Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, includes the following
four symptoms:
Craving: A strong need, or urge, to drink.
Loss of control: Not being able to stop drinking once
drinking has begun.
Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as
nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol
to get "high."
Q: Can alcoholism be treated?
Yes, alcoholism can be treated successfully, depending on the type of
program and how it fits to the individual’s needs. With support and
treatment, many people are able to stop drinking and rebuild their
lives.
Q: Do you have to be an alcoholic to experience problems?
No. Alcoholism (alcohol dependence or addiction) is only one type of
an alcohol problem. Alcohol abuse can be just as harmful. A
person can abuse alcohol without actually being an alcoholic—that is,
he or she may drink too much and too often but still not be dependent on
alcohol. Some of the problems linked to alcohol abuse include not being
able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities; drunk-driving
arrests and car crashes; and drinking-related medical conditions. Under
some circumstances, even social or moderate drinking is dangerous—for
example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain
medications.
Q: Are specific groups of people more likely to have
problems?
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cut across gender, race, and
nationality. Over 14 million people in the United States—1 in every 13
adults—abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. In general, though, more men
than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. And alcohol
problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among
adults ages 65 and older. We also know that people who start drinking at
an early age—for example, at age 14 or younger—greatly increase the
chance that they will develop alcohol problems at some point in their
lives.
Q: How can you tell if someone has a problem?
Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you
or a loved one has a drinking problem:
- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
- Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
- Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady
your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
One "yes" answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More
than one "yes" answer means it is highly likely that a problem
exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol
problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider
right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and
plan the best course of action.
Q: Can a problem drinker simply cut down?
It depends. Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking have
difficulty doing so successfully on their own. Cutting out alcohol—that
is, abstaining—s usually the best course for recovery. People who are
not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems
may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can't stay within
those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.
Q: If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do
about it?
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can't be forced to get help
except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that
results in court-ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don't
have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Many
alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help
an alcoholic get treatment:
Stop all "cover ups." Family members often
make excuses to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results
of his or her drinking. It is important to stop covering for the
alcoholic so that he or she experiences the full consequences of
drinking.
Time your intervention. The best time to talk to the
drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred—like
a serious family argument or an accident. Choose a time when he or she
is sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk in
private.
Be specific. Tell the family member that you are
worried about his or her drinking. Use examples of the ways in which the
drinking has caused problems, including the most recent incident.
State the results. Explain to the drinker what you will
do if he or she doesn't go for help—not to punish the drinker, but to
protect yourself from his or her problems. What you say may range from
refusing to go with the person to any social activity where alcohol will
be served, to moving out of the house. Do not make any threats you are
not prepared to carry out.
Get help. Gather information in advance about treatment
options and have a plan of action prepared. If the person is willing to
get help, call immediately for an appointment with a treatment
counselor.
Call on a friend. If the family member still refuses to
get help, ask a friend to talk with him or her using the steps just
described. A friend who used to be addicted to or abuse alcohol may be
particularly persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental
may help. The intervention of more than one person, more than one time,
is often necessary to coax an alcoholic to seek help.
Find strength in numbers. With the help of a health
care professional, some families join with other relatives and friends
to confront an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried
under the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in
this kind of group intervention.
Get support. Continue to work with family counselors at
the selected treatment facility and learn more about the rehabilitation
process, which will help assist in the long-term recovery of your friend
or family member.
Q: What is a safe level of drinking?
For most adults, moderate alcohol use—up to two drinks per day for
men and one drink per day for women and older people—causes few if any
problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler,
one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
Certain people should not drink at all, however:
- Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that
require alertness and skill (such as using high-speed
machinery)
- People taking certain over-the-counter or prescription
medications
- People with medical conditions that can be made worse by
drinking
- Recovering alcoholics
- People younger than age 21.
Q: Is it ever safe to drink during pregnancy—even a little?
No, drinking during pregnancy is dangerous. Alcohol can have a number
of harmful effects on the baby. The baby can be born mentally retarded
or with learning and behavioral problems that last a lifetime. We don't
know exactly how much alcohol is required to cause these problems.
We do know, however, that these alcohol-related birth defects are
100-percent preventable, simply by not drinking alcohol during
pregnancy. The safest course for women who are pregnant or trying to
become pregnant is not to drink alcohol at all.
Q: Does alcohol affect older people differently?
Alcohol's effects do vary with age. Slower reaction times, problems
with hearing and seeing, and a lower tolerance to alcohol's effects put
older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other types of
injuries that may result from drinking.
Older people also tend to take more medicines than younger people.
Mixing alcohol with over-the-counter or prescription medications can be
very dangerous, even fatal. More than 150 medications interact harmfully
with alcohol. In addition , alcohol can make many of the medical
conditions common in older people, including high blood pressure and
ulcers, more serious. Physical changes associated with aging can make
older people feel "high" even after drinking only small
amounts of alcohol. So even if there is no medical reason to avoid
alcohol, older men and women should limit themselves to one drink per
day.
Q: Does alcohol affect women differently?
Yes, alcohol affects women differently than men. Women become more
impaired than men do after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even
when differences in body weight are taken into account. This is because
women's bodies have less water than men's bodies. Because alcohol mixes
with body water, a given amount of alcohol becomes more highly
concentrated in a woman's body than in a man's. In other words, it would
be like dropping the same amount of alcohol into a much smaller pail of
water. That is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower
than for men.
In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on
women than on men typically. Alcohol dependence and related medical
problems, such as brain, heart, and liver damage, progress more rapidly
in women than in men.
Q: How can a person get help for an alcohol problem?
Call Narconon Johannesburg at call +27 (0) 11 622-3998, or
speak to
- Paul on +27 (0) 72 586 8687 today!
Or fill out
our private online contact form and an alcoholism counselor will call
or reply promptly.
Click here for a full and
complete description of how the Narconon Arrowhead alcohol addiction
rehabilitation program works!
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