ALCOHOL USE AND ADDICTION

Alcohol is a legal, controlled substance. It is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, so it slows down mental and bodily processes. With the first drink of alcohol, users may experience a decrease in anxiety and lowered inhibitions. It also has a broad range of side effects, from loss of coordination to slurred speech. Alcohol is commonly consumed as a drink in various forms, including beer, wine and hard liquor.

Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic, but anyone whose life is negatively affected by alcohol on a consistent basis is considered having alcohol use disorder (AUD).

What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease that affects your brain. Sometimes genes passed down to you from your parents can put you at risk. However, your environment or psychological make-up also play a significant role.

How do you know when you’ve crossed the line from alcohol use to alcohol abuse and even addiction?

Because alcohol is legal and widely accepted in society, it can be hard to tell the difference between casual use and abuse. In general, any usage of alcohol that results in negative consequences is considered abuse.

Some of the negative consequences of heavy drinking include:

When abuse becomes more frequent, it can escalate into an addiction.

Signs that someone may have alcohol use disorder (AUD):

The more of these that describe you, the more severe your AUD is likely to be:

Binge drinking

A subset of problem drinkers – binge drinkers – are men who consume five or more alcoholic drinks or women who consume four or more over a two-hour period. An infrequent binge drinker may be able to stop on his or her own. Someone addicted to alcohol, however, may want to stop drinking and not be able to without help. In many cases, prolonged binge drinking can develop into alcoholism.

Physical effects of AUD

Even a mild case of AUD, it can have a serious impact on your physical and mental health. Often, AUD causes other problems, which you in turn try to avoid by drinking. This creates a negative cycle.

In the short-term, AUD can cause:

Long-term effects include:

You’re also more likely to take dangerous risks. This raises your chances of being injured or dying from:

AUD affects those around you, too. Your drinking may damage relationships with loved ones because of anger problems, violence, neglect, and abuse. Women who are pregnant, risk having a miscarriage. Their baby is more likely to have foetal alcohol syndrome and a higher chance of dying from SIDS.

*What are the effects of alcohol abuse? *

Short-term effects

In the short-term, drinking too much can be very dangerous, sometimes deadly. Effects can include:

Long-term consequences Risk of significant personal harm is increased with chronic alcohol consumption. Alcohol abusers are at an increased risk of:

Teen alcohol abuse

Adults are not the only ones who can suffer from alcohol abuse. Many teenagers are at risk of developing an alcohol abuse problem due to the accessibility of the substance and peer pressure. Alcohol tops the list of drugs used by teenagers.

Many teenagers who choose to drink can easily develop an abuse problem due to binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as drinking at least four drinks (for women) or five drinks (for men) in two hours or less.

Teenagers who have an alcohol abuse problem may exhibit signs and symptoms to indicate there is a problem. Teen alcohol abuse symptoms include:

Teen alcohol use may not seem like a huge issue; however, alcohol is considered a drug and must be treated as one. Most teenagers cannot handle the effects of alcohol and are not responsible enough to deal with it. While many parents and guardians assume other drugs, such as marijuana, are worse than alcohol, they must realise how easily accessible alcohol is, and how much damage it can do to a teen.

Teens who abuse alcohol are at an increased risk in several ways. Studies have shown teens that drink are more sexually active and participate in unprotected sex more often than teens who do not consume alcohol. These teens are also at an increased risk of becoming a victim of rape or assault. They may also get injured or die in car crashes involving alcohol.

Not only can alcohol abuse alter how a teen acts, it can also have adverse effects on the brain. Studies show that brain development continues past the teenage years. Alcohol abuse during the brain’s formative years can negatively impact how the brain develops and can also lead to learning problems. According to the US National Institute of Health, teens who abuse alcohol at a young age are much more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol when they get older.

Alcoholism treatment

It is important for people with alcohol abuse and addiction problems to get help as soon as possible. The earlier they get help, the better their chance of recovery. Many people who struggle with alcohol addiction find it difficult or impossible to quit without the help or support of others.

Alcohol treatment centres are designed to help individuals who are addicted or who abuse alcohol in a number of ways. Typically, treatment centres require an individual to stay at the centre for a specific amount of time. Many centres offer both long- and short-term treatment options.

During treatment, individuals go through detoxification. Detoxification is the interventions used to keep a person safe as they readjust to a lack of alcohol in the body. Medical detox is extremely important for someone dependent on alcohol because withdrawal can cause delirium and potentially life-threatening seizures, along with other very serious symptoms.

Treatment centres are designed to provide support in the form of individual therapy, as well as group therapy and educational classes on addiction. During therapy sessions, alcoholics can explore their reasons behind their excess alcohol consumption, as well as what they can do to overcome their abusive behaviour. Counsellors and therapists at treatment centres are trained to provide recovering individuals with the tools to resist cravings and maintain their sobriety.

Outpatient treatment is also an option for many alcoholics. Outpatient treatment centres and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are designed to provide recovering alcoholics with a place to explore their destructive behaviour. Many outpatient treatment centres provide group meetings, as well as other programmes to help recovering individuals overcome their issues. With outpatient treatment, individuals are not placed in a controlled environment and may be vulnerable to outside temptation during treatment. Typically, this type of treatment is ideal for those who have successfully completed an inpatient treatment programme and want a step-down level of care or those whose addiction are subjectively not as severe.