Scientific definition of Alcoholism Disorder.

Taking one or two shots of alcohol may be normal and even healthy according to some views, but an issue ensures when the intake of alcohol becomes excessive and the alcoholic cannot go without taking a considerate amount of the content on a regular basis.

How exactly do people go from being regular alcohol consumers (maybe one or two shots) to becoming chronic consumers who cannot go a day without consuming alcohol? Since, I have never taken alcohol before, I really do not have an idea of what the possible cause should be, but of course, there are people who are skilled in making research about topics like this one, and who have put their opinion out there for others to learn from. Let us get straight to discovering what science has to say about alcoholism.

According to research, over 17 million Americans abuse alcohol.

More than 17 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic, according to results from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

From the result gained during research, alcoholism actually affects men more than it does affects women.1

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How do people define alcoholism?

The same way people have different opinions about life is the same way people have different opinions about the extreme intake of alcohol.

Some categories of people define alcoholism as a disease, it is a disease that comes up as a result of an excessive and compulsive drinking habit. They believe alcoholism to be a disease because it tends to persist for so many years, it is also hereditary and it remains a major cause of disability and death.

Pharmacologically, alcoholism is a type of drug addiction that requires people to consistently have the urge to have more, withdrawal syndrome is observed when the act of drinking is stopped.

Constant intake of alcohol is different from alcoholism. The set of people who regularly take alcohol but who still have the effect of alcohol intake under control cannot be described as alcoholics. On the other hand, the excessive intake of alcohol where it gets to affects work, and family and even puts the drinker in a dangerous position is called alcohol abuse and of course, these sets of individuals are alcoholics.

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The way a foodie feels the urge to eat is the same way an alcoholic feels the urge to consume alcohol and even more, the inability to control this urge makes an alcoholic. Attempting to withdraw from alcohol intake would lead to other issues like anxiety, nausea, sweating, uncontrolled shaking, and confusion.
Alcoholism is a disorder in which alcohol stands as a major factor in a person's life, this makes the alcoholic lose control over the use of alcohol. 2

With alcohol intake, the brain begins to adapt to the presence of alcohol, the reaction of the brain is highly dependent on the degree of alcohol consumption. Upon first exposure of the brain to alcohol consumption, it becomes either tolerant or insensitive to the effect of the alcohol, the continuous and persistent intake of alcohol would lead to more demand of the amount of alcohol needed for intoxication to happen. An increase in the level of tolerance would mean an increase in the possibility of developing health conditions which also means more level of dependence when it comes to alcohol consumption.

The function of the brain communicates through a path of electrical and chemical signals. The signals are really important to the function of the brain, the messages sent throughout the brain regulate through different aspects of the body's function.

The more adoption of the body to alcohol, the more difficult it would be to withdraw. After 48 hours of immediate withdrawal, the symptoms could be really severe, in order to avoid these withdrawal symptoms, alcoholics just continue to take in alcohol. In the real sense, the anxiety relapse would go away after a few days. What happens here is that, with alcohol intake, the brain has readjusted itself to the feelings associated with the alcohol intake, upon the absence of alcohol in the body, the brain readjusts itself once again to the withdrawal of alcohol in the body, therefore all the symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal comes to play. 3

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Having a maximum of two drinks in a day for the male gender and one drink for the female gender is actually really a harmless act, alcohol intake becomes an issue when;

  • Excessive alcohol begins to affect activities in school, at work, and responsibilities at home.

  • When you cannot act or do anything except you have some amount of alcohol.

  • Alchohol disorders can actually lead to really complex issues, like; Heart problems, brain damage, cancer, stomach problems, and liver cirrhosis.

  • As a heavily alcoholic person, the chance of getting involved in an accident or committing suicide is really high.

  • High alcoholics usually develop mental health conditions.

  • Losing interest in food and taking more interest in alcohol.

  • Feeling down or unhappy when there is no alcohol.

  • Alchohol abuse can worsen depression issues or problems associated with anxiety.

  • Alcoholics affect close relatives of the alcoholic, and family members.

  • Consuming alcohol with the intention of forgetting problems.

  • A pregnant woman who is an alcoholic stands at a risk of damaging the fetus.

How do people become alcoholics?

There are people who drink a lot but are still not addicted to liquor, while some people will take just a little above normal and they will begin to exhibit the traits of an addict, there are factors that definitely contribute to the reaction of alcohol in the body.

Genetic factors: Research has shown that there is a great probability for children of alcoholics to become alcoholics also even on a greater level.

Social factors: Advertisement and peer pressure also contribute seriously to growing alcoholics. A lot of young people are actually consuming alcohol because their friends are doing so too.

Psychological factors: Becoming an alcoholic is easier for people with psychological issues like depression, and low self-esteem. Alcohol affects brain chemicals like dopamine, this makes the body naturally crave alcohol in order to restore the feeling of pleasure and avoid every feeling of negativity.4

Those with alcohol problems usually find it difficult to accept that they have a problem, understanding the presence of a problem associated with a constant intake of alcohol is the first step to finding healing. Sometimes, it would be friends or family members who will have to make the alcoholic victim realize the presence of a problem and then, get to treat it.

A psychologist can help with an alcoholic case, the psychologist could either adopt one or two of these methods to treat the patient, depending on how severe the level of alcohol addiction has gotten.

*Cognitive-behavioural coping skills treatment.
*Motivational enhancement therapy
*12-step facilitation approach.

These therapeutic treatments will allow the psychologist to identify the cause of the consistent drinking habit, learn how to cope and control the situation and develop social support strategies to help with the situation.5

Certain medications are prescribed to help treat alcoholism but the issue with these medications lies in the fact that they tend to shut down the brain's reward system towards certain cravings. When patients are taking these medications, they actually do not experience some level of desired joy all through these periods. 6

Conclusion.

A few shots of alcohol are normal for those who can control their appetite, but excessive intake of alcohol is highly disastrous and should be curtailed in order to avoid complications and disastrous occurrences.

For further studies.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/alcoholism1.htm

https://www.britannica.com/science/alcoholism

https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa77/aa77.htm

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/alcoholism2.htm

https://www.apa.org/topics/substance-use-abuse-addiction/alcohol-disorders

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/science-reveals-why-some-drinkers-become-alcoholics-102414#The-Problem-with-Current-Medications-for-Alcoholism

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Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my podcast channel Here and I also have a youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, do not forget to subscribe and share with friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from members of the community and do well to keep them coming.

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Yeah I remember I found it quite interesting when I first read that there's a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. I think the actor who played Chandler in Friends is one such case.

It was also interesting when I compared our Cypriot culture to other cultures I got to know as I was growing up, such as English and Russian. In Cyprus, we drink just a bit of alcohol, usually with food, and we need the alcohol to taste good. In England, classmates were buying the cheapest alcohol they could find to bring to parties, because the purpose of the alcohol was not to enjoy, but to use it to get wasted. Drunkenness wasn't an accidental side-effect of drinking: it was the goal. I even met people who couldn't have sex without drinking alcohol! It's like sex is such a shameful act that no sober person could undertake! So yeah culture plays a huge role.

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Wow, this is a serious one oo, most people who get extremely drunk over here in Nigeria too, are those who can only afford really cheap drinks and they consume them on a high level to satisfy some type of weird desires, sometimes, just to feel among.

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