Recovering From Alcoholism
Alcoholism is an illness characterized by drinking alcoholic beverages to excess, even when it interferes with health as well as social and work responsibilities. It is a type of drug addiction. An alcoholic is physically and mentally dependent on alcohol. Recovery from alcoholism depends on addressing both sides of the illness.
Other People Are Reading
-
The Facts
-
Physical dependence on alcohol is characterized by needing increasing amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effect. You may experience blackouts, which are memory lapses after drinking episodes. If you are physically dependent on alcohol and try to stop drinking on your own, you will experience withdrawal symptoms.
Risk Factors
-
There is not a known cause of alcoholism. If you have alcoholic parents, you are at increased risk of becoming an alcoholic. Other risk factors include low self-esteem, depression and a need for anxiety relief.
-
Symptoms of Alcoholism
-
Symptoms of alcoholism include being unable to stop or reduce alcohol intake, drinking alone and needing regular use of alcohol to function. You may make excuses about your drinking and become hostile when confronted about it. You may experience shaking in the morning. Symptoms of withdrawal include agitation, nervousness, tremors, seizures, nausea and vomiting.
Misconceptions
-
There is a fine line between a social drinker and an alcoholic. Many people falsely believe that an alcoholic only has to exert willpower in order to control the use of alcohol. The fact is that an alcoholic can't control his or her addictive behavior without treatment.
Treatment Options
-
Recovery from alcoholism begins with recognizing that you have a problem. In most cases, total abstinence is a requirement for recovery. Assistance in attaining abstinence can be received on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. If you have a serious problem with dependency, you may require inpatient treatment for detoxification. This reduces the physical symptoms of withdrawal in a controlled, supervised setting, using medication to relieve symptoms. On an outpatient basis, you may receive medication to prevent relapse. You will be encouraged to attend therapy or support groups. Options of support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery.
Relapse
-
Treatment programs have varying success rates. Since alcoholism affects you both physically and mentally, beginning to drink again after recovery is common. It is important to recognize what triggers you to choose to drink. Learn from your relapse if it happens and continue to stay committed to recovery and connected to support groups. If a relapse happens, don't give in to the belief that you can't recover. People can and do recover from alcoholism. You can too.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit flickr.com
