The most severe type of alcohol problem is alcoholism or alcohol dependence. It is not the quantity that makes a person alcohol dependent but the reaction of the person’s body to alcohol. Studies have found the correlation between alcohol consumption and illnesses.
Alcohol and Your Health
Alcohol in the form of wine, spirits and beers has been around for thousands of years. We have used it in social functions, religious rites, and in celebration of personal triumphs. Moderate consumption provides health benefits especially to our heart. However, excessive alcohol drinking can pose serious threats to our health. It can result in high blood pressure, liver disease, stroke, cancers and back pain.
Drinking Problems
People who are normal drinkers can make it through the day without a drink. However, for those people who have a drinking problem, it’s very different. Besides alcohol dependence, here are other types of drinking problems:
- Binge drinkers are people who can tolerate not having a drink for many days but once they have a drink, they cannot stop and limit their drinking. They are most at risk of becoming alcohol dependent.
- Alcohol abusers are those who have created a destructive drinking pattern that forces them to continue drinking even if it leads to social or interpersonal problems.
- Problem drinkers refer to those who are neither in the abuser or dependent categories but put themselves at risk for problems related with excessive drinking. They can be moderate, heavy or binge drinkers.
Alcohol Dependence Treatment
The real goal for the treatment of alcoholism is abstinence. Alcoholics need social support and motivation to stay dry permanently. Those without it tend to relapse within a few years. Treatment can only begin after you accept that there is a problem and that you need to stop drinking. You must understand that your condition can be cured and for this to happen, you must be motivated to change.