Alcohol addiction is a crippling and debilitating disease that takes its toll both mentally and physically on individuals who suffer from it.  Alcohol addiction, in addition to having a myriad of other negative effects, also increases the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver.

The liver, the largest organ in the body, is essential for proper health and bodily functions. It removes and neutralizes poisons found in the blood, produces immune agents to help control infection, and keep s the blood free of germs and bacteria. In addition, the liver also makes proteins that regulate blood clotting and produce bile to help absorb both fat soluble volumes and additional fats.  Cirrhosis is the build up of scar tissue in place of normal healthy tissue, causing the flow of blood through the organ to slow or stop and impairing overall liver function. Cirrhosis is the twelfth leading cause of death by disease in the United States, and kills approximately 26,000 people every year. more…

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Keywords:

alcoholic, alcohol abuse, liver disease, alcoholism, alcoholics anonymous, AA, alcohol addiction

Alcohol is addictive. You will find many people who will argue with this statement, but alcohol fits all the definitions of a harmful and addictive drug;

1. You need to take more and more of it to get the same effect

2. Your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol.

3. People die from alcohol abuse

An alcoholic is someone who has become physically dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism is permanent, it can not be cured. An ex-alcoholic is simply one who has not had alcohol for a long time. If the "ex"-alcoholic has one drink they are hooked again and have to go through the whole drying out process again.

Alcoholism treatment centers allow the alcoholic to live in a supportive and alcohol free environment while giving up the drug. Psychological advice is available and group therapy sessions help many recovering alcoholics.

Alcoholics Anonymous are one group that holds support meetings for alcoholics. AA has groups in most towns and cities in most countries and many recovering alcoholics find the group sessions to be an essential part of STAYING a recovered alcoholic.

Given the toxic nature of alcohol, if the substance was discovered today, it would never be licensed as a drug or food. It is only the entrenched nature of the alcohol industry and the fact that so many jobs depend on it that make it politically unacceptable to ban alcohol. Does this sound similar to the excuses made by opium producing countries? Would there be pressure to legalize the opium if it was grown in USA, because of the jobs dependant on the crop?

Perhaps western governments need to grasp the nettle of alcohol before prosecuting the war on drugs abroad. Alcohol kills many more people on a daily basis than die of drug related crime or addiction.

Drug trafficking causes crime, as addicts try to get money to pay for their supply – Political issue

Alcohol abuse causes deaths of innocents by drunk drivers. Isn’t this a political issue, too?

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Keywords:

Friends of Billw, Bill w, AA, alcoholism, addiction, recovery, disease,Life story of Billw

Regardless of whether one believes alcoholism and addictions are diseases or not (It is a shame we are still having this argument in the 21st century),  they are real problems for millions of people and millions upon millions of families around the world all through the year.  But holiday seasons and other  times of personal tragedy and importance such as the death of a loved one, a divorce date, etc seem to spur the dependence as well as the craving for self medication and chemically induced euphoria.

Having battled alcoholism and addictions most of my adult life (since Viet Nam), the care of those who have bottomed out and reached out are near and dear to my heart.  Bill W, the founder of AA (alcoholics anonymous), understood that.  Both of us, like millions of others the world over, have started over more than once, and along the way we have learned the painful truth of the Biblical teaching that no  man lives unto himself.

Friends of Bill W know that they cannot make it alone.  Just like the group conscience keeps a church, a club, a school, indeed a society going, growing and maturing it keeps the Friends of Bill W on the path to a successful and rewarding life.

The good thing is that everyday we live to see a new sunrise, we have the opportunity to start a new life and to help another enjoy a fresh beginning.  That does not mean that all our baggage miraculously disappears.  It does mean God has granted us new grace and mercy with which to handle our demons.

It means that those who are walking the walk have a special responsibility to be there for those who still suffer…not that we don’t.  But, we who have been lucky enough and blessed enough to grasp the deliverance of a power greater than ourselves must take that healing way of life to suffering mankind.  After all, we can only truly keep that which we freely give away.

And, especially during this time of year there appears to be plenty of opportunity to reach out to and help our fellowman.  During the end of the calendar year holidays more and more people fall off the wagon and need help getting back up.  After all, we understand better than most that any excuse will do and that it matters little (if at all) how many times one falls, but how many times one can get back on his feet.

