Alcoholism is a state in which the body is completely dependent on alcohol to feel normal and good. There are two types of alcohol addiction - alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is a state in which an individual indulges in excessive intake of alcohol, which takes a toll on his health, but retains the capacity to refrain from the habit. Alcoholism, on the other hand, is a dangerous stage wherein the individual completely loses control over alcohol intake and continues to consume it in spite of suffering from severe health hazards. This state is characterized by physical dependence on alcohol, which can be attributed to various social factors as well genetic and psychological issues.

Symptoms of Alcoholism

Typically, an alcoholic shows four signs that are characteristics of alcoholism: his body craves alcohol, he loses control over alcohol intake, he becomes physically dependent upon alcohol, and he has a reduced tolerance level to alcohol. These four symptoms are briefly described below:

Craving: The patient suffers from the strong urge to drink all the time.

Loss of control: The patient fails to control his alcohol intake and, as a result, gives in to excessive drinking.

Physical dependence: The patient shows withdrawal symptoms like nausea, dizziness, profuse sweating, and anxiety when he is not drunk.

Tolerance levels: The patient’s tolerance to alcohol decreases, as his body gradually loses its ability to process alcohol. Hence, he gets intoxicated very easily, even with little alcohol consumption.

Do not panic

If you are showing these symptoms, do not panic. If you want to get rid of the habit, medical science has several ways to help you. Treating alcohol addiction may require intensive personalized treatment. There are specialized health-care institutions providing such treatment in groups. For those who do not want group treatments, there are several treatment programs on a one-on-one basis. These sessions last for hours and are conducted by top therapists. Some of such treatments are as follows:

* Detoxification and withdrawal: This is a serious procedure that usually takes one week, wherein the patient is given sedating medication to avoid withdrawal seizures.

* Assessment and treatment: This process identifies and cures diseases related to alcoholism such as high blood pressure and blood sugar, and heart and liver diseases.

* Psychological and psychiatric treatment: This program gives tgroup counseling and therapy to help patients to recover from traumatic effects of alcoholism.

* Acceptance and abstinence: This helps an alcoholic to realize that he needs medical help to overcome the stage of alcoholism. After this, the goal is abstinence in the patient.

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