Alcohol Abuse, Addiction Treatment and Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol

If you believe you or someone you know is in need of alcohol addiction treatment, or for immediate assistance finding a drug rehab center that specializes in alcohol detox, please call Recovery Connection® now at 1-800-993-3869. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don't wait another day - GET HELP NOW!

Alcohol is a depressant that effects people in a variety of ways - some people are pleasantly relaxed by the drug, others lose their inhibitions, while many make decisions they come to regret. It is important to note, that although alcohol is legal, it is still a very powerful and addictive drug. In more cases than we know about, alcohol has proven to be the principle agent in most of the driving fatalities we read about.

Studies have shown that alcohol drastically slows reaction times making some activities such as, driving, cycling or operating machinery extremely risky. Alcohol has also been linked to an increase in social problems within our society. A loss in one's inhibitions leads to sexual risk taking, which increases the possibility of unwanted pregnancies or the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol also plays a large role in domestic violence, violent crime and vehicular homicides.

When alcohol use becomes alcohol abuse a number of tangible factors will become apparent. Initially, one begins to think about their next drink, to be followed by an obsession over the next drink, to be followed by continuous cravings for more alcohol. As one transitions through this process, you can be sure their intake of alcohol will increase. You are now experiencing the cycle of this disease, which is described as progressive, chronic and if left untreated, fatal.

Effects

Not long after the obsession for more alcohol sets in the damage begins to show itself. The first thing that seems to be affected is one's concentration. The alcoholic finds it extremely difficult to concentrate on one thing at a time. Their thoughts are scattered and at times do not seem to make any sense at all. This could be the initial sign of short term memory loss.

Blackouts are another sign the once social drinker has become alcoholic. Blackouts are situations where the alcoholic can not account for periods of time. During this time, the alcoholic can not remember what they do, what they say or where they have been. To the average person, they may seem coherent, but the person in the blackout has no memory as to what has transpired.

What we have been speaking about are the mental effects alcohol can have on a person, but let us not forget the physical damage alcohol abuse can cause. What we hear about most is cirrhosis of the liver. This medical condition occurs so often because the liver acts as a filter or natural detox for the system as the human body treats alcohol as a poison. As our system funnels the alcohol through the liver in an attempt to purify the body, the alcohol "eats away" at the liver itself. Cirrhosis, leads to liver failure, which eventually results in death.

Lastly, we understand alcoholism to be a disease that is treatable, but can not be cured. As a treatable disease, we can achieve remission through abstinence. Once the alcoholic takes that first drink again, the obsession and craving for more alcohol becomes overwhelming. The alcoholic begins that vicious cycle of alcoholism / addiction again. The only difference is that after the relapse a person's frequency and amount of drinking usually picks up where they last left off, not as it once begun as a social drinker.

Consequences of Use

One of the major consequences that result from abusing alcohol is becoming physically dependent on the drug. When one becomes physically dependent or addicted to the drug, they will experience withdrawal symptoms when they discontinue the use of alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable. A person can experience sweats, tremors, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, confusion and a drop in concentration. If the withdrawal symptoms are not managed medically, in a detox center, they may progress into seizures, convulsions or even death.

In addition to withdrawal, alcohol can also affect the brain. The more alcohol a person consumes, the greater the likelihood that brain cells are being damaged. This can result in short term memory loss and in cases where a person consumes large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time "wet brain" may occur. "Wet Brain", is when alcohol has affected the brain to the point where a person's brain can no longer function properly.

Other consequences of alcohol abuse or alcoholism can be the deterioration of personal relationships, divorce, financial difficulties, loss of employment and legal difficulties such as; DUI, DWI, vehicular manslaughter, domestic violence, or assault. It is easy to see how devastating the results of alcoholism can be.

Treatment

As stated earlier, alcoholism is a treatable disease. As with any disease, its treatment is a process. This process begins with detox. Detox or detoxification is that part of the treatment process where a medical team works together to reduce and sometimes eliminate the symptoms associated with withdrawal. Once the person is stabilized, medically and psychiatrically, the next step is either referral to a residential treatment center or day treatment. It is safe to say that most people choose to take advantage of residential treatment, as by this time they have become acutely aware of just how damaging alcoholism can be. The old saying "a person didn't get this way in one day" holds true when longer term care is recommended. The detox process usually lasts between three and five days and a quality residential program, another three weeks or so.

If you believe you or someone you know is in need of alcohol addiction treatment, or for immediate assistance finding a drug rehab center that specializes in alcohol detox, please call Recovery Connection® now at 1-800-993-3869. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don't wait another day - GET HELP NOW!

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