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Alcohol Health Problems

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How do you identify the fact that you have alcohol health problems? When is it apparent that your health is getting affected by your excessive drinking?

If you have unproductively attempted to quit drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are finished and then you recognized that you were drinking in an excessive manner just a few days or weeks later, chances are exceptionally good that you have a drinking problem.

Unfortunately, if you have drinking difficulties, it’s just a matter of time before you start exhibiting alcohol health problems. 

The bottom line consideration, however, is this: if you have tried to stop drinking and cannot bring this about, then your drinking is controlling you, rather than the other way around – and this is anything but good for your health.

The Justification for Your Drinking

You may be telling yourself that you drink so that you can reduce your stress or get rid of the pain that you feel.

image: young woman sad about her alcoholismIn much the same way, you may be trying to steer clear of a harmful situation and may be looking for something more beneficial, more positive, or less regretful.

If you continue to drink, however, you will grasp the fact that drinking does not elicit the same “buzz” and you will also become aware that drinking doesn’t help eradicate whatever brought about your distress in the first place.

Not only this, but as you maintain or increase your abusive drinking, you will start to notice some of the following health-related issues:  increased hangovers, a loss of energy; increased susceptibility to colds, the flu, and other communicable diseases; a loss of appetite; more frequent and painful headaches; stomach problems; increased hand tremors; blackouts; physical deterioration; and weight loss.

As you continue to drink in a hazardous way, unfortunately, you may become an alcoholic and, as a result, you may add another significant difficulty to cope with rather than discovering more beneficial and healthy ways of dealing with your alcohol induced predicament.

The Need for an Alcohol Appraisal

image: male college student proud on his pitcher of beerIf you have determined that you have alcohol health problems, perchance the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare provider and schedule an appointment for a complete physical and ask for an assessment of your drinking situation. 

What is more, if you actually believe that you have serious alcohol health problems, it may be a good idea to get prepared to hear that you need to get alcohol rehabilitation.

At this point, what are your options? You can definitely say no and refuse to see your general practitioner and persevere with your pattern of excessive drinking.

It really doesn’t take a mastermind, then again, to realize that repeated, hazardous drinking, if left untreated, will get worse over time, will unquestionably deteriorate your health even further, and may eventually result an early death. Accordingly, your most positive choice is to face your drinking circumstance and seek the alcohol rehab you need. 

According to a 2000 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report, alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug among America’s teenagers.  According to a national survey, nearly one third (31.5%) of all high school students reported hazardous drinking (5+ drinks in one setting) during the 30 days preceding the survey.

The Facade of the Functioning Alcohol Dependent Individual

image: disturbed young man suffering from alcoholismIt is somewhat paradoxical to note the fact that numerous alcoholics lead full and demanding lives and have families, jobs, houses, vehicles, pets, as well as many possessions not unlike other non-alcoholics.

Many of these “functional” alcohol dependent people may have never been arrested for a DWI and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol-related legal difficulties.

In spite of this “good fortune,” conversely, these alcoholics need to drink in order to function on a day-by-day basis while maintaining their facade as they interrelate with people outside their immediate family.

Ask anyone who has seen the problem drinker after he or she has experienced a number of blackouts or after going on one of his or her benders or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcohol dependency, nevertheless, and they will be quick to state the facts about the drinker's alcohol related situation and deteriorating health.

It's not a question of whether you are legally intoxicated, it's a question of whether or not it is safe to drive when you have consumed any amount of alcohol. Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the blood alcohol concentration level of .08.

Why Do Alcoholics Fail to See Their Health Related Drinking Problems?

As alcohol abuse and medical research have emphasized, no matter how observable the alcohol-related predicaments seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent individual, alcohol addicted people characteristically deny that drinking is the basis of their alcohol induced predicaments. 

What is more, alcohol dependent people typically blame their alcohol related problems on other individuals or upon other circumstances that surround them instead of seeing their part in the issue.

It is usually a difficult pill to swallow but the following needs to be pointed out: the origin of the person’s advanced drinking problems is that alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain.

Not only this, but once the individual has become addicted to alcohol, he or she usually resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of dealing with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control.

What is more, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms commonly circumvents the alcohol addicted person’s attempts to quit drinking.

As depressing as the alcohol addicted person’s way of life is, then again, the positive news is that competent help is typically accessible – if the alcohol dependent person reaches out and gets into an alcohol rehab program.

Counseling can help you identify situations and feelings that "trigger" the urge to drink and to find new ways to respond that do not include alcohol. These forms of treatment are usually available in a hospital or residential treatment facility or on an outpatient basis.

Alcohol Health Problems: Conclusion

Acknowledging the fact that drinking is causing alcohol health problems in your day by day functioning is perhaps the simplest way to find out if you have a problem with your drinking. 

More to the point, if your drinking is eliciting problems with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be resolved.

If you have an alcohol health problem, furthermore, this usually means that you are involving yourself in abusive or excessive drinking behavior.

As medical and addiction research progresses, better, more effective, and more successful drug addiction and alcoholism rehab and treatment protocols are being developed every year.

While some drinkers may be able to recognize their alcohol abuse problems and greatly diminish the amount and occurrence of their drinking, other individuals, nevertheless, need to address their drinking difficulties by getting quality alcohol counseling. 

The bottom line is this: if you have alcohol health problems, it is to your advantage to get immediate medical attention so that you can get your alcohol situation under control, regain your health, and avoid the negative consequences of hazardous and irresponsible drinking.

According to recent research, 62% of U.S. high school seniors reported that they have been drunk recently.  Since getting drunk is an example of alcohol abuse, obviously, these students need to gain more alcohol awareness, they need to develop better coping skills, and they need to find a healthy solution to their troubles, pain, and unhappiness rather than turning to alcohol abuse.

According to the drug and alcohol abuse research literature, more and more scientific evidence validates the claim that the most effective and successful treatment approaches for overcoming alcoholism and drug addiction embrace an assortment of approaches, such as doctor-prescribed medications, counseling, utilizing social service agencies and programs, and behavioral therapies.  In short, to effectively treat a complicated medical condition such as alcoholism or drug dependency, a comprehensive set of approaches need to be part of the therapist's treatment regimen.

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