Moderate Alcohol Use

i have been diagnosed ‘alcoholic’ but is ‘addiction’ the real disease? if i have the addictive gene why did i choose alcohol, why not sex, gambling, food, crime etc.,….if you are predisposed to alcoholism are you more likely to become alcoholic? i’m confused as to whether alcoholism is a disease or just a state of mind or do people have an addictive gene and discover their obsession through circumstance?

There’s not just one addictive gene. There’s thought to be several mechanisms - including one or two that are specific to alcohol. But there’s genetic and environmental contributions. Most alcoholics for instance can easily switch to marijuana.

It’s not quite a state of mind. It’s more of a ‘how your mind is put together’ sort of thing. Someone is set up by their genetic history and their development to be an addict (or so goes the dominant theory in addiction medicine). They’re basically addiction waiting to happen - bring them into a substance that’s a good psychological fit with them, in your case alcohol, and then they get going with it. There seems to be some sort of alteration to how the brain perceives pleasure and reward in an addict.

That’s part of why addiction is so difficult to treat. Essentially you have to alter a behavior that is very biologically driven, and why twelve step programs tend to do better than other forms of recovery - there’s constant maintenance and constant attention.

6 months ago I had a initial assessment(and full blood test) as to whether my drinking is a problem(as I was drinking 4 cans of strong lager per day) and failed to recieve the letter they sent offering a follow up apointment. 3 months ago I was referred back to them for yet another "Initial assessment and again heard nothing in reply.

I was(am) unemployed at the time and was referred to COAST((Community outreach and support team) I think) two months ago and have a brilliant 1 to 1 support worker who thinking I need to go into Rehab to deal with it, contacted the people who did the initial assessment and they said I don’t have a problem????

I’m now suffering physical/psychological effects of alcohol dependency which I feel if was taken seriously at an earlier time could have been avoided

Yes or no?
I’m not talking tetleys 3.4% I’m talking 4 cans of Super strength Lager 9% stuff! not boasting cos I know I’ve got a prob, because its what I think of when I wake up:-(
Sorry gartom, unusually for a bloke I had a multiple posting!!LOL

There are basically two types of alcoholics in the world, practicing alcoholics and non-practicing alcoholics so you must become a non-practicing alcoholic.

You are consuming double the safe drinking limit so you are definitely a problem drinker. Your only solution might be to stop drinking completely. Alcoholics and problem drinkers who try to drink in moderation usually fail miserably as one thing leads to another.

Alcoholism occurs in two forms, the social and stress drinker and the hereditary alcoholic in whom alcohol produces the same changes in the brain as a dose of heroin does in a heroin addict. In this form the patient has to refrain from all alcohol and needs rehabilitation and a support group such as AA. Actually there are more sensitive to alchol and get drunk easier than a normal person. An addiction to alcohol and its use even to their phycial and social detriment is a sign of the alcoholic.

are vomiting and sweating symptoms of alcholol detoxing? I s that the question? As the way it is stated at the moment, your question does not make much sense. However, hope the following information helps.

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a disease that is characterized by the following:

Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.
Loss of control: The frequent inability to stop drinking once a person has begun.
Physical dependence: The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. These symptoms are usually relieved by drinking alcohol or by taking another sedative drug. (http://www.aarecovery.com/alcoholism.html)

Signs and symptoms
Before treatment or recovery, most people with alcoholism deny that they have a drinking problem. Other indications of alcoholism and alcohol abuse include:

Drinking alone or in secret
Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Not remembering conversations or commitments, sometimes referred to as "blacking out"
Making a ritual of having drinks before, with or after dinner and becoming annoyed when this ritual is disturbed or questioned
Losing interest in activities and hobbies that used to bring pleasure
Feeling a need or compulsion to drink
Irritability when your usual drinking time nears, especially if alcohol isn’t available
Keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in the car
Gulping drinks, ordering doubles, becoming intoxicated intentionally to feel good or drinking to feel "normal"
Having legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or finances
Building a tolerance to alcohol so that you need an increasing number of drinks to feel alcohol’s effects
Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea, sweating and shaking — if you don’t drink
People who abuse alcohol may experience many of the same signs and symptoms as people who are dependent on alcohol. However, alcohol abusers don’t feel the same compulsion to drink and usually don’t experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they don’t drink. A dependence on alcohol also creates a tolerance to alcohol and the inability to control your drinking.

If you’ve ever wondered if your own alcohol consumption crosses the line of abuse or dependence, ask yourself these questions:

Do you need a drink as soon as you get up?
Do you feel guilty about your drinking?
Do you think you need to cut back on your alcohol consumption?
Are you annoyed when other people comment on or criticize your drinking habits?
If you answered yes to two or more questions, it’s likely that you have a problem with alcohol. Even one yes answer may indicate a problem. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340/DSECTION=2)

will the symptoms of alcoholism go away?

Depends on the symptoms you’re talking about. Your health will definitely improve if you quit now, and only time will tell if there is permanent damage.

I had blood work done a week after I quit drinking, and my levels had improved dramatically - including liver function, which was off the charts before, and within normal range now.

The benefits psychologically and physically are well worth it!

Am i an alcoholic, or am i heading that way? I’m drunk right now. This stupid book has me all emo, and the alcohol is making it worse, but it is making me tired which is good, because i can’t sleep at night anyway. I don’t like to drimk often, and rarely like get drunk, especially since i’m a light-weight.lol. But if i drink under the wrong conditions it scares me, because it’s not typically the wrong condition until after i am tipsy. Am i just being drunk and emo?

You are considered an alcoholic by some if you have one drink every year at a New Year’s party because you show consitency. It’s hard for most to understand… If you think about getting drunk then you are an alcoholic is what I was told growing up. Being drunk brings out emos that one would usually never bring out being sober. I have cried watching a movie drunk I would normally laugh at if I was sober. It sounds like you have an "over-active" brain and to sleep you need a shot or drink. Being through counseling, it has been told that having an over-active brain is a sign of addiction; I dispute that fact! Nothing is the "wrong" condition unless you allow it. If it’s not right, change your settings.

Reason being is I drink way too much. I was planning on quitting, tonight being the first night. I’ve been noticing symptoms like getting the "shakes" and what-not, so I’m just looking to see if I could get any help today, and not have to wait a week to get in to a real doctor. Any and all help would be appreciated!

Sugar and an old timer turned me onto Blackstrap molasses.one tablespoon.There is also tea-quiet child if you can find it,Sleepytime and others calm jitters.

Is hair loss a symptom of alcoholism in men?

That would be the least of his problems. No.

Thanks

is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite the health problems and negative social consequences it causes. Medical definitions describe alcoholism as a disease which results in a persistent use of alcohol despite negative consequences. Alcoholism may also refer to a preoccupation with or compulsion toward the consumption of alcohol and/or an impaired ability to recognize the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Although not all of these definitions specify current and on-going use of alcohol as a qualifier, some do, as well as remarking on the long-term effects of consistent, heavy alcohol use, including dependence and symptoms of withdrawal.

While the ingestion of alcohol is, by definition, necessary to develop alcoholism, the use of alcohol does not predict the development of alcoholism. The quantity, frequency and regularity of alcohol consumption required to develop alcoholism varies greatly from person to person. In addition, although the biological mechanisms underpinning alcoholism are uncertain, some risk factors, including social environment, emotional health and genetic predisposition, have been identified.

When you need alcohol to feel normal, and when you need alcohol to function in daily life.