A Brief Look at Alcohol Dependence

The habit of drinking alcohol is called alcohol dependence.  It is a condition that is mostly evident with individuals trying to avoid certain aspects in life – whether personal or social – and simply relying on alcohol to temporarily help them forget about their problems.  When a person becomes alcohol dependent, instead just drinking leisurely, that person makes alcohol a dominant part of their life.

When it comes to alcohol dependence, it is important that you know at least a few things about the condition, particularly on how to prevent it, how to treat it, and the symptoms involved with it so you can determine it earlier on.  This awareness can greatly help in making you avoid the habit so you can live a life that is devoid from the dependence of alcohol.  It is important to take note however that there is a difference between alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse.  Although both may seem very similar, there is actually a big difference between the two which is why they should never be used under the same context.

Alcohol Abuse – this term is used when a person aims to become totally intoxicated by consuming lots of alcohol.  This is basically the excessive consumption of alcohol for both pleasure and amusement, with which they become drunk and perhaps lose control over themselves.

Alcohol Dependence – this term is used on people who simply cannot resist the urge to drink alcoholic beverages.  While this may be called as the immediate effect of alcohol abuse, it is simply the overreliance of this drink that makes someone a dependent of it.  In fact, they cannot go on with almost any daily duties without consuming alcohol.

Symptoms of Alcohol Dependence

Every type of disorder will have a symptom and alcohol dependence is one of them as it has its own sets of symptoms.  Many of these signs are quite evident because they follow the signs of addiction.

1. Craving – if you feel the need to consume alcohol each time every day, then it’s a sign of addiction already.  If you find yourself taking a drink at every opportunity you have, then it simply means you are having an increased craving for alcohol.
2. Control Issues – if you cannot seem to stop yourself from drinking then you have the sign, especially when you try to inhibit yourself or someone inhibits you, you get irritated and agitated.
3. Withdrawal – when you try to inhibit yourself from drinking, you always seem to find yourself back into drinking.  This is due to the body’s overreliance over alcohol.

Warning Signs

Aside from symptoms, there are also warning signs that tells you that you are an alcohol dependent.  By opening your eyes and observing what others may see about you, you will get a glimpse of what you have been doing unknowingly.

1. Drinking at Odd Hours – drinking is mostly done in the evening.  But if you start to consume alcohol in the morning or during your daily activities, then that is a warning sign that you are alcohol dependent.
2. Violent Behavior – you are more aggressive and tend to become violent at the slightest provocation.
3. Making Alcohol the Solution – any type of disappointment in life, you tend to rely on alcohol as the solution to your problems.

Treatment

The dependency over alcohol is very curable provided the person is willing to undergo the procedures involved with it.  Some of the treatment procedures are detoxification, group counseling, and rehabilitation.

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