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Regardless of how the addiction looks, someone typically has an alcohol addiction if they heavily rely on drinking and can’t stay sober for an extended period of time. Alcohol use disorder can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. When you drink too much, your liver has a harder time filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream.
You can prevent alcohol use disorder by limiting your alcohol intake. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women shouldn’t drink more than one drink per day, and men shouldn’t drink more than two drinks per day. You may need to seek treatment at an inpatient facility if your addiction to alcohol is severe. These facilities will provide you with 24-hour care as you withdraw from alcohol and recover from your addiction. Once you’re well enough to leave, you’ll need to continue to receive treatment on an outpatient basis.
Behavioral Treatments
A normally functioning human brain maintains a delicate balance of chemicals, called neurotransmitters, which are vital in helping to regulate the body’s function and behavior. When that balance is offset by ethanol, the typical effects of alcohol are experienced (slurred speech, mood and behavior changes and lack of coordination) due to impaired brain function. More specifically, studies have shown that ethanol is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (by way of creating a dramatic rise of chlorine ion release into neurons). GABA-A are receptors that decrease the excitability within neurons, which ethanol actually binds to.
It has not yet been determined which genes contribute to alcoholism, but it is believed that many do. Studies have shown certain combinations of genes have a strong relationship to alcoholism. Some behavioral genes could also be responsible for a tendency toward alcoholism. Although the specific genes have not been pinpointed, genetic makeup nevertheless plays a major role in the addictiveness of alcohol. Not everyone who binges drinks has an AUD but is at a higher risk of developing one.
Sociology and Alcohol
Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem. An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help. If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems.
It does this by slowing the release and response to normal brain neurotransmitters. At the same time, alcohol stimulates the release of other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and endorphins, which create pleasurable sensations. If too much alcohol is harmful but some is beneficial, how do you decide how much is okay? The risks that come with drinking alcohol frequently outweigh the benefits. If you drink, do so in moderation—no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. The severity of the disease, how often someone drinks, and the alcohol they consume varies from person to person.
Treatment / Management
While genetics is not the only factor that leads to alcoholism, it does have a lot of influence. Alcohol is addictive because of the effect that it has on the brain. When used, alcohol activates receptors in the brain called GABA receptors5.
A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Withdrawal symptoms, like pain, sleeplessness, anxiety or irritability, occur when a person who is addicted stops drinking. According to the NIH, this stage is https://ecosoberhouse.com/ where someone stops drinking to feel the “high” of alcohol, drinking rather to escape the “low” of the withdrawal. Typically, a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder doesn’t require any other type of diagnostic test. There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease.
He or she may have blackouts, which are episodes in which a person completely forgets what occurred when he or she was drunk even though he or she was conscious at the time. If you think you or someone you care about has a problem with alcohol, learn more about the disease and ask your doctor for help. A variety of factors which affect the levels and patterns of alcohol consumption and the magnitude of alcohol-related problems in populations have been identified at individual and societal levels. Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties that has been widely used in many cultures for centuries.
- This process happens every time someone consumes alcohol, and happens more intensely as more alcohol is consumed.
- Alcoholism has many causes, with roots in social, genetic, psychological and physiological factors.
- In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy.
- There are many different identified genes that increase the risk of alcohol addiction7.
- Treatment for alcoholism also addresses the medical and psychological consequences of alcohol addiction.
- But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.
Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use can actually make physical changes in the brain’s chemistry and functioning, which plays a big part in what makes alcohol addictive. The brain’s reward and pleasure centers are overloaded, and the user experiences cravings to repeat those experiences. Although someone may have the intention to stop, alcohol can compromise impulse control and decision making, which makes relapse more likely.