Alcoholism

My Alcoholism?

People often confuse binge drinking or heavy drinking with alcoholism or an addiction to alcohol. However, this can be a problem with semantics. Consuming lots of alcohol in a day/period, and rarely is hardly alcoholism.

However, when a person feels "useless" because they haven't consumed alcohol; or can't control his consumption ever, this is called alcoholism. It's one of the most severe and common forms of alcohol abuse.

The Australian Bureau of statistics rather adds credence to the story in their reports that 1 out of every 6 persons above the age of 18 consume more an avg. of more than two standard drinks per day.

Alcoholism or excessive drinking

Simply put, binge drinking means having more than 4-5 drinks per session albeit not regularly. Heavy drinking means consuming between 8 and 15 drinks a week, though not being reliant on alcohol.

Addiction in simple terms is the overt reliance on alcohol, which is different from partying (drinking heavily).

What Causes Alcoholism?

Many reasons can lead a person to find "drinking" as solace, but they mostly stem from psychological or emotional imbalance. Some of the reasons include;

Loss of a dear one
The “feel good” notion
The thought of alcohol as a social bond amongst circles
To mask depression and anxiety
To suppress a thought, trauma, and so on
To cover up the shame and rejection
And a hundred other reasons including total denial of one’s self.

What are the effects of Alcoholism?

Although common knowledge, many still dispute the destructive nature of "addictions". And this can also be an addiction in itself. Be it drugs, gambling, alcohol consumption, or whatever, addiction to anything is a raw and dangerous form of obsession and has many consequences.

For the Short term;

Breathing can become labored/ difficult for the person
Memory loss during those periods
Lowered inhibitions
Short-fused to foment trouble or violence
Reckless acts; driving, walking, bragging, lousy, and co.
Sexual behaviour with lots of regrets
In pregnant women, it greatly endangers the life of the fetus.

In the Long term;

It increases Blood pressure, leading to stroke and heart disease
Memory issues like dementia
Mental problems, especially in people with mental history
Social alienation and withdrawal
And death from recklessness

What are the Signs of Alcoholism?

Most people often spot when they are becoming alcoholics. However, the denial/feel-good notion makes them discard these thoughts. Here are symptoms that a person is an alcoholic