Iarisa Nongbet
Alcoholism is a syndrome of compulsive and dependent use of alcohol. It is a complex condition that affects the reward, reinforcement, motivation, and memory systems of the brain. Individuals with alcoholism persistently use alcohol and are heavily dependent on it, to the point that it takes over their lives. The sad reality is that a lot of alcohol addicts are aware of its harmful effects, yet still continue to use alcohol. Alcoholism leads to distortion of thinking, behavior and other bodily functions.
Alcoholism causes biological changes in the brain, such as judgement, decision-making, memory, learning, behavior control; that makes abstaining from alcohol nearly impossible without intervention and medical treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism
The most common physical, psychological, and behavioral signs of alcoholism include the following:
1. Poor coordination: Alcoholism leads to disturbed coordination in walking, as well as eye-hand coordination. There is disturbance in motor control and coordination.
2. Slurred speech: You may have noticed a drunk person having difficulty in pronouncing words properly; mumbling; or changing his speed or rhythm in talking. This is slurred speech which is induced by alcohol use.
3. Impaired thinking and memory impairment: Alcoholism causes impaired thinking, where a person is unable to think straight or to process thoughts, and his surroundings. Heavy use of alcohol also causes lapses in memory, which includes difficulty in recalling recent events.
4. Wanting to stop drinking but not managing to do so: The severe dependence on alcohol causes a person to have intense cravings, and loses control wherein he/she is unable to stop drinking.
5. Diverting energy from work, family, and social life in order to drink: Alcoholism detrimentally affects an individual’s health and productivity. He/she will find any excuse from work, family events or quality-time, and even from his social life, in order to fulfil his craving for a drink. This interference, if becomes excessive, can lead to interpersonal conflicts in family, work, and in a social circle.
6. Engaging in risky behavior: Alcoholism in adolescents, and in the youth in general, can result in harmful behavior, including physical injury and risk-taking. The excessive use of alcohol is more likely to lead to risky behaviors like drunk driving that can result in serious injuries.
7. Being secretive and in denial about the extent of the alcohol abuse problem: Individuals try to hide their abuse of alcohol by lying about the amount of drinks; they hide alcohol from family and friends; and try to stretch the truth and underestimate how much they drink. Alcoholism is always accompanied by denial – a refusal to admit the truth or the extent of the alcohol abuse. Alcohol use has impaired the person’s insight into his own condition.
8. Becoming distressed at the prospect of not having access to alcohol: Having developed a dependency on alcohol, these people feel distressed when they do not have access to alcohol (the inability to afford drinks, or shortage of alcohol at the store, or restrained by someone). They get frustrated, upset and enraged when they cannot access alcohol to fulfil their desire.
Causes of Alcoholism
Till date, we have not been able to precisely point out the cause of alcoholism, however, according to studies, it was found that the changes in the brain occurring after consumption of alcohol bring about pleasurable sensations, thus increasing the desire to drink even though in actuality it causes harm. Eventually the pleasurable feelings associated with alcohol use will go away, and the person starts experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which are usually unpleasant. In order to avoid these withdrawal symptoms, he/she will engage in drinking, since the brain starts relying on certain chemicals produced by alcohol.
Alcoholism is influenced by several factors, like biological factors, environmental, psychological and social factors.
Biological Factors
Alcoholism and genetics are closely related, though the degree of such relation differs from person to person. There are certain chemicals in the brain which make a person susceptible to alcoholism. One such chemical is dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the internal reward system that drives learning and behaviour. Dopamine plays a significant role as one of the leading causes of alcoholism.
Environmental Factors
It is a well established fact that our surroundings and environment determine our behaviour to an extent. Researchers suggest that people who reside closer to alcohol establishments are prone to develop a more positive outlook on the drinking culture and more likely to participate in the activity. Media also plays a crucial role – advertisements showing drinking as a fun, acceptable and relaxing activity seems to be drawing in large crowds to drink. Income, another crucial factor determines whether or not a person is susceptible to alcohol use. Persons hailing from affluent families and neighbourhoods are more likely to use alcohol than those living below poverty.
Psychological Factors
A person’s thoughts and beliefs form a major psychological cause of alcoholism, as behaviour originates from thoughts and beliefs. Another cause is a person’s developmental maturity, which is the capacity to align actions with beliefs. Alcoholism occurs because a person lacks this developmental maturity. Alcoholics pursue impulsive desires without thinking of the consequences. Each individual handles stress in a different way. How we cope with and release the negative tension has an impact on our actions. Some people see alcohol as a way to suppress feelings and relieve the symptoms of psychological tension. The more a person turns to alcohol to ease feelings of pain and hardships, the more the brain and body become dependent on alcohol for its effects.
Social Factors
Social factors like culture, religion, family and work, influence behaviour. Family plays an important role in terms of whether a person develops alcoholism. Children who are exposed to alcohol abuse at an early age are more likely to form an unhealthy drinking pattern.
Staring college or joining a new job may also influence drinking habits. The desire to fit in drives a person to engage in new activities which might include drinking.
Treatment of Alcoholism
As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”, it always a safe bet to prevent alcoholism than to undergo the treatment and withdrawal process. Abstinence from alcohol is highly recommended to prevent as well as to treat alcoholism. Some forms of treatment can be easily accessed at home such as, support groups, and stress-relief techniques. However, if these do not work, it is advised to visit a professional so that you can receive the best treatment. Detoxification programmes are available in hospitals or medical facilities. Medications may be administered to reduce the desire to use alcohol. A few medications that are prescribed are Disulfiram, Acamprosate, Naltrexone, and these should be taken only as per the advice of mental health practitioners or healthcare professionals.
People with severe alcoholism require long-term residential rehab and years of aftercare service. Other options are available for those who are hesitant to take medications, and these include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Aversion Therapy, Family Therapy, Behaviour Therapy, Psychotherapy, support groups, and counselling sessions.
Conclusion
Alcohol causes serious changes in the brain and its effects are adverse. The changes prevents a person from making rational decisions. Alcoholism not only affects the concerned person consuming alcohol but it takes a toll on his personal and social life. Alcoholism leads to conflicts and tension in the family, workplace and social interactions. Alcoholism has been known to tear families apart, thereby traumatizing the persons concerned. It poses a serious health hazard, both physically and mentally. Therefore, self-care is essential; abstain from alcohol abuse, and seek help when needed.
References:
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/what-is-addiction
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/symptoms-and-signs
Alcohol in optimum quantity is medicinal and when the quantity or the limit crosses it becomes an addiction.
Agreed.
Very informative article and it surely helped me to understand the concept better as everything was written in a simple and easy manner. However, there could be added points on how we can help a person with alcoholism?
And the paragraph of treatment could be written point wise so that every point catches attention quickly. Other than these, this article is wonderfully written!
Thank you for your feedback. Point noted.
great information gathered … amazing work done 🙂
Thank you for your feedback.