Alcohol

Alcoholics are emotionally attached to alcohol, so convincing them to give it up is incredibly frustrating for both parties. Most of the time, the alcoholic in question becomes angry and resistant when a loved one presses them to stop drinking. The bottom line is, anyone who is addicted to any substance must be willing to give sobriety a try before they can truly recover.

FDA-approved medications can be used as part of alcoholism treatment.

Naltrexone offers short-term help to reduce physical cravings for alcohol in most, but not all alcoholics. The medication is available in the form of Revia (pills) or Vivitrol (injections). The latter is recommended to help with compliance.

Acamprosate (Campral) causes the brain to block a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), so the brain enters a more relaxed state to reduce craving anxiety. The medication is often prescribed with other medication like Naltrexone.

Disulfiram (Antabuse) causes uncomfortable side-effects if alcohol is consumed to condition the body to develop an adversion.

In Research

Topiramate (Topamax) is used to treat epilepsy, but is being studied on its ability to keep alcohol impulses in check.

Baclofen (Lioresal) is a muscle relaxant and anti-spasmodic that is currently being studied to see the effect on alcoholic cirrhosis patients staying abstinent.

Vitamins

To replenish the vitamins and nutrients the body needs after drinking, supplements can help after a long battle with alcoholism, including:

• 5-HTP
• Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate
• Kudzu
• Magnesium
• Phenylalanine
• Tyrosine

Notes

• Medication is not a cure. The mental and spiritual aspects of the disease also need to be treated through clinical and holistic therapies.
• All medications come with side-effects and may not work for everyone.
• Certain conditions may disquality an alcoholic from the use of mediciation, including recent use of narcotics or kidney problems.

Ethanol is the intoxicating ingredient in alcohol, produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches.

When consumed, the stomach and small intestine rapidly absorb the alcohol, which enters the bloodstream and dissolves in the water of the blood. The blood carries the alcohol throughout the body, entering inside each tissue.

Once absorbed in the bloodstream, the alcohol leaves the body in three ways:

• The kidney eliminates 5% of alcohol in the urine.
• The lungs exhale 5% , which can be detected by breathalyzer devices.
• The liver chemically breaks down the remaining alcohol into acetic acid.

Time plays a critical role. A person on average can only expel 0.5 oz an hour, so a 12 oz can of beer takes about one hour to leave the system. As more is consumed than can be absorbed, BAC rises.

Despite popular belief, beer and wine are no safer than hard liquor.

While the effects of alcohol start off light, consuming too much in too short of time can and does lead to death.

Euphoria

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.03 to 0.12%

• Increased self-confidence
• Shortened attention span
• Poorer judgement
• Issues with fine movements (like writing)

Excitement

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.09 to 0.25%

• Trouble understanding or remembering, including recent events
• Slowed reaction
• Uncoordinated body movement & loss of balance
• Blurred vision & trouble with other senses (hearing, tasting, feeling, etc.)

Confusion

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.18 to 0.3%

• Serious confusion
• Dizziness & staggered walking
• Highly emotional including aggressivity or overly affectionate
• Slurred speech
• Unable to feel pain

Stupor

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.25 to 0.4%

• Little to no movement
• Unresponsive to stimuli
• Vomiting
• Lapsing in and out of consciousness

Coma

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.35 to 0.5%

• Unconscious
• Slowed or shallow breathing
• Slowed heart rate
• Lowered body temperature

Death

Blood Alcohol Content = 0.5% or higher

• Breathing stops completely

To understand how risky a person’s alcohol consumption is, consider both how much and how often the drinking occurs.

Daily & Weekly Limits

• Women: Less than 3 drinks a day & 7 a week
• Men: Less than 4 drinks a day & 14 a week

Risk Levels

Those fitting the drinking patterns in the low risk category have less than a 2% chance of having an alcohol addiction problem.

Source: Statistics from a nationwide survey of 43,000 adults by the National Institutes of Health.

