Alcoholism

What is Alcoholism?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:

• Craving: The strong feeling that you have to have a drink
• Loss of Control: Not being able to cut yourself off after you start drinking
• Physical Dependence: Experiencing physical problems, such as headaches or nausea, when you stop drinking
• Tolerance: When you need to drink more and more alcohol in order to feel "drunk" or "high"

Alcohol is a popular drug in the United States. Unlike many drugs, however, moderate consumption of alcohol is not dangerous for most adults. The problem is that about 17.6 million Americans suffer from alcoholism, which means that they are abusing the drug and causing problems with their own health.

Alcoholism Signs

If you suspect someone is abusing alcohol the most obvious alcoholism signs to look for are:

• A strong and overwhelming desire to drink alcohol at a specific time of day
• A ritual of drinking alcohol before, with or after dinner, and annoyance with others when this behavior is questioned or disturbed
• The inability to stop drinking once the person starts to drink alcohol
• The ability to drink a large quantity of alcohol without appearing intoxicated
• Black outs that do not allow the person to remember conversations or commitments
• A loss of interest in activities that were once pleasurable

The alcoholism signs above are cause for concern because alcoholism can lead to a variety of health problems including:

• Liver disease
• Brain damage
• Memory loss
• "Wet brain" (the brain no longer functions correctly)

Alcoholism can also cause some very scary mental effects as well. Cravings can cause those suffering from alcoholism to try to get alcohol by any means necessary. This can bring about some very drastic personality changes in a person.

Sadly, most people suffering from alcoholism fail to understand how dangerous the drug is and that the disease can even lead to death. Usually, they do not believe that they are addicted, and they think they can stop drinking whenever they want.

The truth is, alcoholism is a chronic disease with no cure, and the risk of developing it has been shown to be genetic. With proper treatment, however, recovery is possible.

Don't Ignore Alcoholism Signs – Know When it is Time to Get Help

If you or someone you know is suffering from alcoholism, do not wait to get help. Alcoholism is a disease, and it cannot be cured, only treated and managed. You cannot beat it on your own, no matter how strong you think you are. You need help from an alcohol rehab. That's where Stepping Stone comes in. Stepping Stone's alcoholism treatment programs are among the very best in the country.

Call Stepping Stone toll-free at 1-800-237-3150 for more information on alcoholism treatment. Operators are standing by 24/7, and all calls are confidential.