If you are suffering from an alcohol addiction, you are not alone. Alcoholism is a word that sometimes has negative social connotations, and just because a person drinks alcohol does not mean that they are an alcoholic. The amount of alcohol consumed varies greatly from person to person that develops alcoholism, and is also affected by genetic predisposition, and social and emotional health. Alcohol by definition is a disease that results from a persistent use of alcohol despite negative personal, emotional, financial, and professional consequences. Heavy alcohol use accompanied by dependence and symptoms of withdrawal, and the inability to recognize that every bad thing has been related to an alcohol addiction. The sometimes uncontrollable urge to drink leads to constant preoccupation with the drug.
According to numerous online sources, the most common substance of abuse resulting in dependence in patients presenting for treatment is alcohol. Overcoming an addiction to anything can be difficult, but there is help and hope available to people who want to stop drinking and get their lives back on track. The mind is more powerful than any drug, and to discover this is to truly be on the road to recovery. Addicts have to make a conscious choice to get and stay sober, one day at a time, and learn how to control the cravings. Its not something that can be done alone, which is why there are treatment facilities all over the country, most of which are privately owned substance abuse recovery centers. The philosophy of AA or Alcoholics Anonymous has proven to be helpful to many alcoholics in their fight against alcohol addiction, and the program is often used as an adjunct treatment with other therapies, such as in an inpatient setting. AA also encourages communication with a sponsor to help guide the addict through the recovery process, and provide support while working through the program.
Learn more about effects of alcohol as well as alcohol facts and the truth about alcohol addiction. Some online literature discusses at length what drives alcohol addiction, detailing the effects of alcohol and describes some of the research being done to correct drinking problems. Alcohol continues to be the most greatly abused substance despite the wide-spread negative consequences. Even after public outbursts, divorce, loss of employment, revocation of driving privileges, and loss of life and limb, alcoholics continue to drink because it is so highly addicted in people who are predisposed to this disease. If you or someone you know is giving part of their life to alcohol, encourage them to get help. It may take a series of bad events to get the point across, and for many alcoholics, this is what it takes to see their illness in a different light.