What Is Alcoholism?

"Alcoholism statistics demonstrate that you might think you can quit drinking at any time. Many people who have alcohol problems do quit for periods of days, weeks, or even months before they start drinking again. But unless you can consistently keep your drinking under control and not fall back into unhealthy patterns, you need professional help."

"According to alcoholism statistics, in the United States, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic families use 10 times as much sick leave as families where alcohol is not a problem. 80% of these family members state that their ability to perform their work is impaired as a result of living with an alcohol abuser or with an alcoholic."

"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 one U.S. research study, sixty-seven percent of American eighth graders and 83 percent of tenth graders surveyed believe that alcohol is readily available to them for consumption."

"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."

"The diagnosis of alcoholism is generally made by reviewing the person's behavior except when the person has symptoms of withdrawal or damage to organs as a result of alcohol consumption."

"According to the alcoholism research literature, 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 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."

"Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress to contribute to suicide, the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25. In one study, 37 percent of eighth grade females who drank heavily reported attempting suicide, compared with 11 percent who did not drink."

"Fortunately, research has revealed quite a lot about what does and does not work in drug and alcohol abuse prevention at the individual, family, and at the community levels."

"Numerous studies have demonstrated that roughly half of alcoholics who have successfully undergone detoxification will relapse within 6-12 months. The point: remaining alcohol-free is a very difficult task for most alcoholics and for most chronic alcohol abusers."

"Various research statistics reveal that there are millions of U.S. adolescents who engage in excessive and abusive drinking. For instance, some studies show that 30% of U.S. teens drink alcoholic beverages."

"Those who drink excessively may begin to show early signs of a problem, then progress to showing symptoms of alcohol abuse. If the person continues to drink in an abusive manner, moreover, he or she may later show symptoms of alcohol dependence."

"According to the alcohol abuse research literature, most people who drink alcohol stop at the "experimental or recreational" stage. For a number of complex and complicated reasons, however, some drinkers progress to the alcohol dependency phase. Without treatment, unfortunately, alcohol abuse frequently becomes habitual and evolves into physical and psychological addiction."

"The alcohol abuse and alcoholism research shows that as people age, it takes fewer drinks for them to become intoxicated. Moreover, research also shows that up to one-half of the 100 most prescribed drugs for older people react adversely with alcohol."

"According to research, if you have tried to quit drinking - swore to yourself that you would never drink again - and found yourself a few days or a week later drinking again, you probably have a drinking problem. If you have tried to quit and cannot do so, you are no longer in control; alcohol is in control of your life."

"The following represents mild to moderate psychological withdrawal symptoms that usually occur within 6 to 48 hours after the last alcoholic drink: nightmares, difficulty thinking clearly, anxiety, fatigue, rapid emotional changes, feeling nervous or jumpy, depression, or irritability."

"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."

"The drug and alcohol abuse research shows that effective and responsible parental monitoring can reduce future adolescent drug and alcohol abuse even among teenagers who experience anxiety and stress, who are rebellious, and who have a hard time controlling their emotions, traits it might be added that are commonly related to teenage drug and alcohol abuse."

"If you drink to an excess, you may consume more alcohol than your body can metabolize and eliminate. Under these circumstances, the body and the brain may become "overloaded" and result in alcohol poisoning. If the amount of alcohol is great enough, the body and the brain will 'shut down' and the person can die as a result."

"People in distress, whether it is from gambling, depression, alcohol, drugs, or eating disorders typically display poor coping skills. These poor coping skills frequently negatively impact them and concerned people around them."

"The cost of untreated drug and alcohol abuse in the U.S. in a year is estimated at $276 Billion in lost productivity, law enforcement costs, health care and welfare programs. Savings from treatment programs is incalculable."

"The culture of the workplace may either accept and encourage drinking or discourage and inhibit drinking. A workplace's tolerance of drinking is partly influenced by the gender mix of its workers."

"The main symptom of alcohol abuse occurs when someone continues to drink after their drinking reaches a level that causes recurrent problems."

"According to the Silver Gate Group, underage drinkers, on average, drink more heavily than adult beer drinkers and down about 10 percent of all the beer sold in the United States."

"According to the substance abuse research, children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school. By young adulthood, early alcohol use was associated with employment problems, other substance abuse, and criminal and other violent behavior."

"Alcoholics need to realize that treatment is difficult and sometimes painful, just as treatments are for other life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, but that treatment is the only hope for a cure."

"If the alcoholic is not ready to reach out for help, efforts by friends and family to try to force him or her to admit to the problem, usually causes more problems. It's only when the consequences of their drinking become painful enough that alcoholics will they reach out for help."

"Your physician or health care professional can diagnose alcohol abuse problems by asking about your medical history and doing a physical exam. Your physician may do other tests to detect the amount of alcohol in your blood and any damage to your body caused by your abusive drinking."

"The chemical dependency research literature shows that while some addicts successfully stop drinking and abusing drugs on their own without professional help, the vast majority of individuals who are alcohol dependent or drug addicts, however, need professional assistance for their drug addiction and for their alcoholism. In short, without drug and alcohol addiction treatment, there is little hope for long-term sobriety and recovery."

"Friends may not easily accept the sober, perhaps more subdued, comrade. Close friends and even intimate partners may have difficulty in changing their responses to this newly sober person and, even worse, may encourage a return to drinking."

"According to researcher Erica Austin, a professor at Washington State University, decisions about drinking are made over time and young people are influenced by being exposed to alcohol ads since childhood."

"You can receive ongoing alcohol abuse support through aftercare programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. You might want to discuss your need for a particular type of ongoing treatment or support program with your doctor or counselor."

"Alcoholism studies have shown that on average, an alcoholic in the United States who doesn't stop drinking can expect to decrease his or her life expectancy between 10 and 15 years."

"Accepting the fact that help is needed for an alcohol problem may not be easy. Keep in mind, however, that the sooner you get professional help, the better are your chances for a successful recovery."

"Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress to contribute to suicide, the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25. In one study, 37 percent of eighth grade females who drank heavily reported attempting suicide, compared with 11 percent who did not drink."