In December 2012, the medical journal The Lancet released The Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010). Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this collection of groundbreaking research studies will help sharpen the global health and policy communities’ awareness of trends in disease, injury, and risk. The consumption of alcohol is among the top three global […]
Alcoholics & Their Family
Despite the common acceptance of drinking in our culture, the destructiveness of alcohol cannot be ignored. In 1956 the American Medical Association recognized alcoholism as a disease. Prior to this, in 1944, the U.S. Public Health Service labeled alcoholism the nation’s fourth largest public health problem. In 1952, E.M. Jellinek supported the view of alcoholism […]
Alcohol Abuse Revisited
People use alcohol to feel pleasure, decrease anxiety, decrease inhibitions, and to relax. In the later stage of alcohol dependence, alcohol may be consumed to decrease uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. An intoxicated person will show certain signs and symptoms depending on the level of alcohol in their blood, which is measured as a percentage of alcohol […]
Alcohol & the Body
Alcohol is a depressant that affects all parts of the body. People usealcohol to feel pleasure, decrease anxiety and sexual inhibitions, and often to relax. (In the later stage of alcohol dependence, alcohol maybe ingested to decrease uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.) Anintoxicated person will show certain signs and symptoms depending onthe level of alcohol in their blood […]
Am I Drinking Too Much?
How can I tell if alcohol is a problem for me? Alcohol is a problem if it affects any part of your life, including your health, your work and your life at home. You may have a problem with alcohol if you think about drinking all the time, if you keep trying to quit on […]
Understanding Blood Alcohol Content
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) refers to the milligrams of alcohol per 100 milligrams of blood, usually expressed as a percentage. In other words, .10 BAC is 1 part alcohol for every 1,000 parts blood. An absolute BAC can only be obtained by drawing a sample of blood. As that method is not always practical, the […]
Family Issues in Recovery- What do I Need to Know?
Familes are often the primary support for people who have substance use and/or mental health problems. Families are likely to experience significant physical, emotional, social and spiritual stress. Although there are a growing number of interventions designed to help and support family members, many helpers “perceive this as secondary to the job of working with […]
How to Self-Assess Your Drinking, And Then What?
The simplest way to begin to self-assess your drinking is to implement the Cage questionnaire. However, assessing your drinking openly and honestly, is not an easy task. Make sure that once you complete the CAFE questionaairree you also review some of the other considerations listed below. The CAGE questionnaire was developed by Dr. John Ewing, […]
Length of Addiction
When families are dealing with a loved one who is locked into addiction they naturally want to know how long the insanity is going to last before the person decides to get help. The truth is, some alcoholics and addicts never do seek help, but for those who do, years can go by before they […]
Thougts, Urges or Desires
Most people experience strong desires, urges or thoughts about drinking alcohol when they start to cut down or quit. It helps to recognize that these urges, desires and thoughts are natural. We all have different ways to cope with desires, urges or thoughts about drinking. The following are some of the most common ways used by […]
Alcohol Consumption in Women
Beata Klimek is remarkable: a woman willing to tell her story with unflinching candour, name included. A mother of two, comfortable sharing the details of her serious alcohol abuse, her recovery, and her life in the aftermath. Read her story in the first of an important series on why women are driving a growth in […]
Quitting Drinking for Good
Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be a long and bumpy road. At times, it may even feel impossible. But it’s not. If you’re ready to stop drinking and willing to get the support you need, you can recover from alcoholism and alcohol abuse—no matter how bad the addiction or how powerless you feel. Recovery […]
Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Brain
Understanding Alcohols Damaging Effects on the Brain While alcohol has a wide range of pharmacological effects on the body, the brain is a primary target. However, the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol alters neuronal activity in the brain are poorly understood. Participants in a symposium at the June 2010 annual meeting of the Research Society on […]
Alcohol, Violence, and Aggression
Alcohol, Violence, and Aggression Scientists and nonscientists alike have long recognized a two-way association between alcohol consumption and violent or aggressive behavior (1). Not only may alcohol consumption promote aggressiveness, but victimization may lead to excessive alcohol consumption. Violence may be defined as behavior that intentionally inflicts, or attempts to inflict, physical harm. Violence falls […]
Revisiting the Alcoholic Family
The concept of looking at family members in the etiology and maintenance of psychoactive substance use disorders dates back to the early 1930s, when social workers in state hospitals reported the results of interviews and observations of wives of alcoholics (Lewis, 1937). Lewis (1937) noted that the wives presented with their own symptoms, such as […]
Self-Help for Drinking Too Much
Are you questioning your drinking patterns, and wondering if your use of alcohol is problematic? It is not easy to recognize a drinking problem in yourself. This article may help you: recognize your drinking patterns& determine how much alcohol you consume identify a concern (if there is a reason to be concerned) make a decision […]
Delirium
What is Delirium? Delirium is a medical condition characterized by a vacillating, general disorientation, which is accompanied by cognitive impairment, mood shift, self-awareness, and inability to attend (the inability to focus and maintain attention). The change occurs over a short period of time— hours to days— and the disturbance in consciousness fluctuates throughout the day. […]
Exercise May Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol Abuse and Exercise Alcohol abuse is highly disruptive of circadian rhythms, which refers to the timing of daily rhythms. A new animal study has used hamsters to test for the influence of wheel-running on alcohol intake. Results indicate that exercise, perhaps through stimulation of brain reward pathways, may be able to reduce alcohol […]