Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol Use and Abuse
By Jonathan Huttner
Those involved in alcohol abuse are not casual, occasional drinkers. Alcohol abuse does not occur in those who enjoy a social drink every now and then. Alcohol abuse is characterized by consumption of alcohol at excessive levels. Those afflicted with alcoholism, cannot control their alcohol use. It inhibits normal activities and interferes with an individual's life both publicly and privately.
Alcohol abuse is the inability to control the intake of alcohol and can lead to many detrimental physical effects including heart disease, inflammation of the pancreas, cognitive impairment, cirrhosis of the liver, sexual dysfunction and even death.
Alcohol Abuse and Detox – The Beginning of Recovery
Alcohol abuse is a devastating illness that is best treated through alcohol detox in which the use of all alcohol ends. Those who have determined they have an alcohol abuse problem should seek immediate treatment. Attempting to abruptly stop alcohol use without professional help can lead to hallucinations, shakes, seizures and possible death.
Individuals affected by alcohol abuse should seek medical supervision within an alcohol detox program. Most successful alcohol abuse detox programs use drugs like benzodiazepines during the detoxification process. These drugs have similar effects to alcohol and tend to offset alcohol withdrawal symptoms, enabling those afflicted with alcohol abuse an opportunity to detox more comfortably.
Once alcohol withdrawal has been successfully treated with medication, the individual suffering from alcohol abuse should be moved to another level of alcohol rehabilitation; either residential alcohol rehab or outpatient alcohol rehab. The decision as to which modality of alcohol rehab is best for the patient should be made by the treating physician.
The Reality of Alcohol Abuse Treatments
It is important to realize that alcohol detox is not alcoholism treatment. Alcohol detox is actually medical stabilization, while alcohol rehab is structured to maintain the gains made in alcohol detox in addition to developing new coping skills to effectively manage the urges surrounding recovery from alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Far too many people suffering from alcohol abuse believe that once their alcohol detox is complete, all will be well and they can just go on with their lives. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Alcohol abuse research clearly demonstrates that the vast majority of people who complete alcohol detox and do not go on to receive further treatment, end in relapse.
For additional information relating to alcohol detox, go to www.99detox.com or call 1-800-99-DETOX (1-800-993-3869).
Jonathan Huttner is one of the founders of Lakeview Health Systems, which has treated over 7,000 people from throughout the United States. Jonathan has been involved in the field of addiction and eating disorder treatment for the last 25 years.
