Alcoholism Symptoms

Other people begin drinking to drown out their problems with money, relationships, health, abuse, and just about anything that they have difficulty coping with. Some people engage in binge drinking, especially when they are in a bar or at a party where other people are drinking too. Binge drinking is consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time, and it is very dangerous to one’s health. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease that may lead to permanent physical and psychological problems.

Symptoms of Alcoholism:

There are many symptoms of alcoholism, with some being more obvious than others. If you would like to learn more about the symptoms of alcoholism, here are some to be aware of:

1. You are having strong cravings to drink alcohol.
2. Not being able to control or limit the amount of alcohol you drink, and not being able to stop drinking.
3. Your body has built up a tolerance to alcohol and now you need to drink more to get the same effects as before.
4. Letting go of familial, professional, scholastic and social obligations and responsibilities so that you can drink.
5. Withdrawing from family, friends and activities you once enjoyed to spend your time drinking.
6. Not being able to perform and function normally, like you did before you started drinking alcohol.
7. Engaging in risky behavior such as driving, swimming, running heavy machinery, etc. while intoxicated.
8. Disregarding the negative affects that alcohol is having on your health and other areas of your life.
9. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink.

Other Symptoms:

The physical symptoms that an alcoholic may experience can include slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, cancer, blackouts, loss of consciousness, delayed reflexes, high blood pressure, stomach problems, liver disease, heart problems, impairment of the central nervous system, brain damage and more. Alcohol is toxic to the brain and may cause mental disorders and permanent damage. Alcoholism is also a gender specific disease that affects women much differently than men. Women are adversely affected by alcohol in smaller amounts than men are, and are at risk of developing osteoporosis along with all the other health conditions listed above.

Some recognized factors that may lead to alcoholism are mental illness, genetic predisposition and the environment. Alcoholism is a serious disease that requires professional medical treatment.  Withdrawal from alcohol may cause severe health complications and can be life-threatening. An alcoholic should only be weaned off of alcohol by experienced addiction specialists, preferably as an in-patient in a rehab facility. A medically supervised detoxification process is recommended, where the patient is monitored and kept stable throughout the procedure. Medications can be administered to control some of the detox symptoms, which can range from extreme anxiety, agitation, sweating, tremors, involuntary shaking, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, convulsions, seizures and delirium tremens. Detoxification from alcohol is more dangerous than the disease of alcoholism itself, and should be performed by medical professionals to ensure the safety of the alcoholic.

If you or a loved one is experiencing alcoholism symptoms and needs help to recover from alcoholism you should speak to your family physician or contact a State certified rehabilitation center. Always remember that help is available to you through Cape May County Drug Treatment Centers. Our recovery advocates are just a call away at (609) 756-3686.  

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To say that the problem of prescription drug abuse has gotten out of hand might actually be an understatement. More than 12 million Americans reported involvement with prescription drug abuse in 2012. In the eleven years between 1999 and 2010, the number of people who died as a result of prescription drug abuse in America quadrupled. In fact, more people die as a result of prescription drug abuse than from the use of all other drugs combined. This has led the Centers for Disease Control to call prescription drug abuse an epidemic.

The History of an Epidemic

It hasn’t escaped the watchful eyes of public health experts and officials that the significant rise in prescription drug-related deaths closely corresponds with the concerted effort to understand and treat chronic pain that began in the late 1990s. Around this time period, researchers were encouraged to put more effort into understanding the mechanics of chronic pain treatment, and health care providers were urged to be liberal in the prescription of pain medications in order to promote what was referred to as “compassionate care.”

This pivotal moment in American public health history didn’t take place behind closed doors. In fact, Congress itself declared a “decade of pain control and research” beginning in 2001, and many organizations were founded on this basis, including the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Pain Society. For the next several years, no area of medicine reflected more growth or public interest, and prescriptions for pain medication increased radically in frequency and dosage.

Where Does That Leave Us Today?

Then and now, the overwhelming majority of prescription drugs that are abused were obtained with a legitimate prescription. That doesn’t mean that doctors are at fault for the epidemic however. Many factors have made prescription drug abuse a difficult problem to remedy. Pharmaceutical drugs are an important part of modern medicine’s ability to effectively treat so many conditions, but their sale is also a huge source of profit for those who manufacture and distribute them. Responding to the issue appropriately is a work in progress, and requires that all factors be considered and addressed, while also ensuring that proper medical care isn’t unnecessarily withheld from those in need.

Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse

Fortunately, the methods we have for dealing with prescription drug abuse at the individual level are somewhat less complicated and significantly more effective. With a combination of medical detox, focused therapy, and ongoing care under the supervision of knowledgeable health care providers, individuals facing addiction or abuse disorders can reclaim their health, self-confidence, and sense of purpose in life, all while learning to live a balanced and happy lifestyle in spite of their condition.

At Cape May County Drug Treatment Centers, we wish no less than this for anyone. If you are interested in finding out more about our recovery programs, or have questions about prescription drug abuse, please feel free to get in touch with us at (609) 756-3686 today.

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