A guide on how to quit drinking
The medical term for someone who is dependent on alcohol is alcoholic. Alcoholism itself can be defined as the inability to control how much alcohol is consumed at any given time. Alcohol abuse is not necessarily alcoholism but alcohol can be considered to be abused when there are unhealthy drinking habits such as drinking too much in one sitting or drinking to excess daily. The person who continues to abuse alcohol is at risk of becoming dependent upon it which can affect nearly every aspect of the abusers life. Addiction to alcohol is no less dangerous than any other addiction simply because the person who is addicted often feels that they must have alcohol to make their life worthwhile. Obviously dependency is extremely unhealthy, both mentally and physically, and is very difficult to overcome.
If you are concerned for yourself or someone you know who needs to know how to quit drinking, here are the signs to be aware of when it comes to alcoholism. Signs include problems at work or school, drinking in situations where you will be driving, blackouts, legal problems, and getting hurt or hurting others while drinking. Cravings for alcohol or withdrawal after not drinking are a few other signs of dependency. Withdrawal symptoms typically include sweating, nausea, or anxiety. While we can recognize how dangerous dependency is for its medical and mental issues one of the most un recognized problems is that the person who is dependent often must drink more and more in order to feel the same way when drinking. If you know someone who is in this situation you will understand when I say that denial is common among alcoholics as they are often too close to the problem to be convinced that it is ruining their lives. Withdrawal can occur when someone who has been drinking on an ongoing basis decides to quit; it is an emotionally and sometimes physically painful process. Withdrawal has been associated with impairment in social, occupational, and other areas of an individual's functioning. Other medical symptoms of withdrawal include autonomic hyperactivity, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hypothermia, tremor, nausea, vomiting, insomnia and frequently anxiety.
Binge drinking by teenagers is a major problem in today's society. Binge drinking has been known to cause many problems among teens, not the least of which is poor performance in school, difficulty in simple math or the inability to read a map. Adolescent alcohol abuse has been proven to be more damaging than alcoholism in adulthood as it kills brain cells in the hippo campus, technically blocking brain receptors that form memories and causing protracted neurological impairments. Research suggests that teens who binge drink may do damage to their memory and learning abilities by severely hampering the development of the hippo campus. Why teenagers drink has been the subject of many studies. Often genetics and family history play an important role. If there is a drinking problem in the home where the teen grew up he or she is more likely to develop the same problem. Personality also has a lot to do with whether a teen abuses alcohol or not. If the teen is rebellious, feels like a failure, or is unable to form close relationships with people, he or she is more likely to seek out alcohol and other substances. The thrill of taking a risk could also lead to abuse of alcohol. There are many more, such as easy access to alcohol, or having untreated ADHD or depression. Peer pressure can not go unrecognized as a very large factor in the teen alcohol abuse.
If you believe that someone close to you is abusing alcohol don't feel that you are alone in dealing with the problem. Immediately contact 911 if you are with someone who is experiencing alcohol related unconsciousness, seizures, difficulty breathing, or withdrawal symptoms like confusion or trembling. If the person involved has a history of drinking, but refuses to get help, you should call a health professional at once. Unfortunately all to often people will agree to be evaluated for potential treatment yet refuse to follow up. Many people stay in denial of the fact that they are addicted to alcohol, which is very serious as it can lead to further abuse, when what they really need to be told how to quit drinking for good.
The abuser must be willing to admit that there is a problem and that they want to stop drinking in order to have any sort of success against this disease. There is also a physical aspect of the success of alcohol abuse treatment. If the drinker is physically dependent on alcohol, treatment can take a long time. The first step needs to be completely eliminating alcohol from their life. Afterward, it focuses on staying sober. Some people may need medicine that help reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. Also, counseling and support groups are a fundamental part of treatment, as it helps with the mental aspect of recovering from alcohol abuse.
So the only real solution is learn how to quit drinking for all, and let me assure you right now that learning how to quit drinking is not that difficult at all to achieve. Ed Philips has shown so many people in the last few years how to quit drinking, that he now has an online testimonial list a mile long.
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