What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is...

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a disease that affects the part of the brain that rules your feelings, the way you make decisions, and the way you act. nation with alcoholism cannot control for what cause much they drink. What causes alcoholism?

Nobody knows what causes alcoholism. persons with parents who have alcoholism have a greater chance of getting the disease. Alcoholism may be related to the things we learn when we are growing up Alcoholism is not caused by way of a lack of will power or moral values.

in what way can I tell if I have alcoholism?

It is not easy to report if you have alcoholism. You might drink socially at first, further over time the drinking can finish out of control. Your family, friends, or doctor might notice it before you do. You might drink to help yourself move to sleep or deal with stres and anxiety. across time, you need to drink more to be warmed the same way. As the drinking gains worse, you may have an of the following:

* Stomach ulcers

* Liver disease

* frame of mind problems, such as depression and irritability

* disturb sleeping

* question s with family and friends

* moot points at work.

You might have alcoholism if you have tried to quit drinking moreover were not able to stop. Alcoholism can make you do things you wouldn't do if you were sober. a of these things can harm other people, even the clan you love.

Where can I learn help for alcoholism?

Your doctor can help you find the right treatment program. You also can check with your health insurance company. more [i]or[/i] less insurance plans cover alcohol treatment solitary at certain places.

If you have been a heavy drinker for a in extent time, do not stop drinking unexpectedly This can lead to serious withdrawal symptoms. What is withdrawal?

When you stop drinking, your corpse might find it hard with no alcohol. You might have more [i]or[/i] less uncomfortable feelings. That is called withdrawal. You might be warmed anxious and confused or have put out of order sleeping. If you get "the shakes" when you don't drink, or if you be stirred like you need to have a drink early in the day, you might ne to take medicine when you stop drinking to help with the withdrawal. This is called detoxification (say:dee-tox-uh-fuh-kay-shun, or "detox," for short).

for what cause can my doctor tell if I ne detoxification?

Your doctor will ask you questions to view if you need to take medicine to stop drinking. It is important to be free from fraud with your doctor about to what extent much you drink and the kinds of physics you take.

Can detoxification be done at home?

Ye unless only with close supervision from your doctor. You will ne to have another someone at home to help you take your medicine. If you have serious withdrawal symptoms or other medical question s you might have to journey to a hospital for detoxification. describe your doctor if you had a seizure or got delirious when you tried to stop drinking before.

What happens after detoxification?

Detoxification is not enough to treat alcoholism. You should have counseling before and after detoxification. Counseling will help maintain you from drinking again.

What about Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous, or "A.A.," is a independent support group for people with alcoholism. The nation in A.A. help each other stay sober. greatest in number communities have A.A. meetings, and greatest in quantity alcohol treatment programs tell their patients to pass to these meetings.

Where can I finish more information?

Your doctor

Alcoholics Anonymous Telephone: 1-212-870-3400 or check your local telephone part Web site: http://www.aa.org

National Institute forward Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Web site: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Web site: http://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone Talk to your family doctor to find public if this information applies to you and to get by heart more information on this make submissive Copyright [c] 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians. Permission is granted to represent this material for nonprofit educational uses. Written permission is required for all other uses, including electronic uses.

This handout is provided to you by the agency of your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP forward the World Wide Web (http://www.familydoctor.org).

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

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