Alcoholic addiction is defined as the psychological or physiological condition in which one has a strong dependence on alcohol. Addiction to alcohol can be caused by a number of things. One can develop addiction because of a genetic predisposition, stress, depression, social environment and emotional health.
Addiction to alcohol has very adverse effects on the person. The effects can be either social or medical. Social effects of addiction to alcohol can include someone being a bother to their family, colleagues and friends. It also means someone can be a social outcast. The medical effects of addiction to alcohol include damage to the gastrointestinal system. In addition, if a person is addicted to alcohol, it may affect their liver, heart, pancreas, blood and nervous systems. The result is often alcoholic dementia, epilepsy, sexual dysfunction, and neuropathy.
There are a number of symptoms that manifest in alcohol addicts. These include poor health, shaking hands, chronic diarrhea, yellowish skin tone, and a lot of fluid in the abdomen. To know that someone is an alcohol addict, they will exhibit withdrawal symptoms when they have not been allowed to take alcohol. They are also tolerant to alcohol which means that someone needs to take a lot of alcohol to get drunk and drinking of alcohol for long periods than other people regardless of other commitments they may have.
The good news for those who are suffering from alcoholic addiction is that there is treatment for them. This treatment is usually done in four major stages. The stages for treating alcoholic addiction include detoxification, medication, psychotherapy and recovery stages.
When undergoing detoxification, the alcohol addict is expected to abstain from taking alcohol for the duration of the treatment. In this stage, toxic substances are removed from the body of the patient. Alcohol has harmful substances in it. This is why it is always advised that those who drink it do so in small quantities.
During this stage, the patient may develop some symptoms associated with going without alcohol. These are basically the withdrawal symptoms and may even lead to high blood pressure. As such, the patient is always under the close supervision of doctors who are usually ready to deal with any such symptoms.
Under medication, a patient suffering alcoholic addiction is given medicines that help them face any psychiatric conditions that may make them drink again. As most alcoholics will tell you, once they have stopped drinking, they may feel a compulsion to drink or a craving for alcohol from time to time. In order to deal with this and any other condition, a psychiatrist will prescribe some medication to the patient.
The psychotherapy stage is meant to help the alcoholic addict to deal with any psychological or physiological problems they may have which may have led to the addiction in the first place. At this stage, the patient is made to confront any underlying physiological or psychological issues that may have caused the drinking.
The last stage, recovery, is the final step that patients suffering from alcoholic addiction have to make. At this stage, the patients are expected to meet other people who have also struggling with alcoholism and share their experiences.
To conclude, if someone is showing signs of alcoholic addiction, then it’s best to seek help to cure it quickly. Otherwise, it could lead to lasting problems which could seriously affect the troubled individual.