their drinking to a particular mood such as depression or anxiety or to situational problems. Many times they simply describe an overpowering “need” to drink, variously described as a craving or compulsion. Just as often, however, the alcohol abuser is unable to give any plausible explanation for his or her excessive drinking. Drinking relieves guilt and anxiety; however, it then also produces anxiety and depression. The symptoms associated with depression and anxiety conditions, such as terminal insomnia, low mood, irritability, and anxiety attacks with chest pain, palpitations, and dyspnea often occur. Alcohol seems to relieve these symptoms, resulting in a vicious cycle of drinking followed by depression followed by drinking that ultimately leads to alcohol dependence accompanied by withdrawal syndrome. Sometimes the patient succeeds in stopping drinking for several days or weeks only to “fall off the wagon” again. Despair and hopelessness are common with alcohol abuse and for many it is difficult to imagine a life without alcohol.

When alcohol abuse becomes a dominating force in someone's life, it's time to get help. Alcohol abuse treatment is designed to help individuals regain control of their life by helping them to eliminate their dependency on alcohol. A combination of educational life repair therapy and social programs can be very beneficial to individuals experiencing alcohol abuse problems. In addition, alcohol abuse treatment often incorporates alcohol detoxification followed by comprehensive alcohol abuse recovery therapies.