Alcoholism Information

Most people who drink alcohol don't suffer form alcoholism and only use alcohol as a pleasant accompaniment to social activities. Moderate alcohol is not harmful for most adults. Moderate means up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or can of either beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or a shot, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.) Nonetheless, a large number of people get into serious trouble because of drinking which can lead to alcoholism.

The latest figures show that nearly 17.6 million adult Americans have a alcohol drinking problem, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. This does not include the several million more adults that are drinking too much alcohol and engage in risky drinking that could lead to the long term effects of drinking and alcoholism. These risky drinking patterns include binge drinking and heavy drinking on a regular basis. An additional 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives or friends have a drinking problem or suffer from alcoholism.

The long term effects of drinking alcohol and the danger of drinking alcohol is serious, in many cases it leads to a life threatening situation. Heavy drinking or drinking too much alcohol can and does increase the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and larynx (voice box). Heavy drinking or alcohol drinking problem can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems, brain damage, and harm to the fetus during pregnancy. Additionally, drinking increases the risk of death from automobile wrecks as well as recreational and on-the-job injuries. Furthermore, both homicides and suicides are more likely to be committed by persons who have been drinking. The danger of drinking alcohol is that alcohol-related problems cost society over $185 billion per year. In human terms, the costs cannot be calculated, but ask a love one and it would be sobering.

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction is a disease that includes four symptoms:

Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, that leads to drinking too much alcohol caused by an alcohol addiction.

Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking no matter the occasion.

Physical dependence: There are several withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, sweating, shakiness, and nausea which are caused by alcohol dependence. These will occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. This is one of the long term effects of drinking alcohol.

Tolerance: The need to keep drinking greater amounts and drinking too much alcohol in order to get high.

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can't just "use a little willpower" to stop drinking too much alcohol.  However, alcoholism or the long term effects of drinking too much alcohol has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are under the control of a powerful craving (alcohol addiction), or a need for alcohol that takes away their ability to stop drinking. This need can be stronger than the need for food or water and is an indicator of an alcohol addiction.

Some alcoholics are able to recover from alcoholism without alcoholism treatment, but most will require assistance. Many alcoholics are able to stop drinking and have normal productive lives, with the proper alcoholism treatment and support.

Many people wonder why some individuals can start drinking alcohol without problems but others who have an alcohol drinking problem cannot. One important reason, and rarely understood, has to do with genetics. Scientists have found that having an alcoholic family member makes it more likely that if you choose to drink you too may develop alcoholism. Genes, however, are not the whole story. Scientists now believe that there are factors in a person's environment that will influence whether a person with a genetic risk for alcoholism ever develops the disease. Any one's risk for developing alcoholism can increase based on the person's environment, including where and how he or she lives; family, friends, and culture; peer pressure; and even how easy it is to get alcohol.