Health and Fitness Tips

Alcohol abuse has disrupted lives, societies and civilizations since the beginning of time. Unfortunately some of us don’t know when to stop and become affected by the excessive consumption of alcohol in a socially disruptive way. Hence the problem of

In today’s society consuming alcohol has become the norm and when consumed in moderation, it can be a relaxing tonic. Many people come home from a hard day of work and unwind with a drink. How do you know, though, when that relaxing drink has taken over your life? How do you know when you become dependent on it? Alcohol abuse in today’s society is becoming a serious problem. In the past people used to believe that alcohol abuse was a characteristic of a weak person, but now it is known that it is really a serious disease that has a chance of affecting us all.

Statistics on Alcohol Abuse

A surprising statistic is that 1 in 13 adults is affected by alcohol abuse. The online health guide, WebMD reported that in the United States alone, 12 to 14 millions adults abuse the substance and each year, around 100,000 adults will die from alcohol abuse. It has also been proven that alcohol abuse is a large factor in most of the country’s car accidents, suicides and homicides. It also affects many other things in daily life, including increased rates of job absenteeism, and increases reports of domestic violence and child abuse.

What are the Signs of Alcohol Abuse?

Having the odd glass of wine or occasional drink at home or with friends does not mean that you have a problem with alcohol. As a guideline it should be noted that:

- In women, a key indication that there is alcohol abuse is if you consume more than seven drinks a week and more than three in a social situation. – In men, the rate of consumption would have to equal more than 14 drinks per week or access of four drinks while with friends. – Recognizing the signs in the elderly and in teenagers is often more difficult.

Other signs include: – an obvious alcohol cravings, – a noted loss of control when drinking, leading to the person unable to say stop when he has had enough. – When the level of alcohol tolerance increases markedly can be another sign of alcohol abuse, – When the drinker displays a physical dependence on alcohol, such as nausea, sweating and headaches if no alcohol is consumed.

The scientific community are in agreement that many other factors are involved with drinking, such as family history of drinking, family genetics, stress levels, and social and environmental factors.

Alcohol abuse is a very serious disease that is escalating all over the western world. It is a treatable disease, but is difficult to cure and it can affect anyone. Many factors make people more susceptible to it than others. Whilst many people drink and enjoy themselves in moderation, it is important that we all hear the message and keep our consumption to recognized tolerable levels.

Unfortunately modern society has raised the spectre of alcohol consumption to levels of absurdity as the fashion of Binge Drinking has become the norm amongst many of the young. This bad influence can only lead to more and more of us suffering from alcohol abuse.

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