Alcoholism

A drawing from 1883, showing the problems of alcoholism; the drawing is called at her feet

Alcoholism is the medical condition of people who often drink too much alcohol. Some people who suffer from alcoholism feel that they have to drink alcohol, even when it causes health and social problems. Alcoholism means addiction to alcohol. People who suffer from it are called alcoholics. As the condition goes on, those who suffer from it change their habits: obtaining alcohol and consuming it becomes more important. Very often, other interests disappear. Many alcoholics do not think they have a problem with drinking alcohol. With time, they better support bigger quantities, and their personality changes.

Stages

Generally, there are different stages to alcoholism.

1. Drinking alcohol starts in a social setting, on occasion, together with friends. With time progressing, the potential alcoholic feels relieved when he drinks. This relief is usually attributed to the situation, or the people, not the alcohol. With the time people seek out occasions where "social drinking" occurs. People also develop tolerance. This means over time, they need a larger quantity of alcohol to get the same feeling of relief.
2. In the next phase, the drinker has problems remembering things. The alcoholic may be completely normal, but they cannot remember certain events, or how certain events occurred. This is independent of a feeling of drunkenness. The patient also begins to see that he drinks more alcohol than other people. For this reason, drinking is often done in secret. The first glasses are consumed more quickly; this is done so as to not stand out, and to get the feeling quicker. There are feelings of guilt; the patient tries to avoid talking about alcohol for this reason.
3. The alcoholic is no longer able to control his drinking. He may not drink for a long time, but once he gets a tiny bit of alcohol, he is unable to stop until he is either drunk, or too sick to continue; this is called craving. The patient thinks this is just a lack of resolve, but in truth he is dependent on alcohol. Excuses are found for the drinking habit. To the patient it is important to be able to explain, because except for alcohol, there are no other solutions to problems. Because of this behaviour there are problems with the rest of his family. There are whole families who get isolated, because they try to hide the drinking problem of a family member. This is called co-dependence.

Treatment options

The overuse of alcohol has different causes, and there are different forms of treatment available. Some of these treatments are:

• Detoxification: Alcohol use is stopped abruptly. The alcohol is sometimes replaced with other drugs that have similar effects, to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
• Therapy: Various therapies are available.
• Moderation: Alcohol use is lowered and lowered.
• Drugs: Some drugs can help the transition to drinking less, or are very dangerous if they are consumed with alcohol.