| Alcoholism refers to a disease called alcohol | | | | drinking, they will now have to drink more. Someone in |
| dependence syndrome, which begins with binge | | | | the alcohol dependency stage will continue to drink, |
| drinking and over time can lead to full fledged | | | | despite legal, social, or interpersonal difficulties. This |
| dependency. There are different types of alcohol | | | | drinking can result in missed time at work, neglect of |
| problems, with different levels of severity, from slightly | | | | children and household responsibilities, and legal trouble. |
| disruptive to dangerous and life threatening. | | | | Individuals who are abusing alcohol are often in denial |
| Binge drinking is a common alcoholism related problem, | | | | about their condition, and tend to downplay both the |
| most common among underage drinkers, and involves | | | | amount of their alcohol intake and the negative effects |
| having five or more drinks for a man, or four or more | | | | that it has on their lives and the lives of others. Since |
| for a woman, in rapid succession, often for the sole | | | | alcohol is a drug that is both legal and socially |
| purpose of self-intoxication, i.e. drunkenness. Binge | | | | acceptable, these individuals may draw on past |
| drinking becomes alcohol abuse when it begins to | | | | non-abuse experience with alcohol in attempt to prove |
| disrupt and interfere with a persons normal routine, and | | | | their point. Intervention at this stage will likely include |
| when the person continues the pattern of drinking | | | | admittance into an alcohol and drug addiction |
| anyway. | | | | rehabilitation program. |
| In terms of treatment, binge drinking can successfully | | | | Alcohol dependency in its final stage is a total, |
| be treated with intervention before it escalates into | | | | all-consuming condition that affects every aspect of |
| alcoholism, provided said intervention is done correctly. | | | | an individuals life. As with any type of addiction, the |
| Often, the person in question will be unaware, or at | | | | most common reaction to a diagnosis is denial, which is |
| least, not fully aware, of the affect of their alcohol use | | | | why it is so vital to seek the services of a drug and |
| on their own lives and the lives of others, but the level | | | | alcohol addiction rehabilitation program. Alcoholism is a |
| of receptiveness to the intervention and subsequent | | | | chronic and progressive disease, and there is some |
| treatment options will of course vary by person. | | | | evidence that it is also an inherited one, although it |
| In the alcohol abuse stage of the disease, drinkers | | | | should be pointed out that there is also research to |
| experience cravings for alcohol a loss of control when | | | | suggest that with the right treatment therapy and |
| they are drinking, withdrawal symptoms when they are | | | | continued and monitored counseling, these tendencies |
| not drinking, and an increased tolerance, leading them | | | | can be overcome. |
| to think that in order to achieve the effects of previous | | | | |