Unfortunately, many people realize it's time to get treatment for alcohol Addiction when their health is damaged beyond repair.
Good news? It's not going to be you!
Whether you have a family history connected to alcohol addiction or you're just going through some tough times, there is a way up. There are multiple services for addiction treatment and disease control.
There are also communities where people help each other heal in meetings, sharing their painful experiences. Many of them are backed up by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
And they work. But to get to that stage, you need to realize the effect of substance abuse on your health and life overall. In this article, we'll share some statistics and facts about the drug, addiction treatment, and connected topics.
To some, it's just an ingredient found in some drinks. To others, it's a daily drug they think they can't live without. Many heavy drinkers even don't realize they have a literal drug addiction around the corner.
There are many interesting facts; this is more of an inspirational article that may help you realize the issue. The stats are provided by the US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as well as relevant sources.
According to the US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:
The facts fluctuate depending on the month and year. People drink alcohol on holidays or weekends with friends, which seems like not that big a deal.
Besides, there's a relatively new trend of high-intensity drinking. This means consuming over 2+ times the binge drinking measurements (different for genders). These people had 70 times more chances to have an alcohol overdose and end up at an Emergency Room than those who drank moderately.
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Alcohol aids the release of dopamine, which makes people drink it to feel happy; Temporary stress relief is also connected to drinking due to the release of another neurotransmitter, GABA. Although, the consequences will bring even more stress.
The Effects of Alcohol Addiction on your health And Life
People who frequently drink have a higher chance of getting heart diseases, starting with heart rate disorder;
The substance is processed by the liver, which may bring serious issues, including hepatic disorders and failure;
Future substance abuse may cause drug addiction and alcohol overdose.
All this is considered you're not a long-term heavy drinker.
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Using alcohol with different kinds of drugs may cause serious disorders and even death:
As alcohol is a depressant by itself, additional drugs with the same purpose will add to the effect. This will cause sudden heavy dizziness, memory loss, potential injuries due to stumbling, and even lethal outcomes;
This combo may cause difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, unconsciousness, and even coma. Of course, lethal outcomes can't be ruled out;
These drugs may make you lose the feeling of your alcohol dose, which may lead to alcohol overdose, blackout, difficulties with coordination, loss of consciousness, and, of course, death.
Also, remember that your medication can even go to fail if:
Ethanol works by entering every cell of your body, including organs. Be careful about the use of the drug or, even better, refuse drinking alcohol at all.
This works matter the age. Moreover, if you start heavy drinking as a teen, alcohol dependency is almost inevitable. Don't give up to myths that getting black-out drunk is fine if you do it only once a week or a month.
If you binge drink, a hangover is inevitable. Pharmacological companies encourage people to buy pills and drinks that seem to lower the effect. However, it's impossible to beat the state completely.
The main symptoms of the condition are:
This is the best situation of all hangover states.
Alcohol is one of the most misused substances you can find. 1 in 8 Americans can be labeled as a person with drug addiction. That's both young people and grown adults.
Sobering up is a huge step, the most important one, towards a happier life. You can do it with the help of family and friends or alone. Both paths have pros and cons.
If you're not alone, the people around you may somehow encourage you to forget about sobering up and drink alcohol again. They may do it without a purpose because people drink alcohol every now and then.
However, with proper attention and support, you may find it easier to get rid of the drug and avoid alcohol overdose.
On the contrary, having many people around may feel embarrassing when you're in such a state. This is stressful, which may lead to condition deterioration.
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The most difficult thing you will have to go through is alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). This happens because of the depressive effect of the drug on your brain. It starts working slower. If you drink alcohol for a long time in large doses, the brain gets used to such a state. And if you stop abruptly, it will fall into shock and cause the following symptoms (more severe as more time passes, from 6 to 72+ hours):
Of course, if you're under the care of medical experts, the latter won't happen. But it's important to realize the problem in time and seek help.
Here is how national institutions can help you with Alcohol Addiction
If you're on this page because you or your loved one are falling into the drug and drink alcohol heavily every day, call the National Drug Abuse Institute, disease control centers in your area, or any other connected institution as soon as possible! If it's not an emergency, refer to the latest news release on one of the websites for information.
Here are the official sources you can turn to for help:
All these institutions have a useful news release every now and then and will provide information on steps to take to get the right facility on the phone. They offer support, consultation, and assistance. Even with COVID around, you can still turn to any of them.
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As you can see, the path is difficult but conquerable. There are millions of people worldwide who have beaten drug addiction and alcohol misuse. They are living their full lives, refusing to drink alcohol either for fun or for coping with stress.
There are so many things to do and experience in life. And doing so by the influence of alcohol isn't the best way, even though many young people are indulging in it.
The misuse of the substance brings inevitable issues in relationships with family, friends, loved ones. It also leads to terrible health consequences, starting with heart rate disorders and finishing with organ failure and death.
Stop leading yourself to an alcohol overdose and get help. There's nothing shameful about it. On the contrary, you're showing your strongest sides, beating alcohol withdrawal syndrome, and waking up to be the wonderful, happy person you're supposed to be! Make sure you turn to national institutes and facilities for help as soon as you realize the problem.
Almost 90,000 people die from AUD (alcohol use disorder) every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Make sure you get out of alcohol addiction as soon as possible.
Tips on How to Detox from Alcohol at Home
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