Alcoholism Information

"Many people turn to the use of alcohol for pain relief and due to its ability to depress the central nervous system and slow down the brain and the nervous system. As a result, drinking alcohol for many people delivers a certain amount of pain relief."

"An increasing number of studies show that treatment is effective for adolescents with alcohol and drug-related problems, but there are unique challenges to assessing, diagnosing, and treating alcohol problems in young people."

"Since alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is frequently resorted to as a cover up during times of temporary or ongoing stress or grief
such as that experienced with the loss of a loved one or relationship, unresolved family tensions, and chronic work stress."

"The findings of the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Addiction demonstrated that, while millions of Americans habitually drink alcohol, swallow prescription drugs, smoke pot, and snort cocaine, a number of drug users who meet or exceed the standards that indicate that they need professional treatment do not realize or accept the fact that they have a drug abuse problem."

"Many people turn to the use of alcohol for pain relief and due to its ability to depress the central nervous system and slow down the brain and the nervous system. As a result, drinking alcohol for many people delivers a certain amount of pain relief."

"Substance abuse research demonstrates the fact that a man who has more than four drinks per occasion or more than 14 drinks per week is drinking too much. Simply stated: this man is abusing alcohol."

"In 2006, an estimated 13.3 percent of U.S. persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of an illicit drug or alcohol at least once in the past year. This percentage has dropped since 2005, when it was 14.1 percent. The 2006 estimate corresponds to 31.7 million persons."

"It seems likely that an individual's genetic background and his or her environmental factors interact with significant developmental stages in her life that will strongly influence her drinking behavior and perhaps make her more or less vulnerable to alcohol abuse and alcoholism."

"People who are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms should not treat these symptoms at home."

"According to a 2007 Science Daily report, school age kids with multiple reasons to drink, including reasons related to coping with life, show the heaviest and most problematic drinking behaviors."

"The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has established procedures for mandatory alcohol testing that require the employment of a standardized breathalyzer. The categories of testing that are allowed by the DOT are the following: random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident."

"Depression is a common cause of alcoholism as the depressed person seeks a way out of their problems or a relief from insomnia. Unfortunately, alcohol is itself a depressant, so the problem is only compounded."

"According to the substance abuse research literature, blackouts are experienced by social drinkers much more often than previously thought. Therefore, blackouts need to be seen as a potential symptom of extreme drunkenness or intoxication no matter how old the person is or whether the individual is alcohol dependent or not. The bottom line: blackouts are a sign or a warning of serious and abusive drinking behavior and necessitate further appraisal and quite possibly alcohol treatment."

"According to the research literature, American adolescents between the ages of twelve and seventeen who use alcohol are more likely to report more behavioral problems, especially criminal, delinquent, or aggressive behaviors than 12 to 17-year olds who do not drink alcohol."

"Alcoholism research statistics show that more than 700,000 Americans receive alcoholism treatment on any given day."

"A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows one-fourth of all traffic deaths among children (under age 15) involved alcohol."

"A dysfunctional family is a family in which misbehavior, abuse, or conflict by individual family members takes place on a regular basis, leading other members of the family to enable, reinforce, and perpetuate such behaviors."

"In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle accidents."

"It is estimated that 30% of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident sometime during their lives."

"Novice alcohol users run the risk of a lack of tolerance to alcohol, and of not knowing how they will react, as well as the risks that may be associated with the effects of alcohol."

"In some areas, part of the DUI school curriculum puts offenders face to face with victims, who tell their painful stories of how a drunk driver changed their lives forever. The idea is that personalizing the pain that drinking and driving can cause might make the offender stop and think before getting behind the wheel after drinking."

"In the early stage of alcoholism, drinking is no longer social but becomes a means of psychological escape from inhibitions, problems, and stress. Stated differently, early in the disease a person starts to depend on the mood altering capabilities of alcohol."

"According to U.S. research, drug treatment during and after imprisonment not only increases the number of people who are drug-free, but also increases the number of people who are arrest-free."

"According to a 2007 Science Daily report, kids who drink to help them deal with anger or frustration issues are not likely to benefit from a prevention program developed for kids who are just experimenting with alcohol."

"Absenteeism among alcoholics or problem drinkers is 3.8 to 8.3 times greater in the U.S. than absenteeism among non-alcoholics or among those who are not problem drinkers."

"According to U.S. researchers, individuals who quit using other drugs (such as cocaine, injected drugs, or tobacco) at the same time they stop drinking alcohol, might experience severe withdrawal problems. As a result, they should see a doctor before they quit their addictive habits."

"During the second stage of alcoholism, physical symptoms such as stomach problems, blackouts, hangovers, and hand tremors increase. Rather than focusing on their drinking as the cause of the many problems they face, alcoholics, during this stage start to blame others and things external to themselves."

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism research has shown that everyone who experiences alcohol withdrawal symptoms needs professional treatment. As a result, alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal should not be done at home and instead need to be undertaken in a medical rehab or treatment facility."

"According to the substance abuse literature, prevention messages can make a positive difference. In a word, these messages can convey information to change people's attitudes about drug use and alcohol drinking behavior in a positive manner."

"According to a report published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, policy-makers need to step up enforcement of underage drinking laws and finance additional treatment programs for adolescents."

"Studies have shown that inpatient detoxification programs are more effective and longer lasting than outpatient detox programs. The important issue here, however, is the following: the more severe the alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, the more likely that inpatient detox programs should be used."

"Abuse in varying forms (physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect), exposure to trauma, being a child of addicted parents, or being a victim of severe life stressors can all help push people into addictions."

"Research shows that drug treatment during and after imprisonment not only increases the number of people who are drug-free, but also increases the number of people who are arrest-free."

"According to one U.S. study, 68% of those people who come to a trauma center have an alcohol or drug problem."

"Drug and alcohol abuse statistics reveal that more than 67% of the funding for drug and alcohol treatment programs comes from public sources. Private insurance pays for about 14% of these services and the patients pay for about 10%."

"Alcohol is typically found in the offender, victim or both, in about half of all U.S. homicides and serious assaults, as well as in a high percentage of sex-related crimes, robberies, and incidents of domestic violence, and alcohol-related problems are disproportionately found among both juvenile and adult criminal offenders."

"U.S. research shows that many people do not go to a doctor specifically for alcohol problems but seek treatment for physical conditions (such as cirrhosis) that result from long-term alcohol use. Your doctor might ask you questions about your drinking to help see whether alcohol abuse is the cause of a condition like cirrhosis."

"Alcoholism research has shown that in extreme instances, when the alcoholic's well-being and health become endangered, a professional intervention may be seen as the best chance to "reach" the alcohol dependent individual. Even with such good intentions of those who care and with professional guidance, however, such forms of intervention can backfire and cause more problems than they solve."