Inherently High Risk

Certain categories of people are at risk if an alcohol is consumed, including:

• Anyone younger than 21
• Women who are or may become pregnant
• Those driving, planning to drive or are participating in other activities that require skill, coordination and alertness
• Those taking certain prescription or over-the-counter medications that interact with alcohol
• Those with certain medical conditions
• Those recovering from alcoholism or unable to control the amount consumed

Alcoholism is often viewed as a condition of choice rather than a genetic defect or medical problem. Because an alcoholic cannot control their drinking, they are looked at as weak, damaged and broken. This stigma further leads to feelings of denial, shame, low self-esteem and belittled self-worth.

In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

Breaking the Stigmas

To save lives, public attitude toward alcoholics needs to be shifted from rejection to acceptance through:

1. Education – allow room for growth of knowledge about alcoholism
2. Disbanding the rumors – share experiences
3. Creating empathy – empathy understands another person’s condition from their perspective, rather than judging from one’s perspective.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are potentially life-threatening reactions to days, weeks, months or even years of chronic alcohol use. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can begin as early as two hours after the last drink and can last for several weeks.

Common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are:

• Anxiety
• Shakiness
• Seizures
• Delirium Tremens (confusion, rapid heartbeat & fever)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Nightmares
• High Blood Pressure
• Dehydration

The best way to prevent withdrawal symptoms is to avoid heavy drinking, seek treatment as soon as possible and safely decrease your dependence on alcohol under the supervision of medical professionals.

Alcoholism does not discriminate, spanning globally across ages, races, genders, ethnicity and socioeconomic statuses. While 88% of U.S. adults have tried alcohol, a whopping 28% drink at levels that put them at risk for alcohol dependence.

Family History

Though there is not a single “alcoholic” gene, research confirms alcoholism runs in families through both genetics and learned behaviors. However, alcoholism can also develop with no prior family addiction history.

Trauma

Individuals who have a history of abuse (physical, mental, sexual) have a higher risk for drug addiction. Studies have also shown they also respond worse to treatment compared to those without a history of trauma.

Behavioral Disorders

A large portion of alcoholics suffer from an accompanying psychiatric or substance abuse disorders. Depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are the most common psychiatric problems. Anxiety disorders, social phobias and those with a lack of impulse control are closely related to addiction as well.

Age

The average age of first use of alcohol is 17. In fact, around 2 million Americans age 12-20 are considered heavy drinkers, with over 3% already showing signs of alcoholism. Because underage drinking interferes with normal adolescent brain development, the risk of addiction increases significantly. About 9% of individuals who began drinking after the age 21 developed alcohol dependence.

Gender

The gender split for alcoholism is around 65% male and 35% female. While men are nearly twice as likely to struggle with alcohol, they are also 2.4% more likely to seek treatment. On average, 17% of men and 8% of women develop dependence at some point in their lives, leading to approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women dying each year from alcohol-related causes.

Community

Cultural norms, community and peer groups influence the availability and acceptance of alcohol, which can lead to drinking earlier, more and more often.

The top 10 alcohol-consuming states by per capita rate are:

1. New Hampshire
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Delaware
4. North Dakota
5. Nevada
6. Montana
7. Wisconsin
8. Vermont
9. Colorado
10. Idaho

Though the two are different diseases, depression and alcoholism are related.

The Stats

The Cycle

Depression makes someone more vulnerable to alcoholism and usually comes first. Alcohol is used as an easy way to self-medicate. On the other hand, alcohol is a depressant that can also be the cause.

Either way, the diseases fuel each other and worsen the symptoms.

Serious Consequences
Alcohol lowers inhibitions, increases impulsiveness and impairs judgment. Mixed with serious, clinical depression, the likelihood of suicide increases.

Harder Treatment
Because of the hopelessness of depression, getting sober is harder for those with this dual-diagnosis. Further, combining antidepressants with alcohol can cause worsening depression, raised blood pressure, sedation and impaired thinking.

Both diseases must be treated separately but at the same time.