Alcoholism can be treated as a fatal attraction that sadly transforms its victim into an addict ruining him completely in the process.
It is a chronic disease that torments its victim for a long time and in most cases till the end of his life. The condition involves a preoccupation with alcohol and impaired control over alcohol intake.A drunkard may continue to abuse alcohol despite serious adverse health, personal, work- related and financial consequences. (George 27) Alcoholism usually involves physical dependence on the drug alcohol, but genetic, psychological and social factors contribute to this addiction making it worse in the long run.Moreover sometimes a drunkard may continue drinking without displaying all the characteristics of alcoholism. (Jerry35) This is known as 'alcohol abuse’, which means that though the victim may engage in excessive drinking that results in health or social problems, but he is not dependent on alcohol and thus has not fully lost control over the use of alcohol.
SymptomsWhatever the other symptoms be, most alcoholics deny that they have a drinking problem.Other symptoms include drinking alone or in secret, not remembering conversations or commitments - sometimes referred to as 'black out', making a ritual of having drinks before, with or after dinner and becoming annoyed when this ritual is disturbed or questioned, losing interest in activities and hobbies that used to be a pleasure, feeling a need to drink, irritability as usual drinking time nears, especially if alcohol isn't available, keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in the car, gulping drinks, ordering doubles.Becoming intoxicated intentionally to feel good or drinking to feel 'normal' , having legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or finances, building up a tolerance to alcohol so that you need an increasing number of drinks to feel alcohol's effects, experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and shaking, if you don't drink.It should be noted that people who abuse alcohol may experience many of the same signs and symptoms as people who are dependent on alcohol.
(Jack 56) However, alcohol abusers don't feel the same compulsion to drink and usually don't experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they don't drink.CausesPhysical dependence on alcohol- specifically known as alcohol addiction - takes place gradually because drinking alters the balance of some chemicals in the brain, such as gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA), which inhibits impulsiveness, and glutamate, which excites the nervous system. Alcohol also raises the levels of dopamine in the brain, which is associated with the pleasurable aspects of drinking alcohol. (Jack 59) Other factors can lead to excessive drinking that contributes to the addiction process.
These include genetics, emotional state, psychological factors, and social and cultural factors.Risk factorsAs already said earlier drinking can make the victim an addict over time. Consuming more than 14 drinks a week for men or seven drinks a week for women increases the risk of developing dependence on alcohol. Moreover the fact that drinking by itself is just one of the risk factors that contribute to alcoholism should be enough to keep all those who are sane away from alcohol. Other risk factors may be age, genetics, gender, family history, and emotional disorders.
(George 30);
