What Is Alcoholism? |
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| Many people in society drink alcohol sometimes for the good
feelings they get from it, but alcoholics feel the need to drink alcohol
all the time. Alcoholics think about alcohol a lot. They may not think
they have a problem with it and can quit drinking any time, but when they
drink, they cannot stop before they get drunk. An alcoholic continues
to use alcohol even after bad things happen, such as being arrested for
drunk driving or making a fool of himself or being sick in public.
Abusing alcohol is not something people do because they are bad or weak. It is a disease that can be passed down from a parent or even a grandparent who also was an alcoholic. You may just drink a lot of alcohol without being a real alcoholic, but if you continue to abuse alcohol, you can become one. Alcohol abuse grows worse over time. Some people die from it. |
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Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse |
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You need a drink to get over a hangover
You like to drink alone
You're late to work because you were drinking the night before
You need a drink at a specific time of day
You lie about, cover up or make excuses about drinking
You have blackouts and don't remember what happened while you were drinking
You can't remember things that happen after you've been drinking
You don't feel like doing much of anything (except drinking)
You drink to relieve stress, fear, or shyness
You find that your drinking is harming or worrying the whole family
You become more moody, jealous, easily angered or violent after drinking
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What Alcoholism Does to You: |
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Liver damage (scarring of the liver)
Heart disease
Ulcers (due to irritation of the stomach lining by alcohol)
Poor nutrition, because alcohol robs the body of some vitamins and minerals
and interferes with digestion of food that is eaten
"DT's"--delirium tremens--resulting from alcohol withdrawal,
which shows as confusion, memory loss, and sometimes seeing or hearing
things that are not there
Cancer of the mouth, esophagus, or stomach
Brain damage, possibly leading to insanity
Damage to a developing fetus if you drink while pregnant |
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Relapses Can Happen |
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| Don't think that because an alcoholic is in recovery, he or she won't have a relapse. A relapse doesn't mean treatment has failed. Sometimes a relapse convinces the alcoholic that to stop drinking alcohol is the only choice. Counseling, rehabilitation programs, and self-help groups (AA, sponsor) are parts of recovery. Remember, a person who is about to start drinking again usually thinks or talks about drinking before doing it again. That is a warning sign that the person needs to go back to the sources of help listed above. | |||
Where Can You Get Help? |
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Look at other Facts About:
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