Alcoholism Defined
Alcoholism is the mental and physical addiction to alcohol. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is a disease, and a person who suffers from it cannot quit drinking alcohol without medical assistance.
Other People Are Reading
-
Features
-
Alcoholism includes the strong desire to consume alcohol and not being able to limit the amount. The body becomes accustomed to the alcohol and requires larger amounts to achieve the same feeling. If an alcoholic attempts to stop drinking, he might go through physical withdrawal and experience nausea, chills, sweating and shaking.
Causes
-
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a person is more susceptible to the disease if it runs in her family, but it can also develop due to being under a high amount of stress or being around drinkers.
-
Effects
-
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that excessive alcohol consumption can severely damage liver function. Alcoholism can also cause financial or legal problems because an alcoholic cannot stop drinking even if it interferes with working or paying bills.
Treatment
-
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, alcoholism can be treated with a medically supervised physical detoxification to get rid of all the alcohol in the body, as well as through inpatient therapy or support groups.
Significance
-
Over 70 million people in the United States have relatives with alcoholism, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. The center also states that alcohol is a contributing factor in almost 50 percent of all car accident fatalities.
-
