18th of April, 2017
Alcohol Dependence Doesn't Have a Face:
Alcohol dependence, also known as alcoholism, affects around 18 million Americans per year.*
Alcohol dependence doesn't have a face. People from all economic backgrounds, races, genders and countries can experience it. There are many factors affecting alcoholism including genetic predisposition, history of depression, and binge drinking regularly. If someone in your family suffers from alcoholism, then you are more likely to develop the same problem.
Signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence include: inability to stop drinking, constant thoughts about alcohol, binge drinking until you feel sick or throw up. Binge drinking is considered 5+ drinks in an hour for a male and 4+ drinks in an hour for a female, approximately.
It is very important to seek medical help when going through withdrawal from alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal causes the following symptoms: shaking, sweating, insomnia, increased depression and anxiety, seizures, suicidal thoughts, decreased appetite, anger and irritability, nausea. Everyone's withdrawal symptoms will be different but will require some form of medical supervision. A hospital stay and an IV may be needed in severe cases to replenish the body and keep the individual stable. In worst case scenarios, alcoholism can be treated with certain medications.
If you feel like you may have an alcohol addiction, please contact a professional to get an assessment. To get more help you can visit the following websites:
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/treatment/treatment.htm
http://www.aa.org/
https://aidinrecovery.com
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https://medlineplus.gov/alcoholismandalcoholabuse.html*