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| What is Alcohol Addiction? Alcohol Addiction Counselling and Treating Alcohol Addiction The alcohol addiction counselling that is available today is much further advanced than the primitive approach used previously for treating alcohol addiction. Alcohol addiction has existed for many years and is widely known as "alcoholism". Drinking, occasional overindulgence and getting a little 'merry' is nothing new, but most individuals do not take their drinking to the level of alcoholism. Those that do however, frequently see their lives falling apart and, all too often, find themselves in an early grave. Until the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous, a non-profit fellowship of recovering alcoholics trying to stay sober one day at a time, there was not much hope for those in the grips of severe alcoholism. Most alcoholics were bundled off to mental institutions to go through delusion tremors (DTs) - a dangerous state which the body goes into during alcohol withdrawal - or forced into religion as a cure for their problem. Yet none of these 'cures' helped. As soon as the alcoholic would leave the institution or be alone, even for the shortest while, their return to drinking would be quick and immediate. Alcoholism as a Disease Thankfully, a lot more is understood about alcoholism in the present day. Although some specialists differ in schools of thought, it is widely believed to be an incurable disease that can be helped by alcohol addiction counselling. The disease is said to be progressive and fatal, yet can be arrested if the alcoholic ceases to drink and remains abstinent. Because of the disease of alcoholism, an alcoholic cannot stop through their own will, even when their only wish is be abstinent. However, it is possible for someone without the disease to act in a way where their alcohol consumption is too much over a long period, but they are able to stop when they feel that enough is enough. The alcoholic cannot. Many people resort to alcohol to 'drown' their sorrows, but it is only the alcoholic who will carry on for years possibly and will only be able to stop through getting necessary help. Some believe that people are born alcoholics and that once the first drink is consumed, they begin the slide down the slippery slope descending into alcoholism. Many ask "how does one catch the disease of alcoholism?" No one can be sure, some say that it is hereditary and genetic, some say that it is appropriated through childhood problems, some say that it is a combination of the two. The Symptoms of Alcoholism The symptoms of alcoholism vary according to the stage to which the alcoholic has progressed. Some alcoholics may not have progressed to the stage of needing to drink in the morning or to steal to fund their habit. But never the less, if the disease is present, they are a ticking time bomb. A person who plans to have one drink and eventually drinks ten in one night is not necessarily an alcoholic, although this is a major symptom. The inability to have control over one's drinking once one drink has been consumed is a key symptom of alcoholism. |
