What Exactly is Alcohol Addiction?

What are the effects of Alcohol?

Alcohol is a distilled beverage that is consumed in liquid form.  It is a CNS (Centeral Nervous System) depressant.  Alcohol is produced in many forms, from varieties that are toxic if consumed such as propyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol, to ethanol, the kind of alcohol that people drink that comes in forms such as low proof beer to high proof liquor.

As a person consumes alcoholic beverages, the alcohol is absorbed into the stomach lining.  From there is enters the blood stream and spreads throughout the tissues of the body.  The amount that alcohol intoxicates an individual is based on a number of factors including weight, sex and age, as well as how much food the individual has in their stomach. Alcohol is consumed in social situations based on its disinhibiting effects on the mind.

Moderate alcohol consumption will result in the following physiological and psychological consequences:

• Dizziness
• Talkativeness
• Reduced Inhibitions
• Impaired Motor Function and Coordination
• Impaired Judgment

Significant alcohol consumption creates the following physiological and psychological changes:

• Slurred Speech
• Disturbed Sleep
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Significantly Impaired Motor Function and Coordination
• Significantly Impaired Judgment

Alcohol consumption is also responsible for a number of aggressive acts, which includes fighting, domestic violence and child abuse. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is responsible for numerous injuries and fatalities every year.

After consuming a large amount of alcohol, individuals will experience a “hangover” which consists of intense thirst, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

What are the Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse?

Definition:

“Alcoholism is a primary disorder characterized by some loss of control over drinking, with habituation or addiction to the drug alcohol, causing interference in any major life function, e.g. health, family, job, spiritual, friends, legal.”

Prolonged alcohol abuse will result in alcohol addiction.  Alcohol addiction incorporates the psychological as well as the physical need for regular alcohol consumption. Once addicted, sudden cessation of drinking can bring about dangerous withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Long-term alcohol abuse can also result in permanent damage to vital organs, most notably the liver, brain and heart. Pregnant women who drink run the risk of causing fetal alcohol syndrome in their child, which can result in physical abnormalities and mental retardation.  Additionally research has shown that children of alcoholic parents are more likely to become alcoholics themselves.

How does One Recover from Alcohol Addiction?

At Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Centers, we believe that alcohol addiction, just as with any other drug, can be completely recovered from.  To accomplish this, we use a highly successful, holistic method of drug rehabilitation that treats the entire person, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually, not just the areas that are acutely affected by dependence.  By taking this comprehensive approach, we are able to help our clients identify and handle the root causes that led to their substance abuse problems in the first place.  By doing this, former alcoholics and drug addicts are able to realize that they are in control of their lives and no longer need to escape into compulsive and destructive behaviors like addiction.

The Narconon program is a long-term inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center and our clients move through treatment phases only when they have achieved all of the goals laid out.  We charge one flat fee for our services regardless of how long it takes an individual to successfully complete the program.  Narconon Vista Bay operates in this manner because our goal is to rid society of drug and alcohol addiction and this can only be done by treating each individual as comprehensively and humanitarianly as possible.

For recovery from any type of addiction, from prescription drugs to illegal narcotics like heroin or cocaine, or to dependence on alcohol, contact Narconon today.  We have certified Registered Addiction Specialists standing by to help.  Call us toll free at 800-556-8885

See Also:  Dangers of Drinking and Driving