Is alcoholism an incurable disease or is it something that can be overcome? For millions and millions of people this has been a topic that has been debated for years. Many people have been told that their alcoholism is something that they will always have and that by putting their faith in a higher power that they will be their only chance of recovery. Though even with this apathetic form of therapy, they are still told that relapse is part of recovery and that they will probably have slip ups on their way.
One of the great controversies in respect of treatment of alcohol problems is the debate of whether alcoholism is a disease. There is little doubt that regarding alcoholism as a disease, rather than as a moral weakness, has brought benefits to alcoholics/addicts. To some extent it reduced the stigma experienced by sufferers and has opened the door to treatment rather than punishment. It is the mainstay of the belief system of AA and NA groups who have been responsible for helping many to recover from a hopeless state. However there are many critics of the disease model, both on the grounds that there is little evidence to support it and that it may in fact be detrimental to recovery.
There are many definitions of what constitutes and what causes alcoholism. This makes it more difficult for the drinker to admit a problem and also makes it easier to argue that they don’t have a problem. For most people, even today, the word alcoholic still carries a lot of shame. It suggests a damaged person somebody who is different from the rest of society, who has a different psychological or genetic makeup and therefore can’t drink. It is very difficult for most people to admit that they are different in any way from everyone else, it is even more difficult if that difference carries with it a sense of shame. Consider how difficult it is admit being different, if that means having to give up something that most people enjoy without any problem.
Alcoholism in a person can be caused because of several factors. One hypothesis is that some people have genetic predispositions which cause them to get intoxicated easier or more intensely or have fewer side effects or hangover symptoms than others. This causes them to drink more indiscriminately or carelessly than many others. Also, many people become alcoholic due to emotional reasons; they do not like how they feel when not intoxicated, so they drink excessively, just to feel alright. Some people, when experiencing loneliness, anxiety or depression turn to alcohol in order to feel more comfortable. This is because alcohol can have anxiety-inhibiting effects, if taken in sufficient amounts.
Alcohol is a word that appears so much in our daily lives and culture that it is difficult for a non-alcoholic to imagine a life of alcohol addiction. Yet, no matter how much one may despise the term and the addiction, psychiatrists describe an alcoholic as one who exhibits any or all of these qualities: an irresistible thirst for alcohol, total loss of control once he or she starts drinking, and a certain tendency of relapse into the addiction after a session of rehabilitation.
Alcoholism addiction is more widely spread in today’s society in addition to smoking, either by the accessibility, cost or lack of prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages. The increasing consumption of alcohol is a real problem with large economic and social impact. These range from diseases of body of the drinker to family breakdowns and changes in system productivity.
It is often difficult to detect if a person is an alcoholic because they may have been drinking and yet doing all the work and activities that any normal person does. They are called functional alcoholics as they are very unaware of their problem, having always been able to perform all the day-to-day activities. Seeking help from a trained professional is the wisest thing that you could do. To overcome this destructive disease, there are support groups, medical and alternative therapies available. With will, determination and the willingness to deal with the problems behind the addiction, you can come out of it.
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