Facts About Alcoholism

Knowledge is power when dealing with addictions. Understanding some important facts about alcoholism can make the difference between helping yourself or a loved one, or allowing yourself or a loved one to wreak havoc in your life, or theirs. Families of addicts know only too well that an addict does not harm only himself or herself -- he/she create difficulties for the family, children, co-workers, employers, friends, and the community in general.

Some interesting facts about alcoholism:

• As the alcohol addiction progresses and worsens, so do the physical, emotional, and social environment of the addict/alcoholic, sometimes becoming dangerous, violent, and out of control.

• The brain of the alcoholic adapts to the regular consumption of alcohol so that he or she eventually has to drink more than before to reach the same depths as before.

• Chronic alcoholics suffer from strong withdrawal symptoms as a result of decreasing amounts of alcohol, much as a heroin addict does.

• An alcoholic cannot predict how much alcohol he/she will drink at any given time, or how long a drinking binge will last. By the time they have reached this stage, they are completely out of control of the addiction.

• The most severe damage in the chronic drinker's body occurs in the brain, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and peripheral nervous system.

• There can be periods of abstinence between bouts of drinking, which the drinker will have to prove to himself or others that he is actually in control of his drinking. Don't be fooled!

• The social, emotional and behavioral consequences of alcoholics are a direct result of of the effect of alcohol on the brain.

• Studies show that most alcoholics pass through stages with definite symptoms. There is no specific timeline for the development of these symptoms; it all depends on the individual.

From FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOLISM to ALCOHOLISM SIDE EFFECTS

Read about SIGNS OF ALCOHOLISM

DEFINITION OF ALCOHOLISM

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