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Alcohol : Addiction
 


Alcoholism Defined

People may say that someone is an alcoholic, but it is not always clear exactly what they mean by the word. Do they mean simply that the person drinks a lot? Do they think the person just drinks for fun? Do they believe the person could quit drinking if he or she tried?

Because the word is used loosely, a lot of people are not really sure what alcoholism means. Alcoholism is the addiction to alcohol.

Alcoholism is a physical and psychological disease. It is chronic (meaning that it is ongoing and does not resolve itself). It is also progressive (meaning that it becomes worse with time). Most alcoholics are unable to give up alcohol without help.

Alcoholics have these four Symptoms
  Craving

Alcoholics feel a strong need to drink. Once the idea of drinking enters their minds, they cannot focus on any other idea until they have drunk alcohol. They experience the need to drink more and more over time. Alcoholics pursue alcohol even when it causes problems in their personal or working lives.

Impaired Control

“Impaired” means damaged, weakened, or limited. Alcoholics’ ability to control the amount they drink is limited and grows weaker as the disease progresses. An alcoholic may tell himself that he is only going to have one drink, and then he finds himself unable to stop drinking until he is very drunk.

Physical Dependence

Someone with physical dependence on a substance has uncomfortable or painful symptoms when they cannot have the substance. An alcoholic who tries to stop drinking has intense withdrawal symptoms like nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.

Tolerance

Tolerance is an addict’s need for more and more of their drug in order to feel the same effects they are used to feeling. Alcoholics who used to drink three drinks in an evening to feel moderately drunk soon need to drink five drinks before they feel moderately drunk, and later need even more drinks to feel the same way.
 
 
 


Signs of Problem Drinking or Alcoholism
If you are worried about a friend’s or family member’s drinking there are many signs you can look for. Problem drinkers may:

  • Get drunk regularly.

  • Tell lies, especially about the amount of alcohol they are using.

  • Give up activities like sports, clubs, or homework.

  • Start hanging out with new friends who also drink, or spend more time alone so that they drink.

  • Talk a lot about drinking and being drunk.

  • Try to get others to drink.

  • Drink more and more alcohol to get the same effects they used to get.

  • Act like they must drink in order to have fun.

  • Get into trouble at school or with the law.

  • Do dangerous things, like drive after drinking or have unsafe sex.

  • Miss school or work, or get lower grades because of drinking.
 

If you are worried about your own drinking, take an honest look at yourself.
If any of the following are true, you may have a drinking problem:

  • You believe that you need to drink in order to have fun.

  • You make promises to yourself or others that you'll stop getting drunk, but you can’t keep them.

  • You can't predict whether or not you will get drunk.

  • You drink after having an argument, when you are sad, or when you are having other unpleasant feelings.

  • You drink more than you used to in order to get the same effect.

  • You drink alone.

  • You don’t remember the end of the evening when you were drinking.

  • Your drinking has caused you trouble at work or in school.

  • You feel alone, scared, miserable, and depressed.
   
   
 
Alcohol : Booze is Bad News and www.saying-no.com are copyrighted 2002 by Syndistar, Inc. For more information on this web site or other drug abuse prevention products: www.syndistar.com 1-800-841-9532 • info@syndistar.com