So as we start a new year, any new year, we often find that the numbers in our recovery communities seem to have decreased. Actually what has happened is that the numbers needing our guidance have increased … significantly.  Perhaps the bodies showing up for mutual support have declined, but that simply means the need for outreach has increased.

While others are making new years resolutions to lose weight, get a better job, go back to school, stop smoking or whatever; we should be making resolutions to make greater efforts to be there for those who still suffer, to reach out to those in pain, to find that member of our body who disappeared a week or two ago and then to be about that business today not tomorrow.  Someone you love does not have a tomorrow short of your intervention.

Perhaps just showing them the Life Story of Bill W will do the job.  It will certainly reinforce your convictions and strengthen your commitment to make it to, make it through, and enjoy sobriety this time … one day at a time.

You can watch the Life Story of  Bill W or download it to your computer to show at your group meetings or to help with intervention at http://remotehelpdesk1.com

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Keywords:

alcoholism signs and symptoms,alcoholism symptoms,alcoholism,symptoms of alcoholism,alcohol abuse,

Alcoholism signs and symptoms are clues that alcohol may be a problem. If left untreated, alcoholism signs and symptoms and alcoholism can affect the quality of life of the person as well as those around them. Alcoholism is a disease where alcohol consumption (beer, wine, or hard liquor) is at a level that interferes with the person’s physical and mental health, and negatively impacts family, social or work responsibilities.

Alcoholism symptoms can be recognized relatively early in the disease’s progression, but if not dealt with, alcoholism can be fatal. Here are alcoholism signs and symptoms that indicate alcohol may be a problem:

• Becoming Angry When Confronted About Drinking

• Daily or Frequent Alcohol Consumption Needed to Function

• Drinking Alone

• Finding Excuses to Drink

• Food Intake Neglect

• Hiding Alcohol Related Behavior

• Inability to Stop or Reduce Alcohol Consumption

• Memory Loss, Blackouts

• Morning Shakes

• Nausea, Vomiting

• Physical Appearance Neglect

• Violent Episodes Occur When Drinking

When considering alcoholism signs and symptoms, alcoholism can be broadly divided into two categories – alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abusers may drink heavily at various times, but they have not yet become alcohol dependent. Alcoholism signs and symptoms for alcohol abusers can be problems that happen while being intoxicated such as drinking and driving, violent episodes, or missing appointments, work or school.

Alcohol dependence can develop over the years and follows a generally predictable pattern. A tolerance of alcohol develops first, which means a person needs to consume greater quantities of alcohol before the same effects are noticed. Over time, the person may lose control over their drinking and may not be able to stop even if they want to. And if alcohol consumption is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced which can range from annoying to life-threatening.

If the alcoholic continues drinking, he or she may become obsessed with drinking to the exclusion of almost everything else. Many of the above alcoholism signs and symptoms may be noticed. The most severe kind of drinking is called ‘binge drinking’, periods of time with continuous heavy alcohol consumption.

If alcoholism continues to progress, the mental and physical health of the alcoholic can seriously deteriorate. Many of the body’s organs can become damaged which lowers resistance to disease and infections. Relationships at home or socially may become damaged, and there can be financial and legal problems due to the alcoholic’s inability to stop drinking.

If the alcoholic continues to drink, alcohol can ultimately cause their death one way or another. Accidents and related injuries, suicide, drownings and falling asleep in bed while smoking and intoxicated and burning to death are examples of the consequences of alcoholism. Health-wise, damage to the body’s organs and systems due to long-term excessive drinking means the person will likely suffer from a number of diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, malnutrition and cancer.

Are there different stages of alcoholism? Yes, most definitely. If the alcoholism signs and symptoms indicate that alcohol consumption is becoming or is already a problem, there are resources available to help with alcoholism and the serious consequences of this disease.

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Keywords:

diet, stress and anxiety, car accident

Alcohol is an important component of many element of several societies for many years. Many believe that alcoholic drinks have flourished gatherings, parties, and other social celebrations. A number of individuals believe that alcoholic drinks should be served in social gatherings to give enthusiasm to certain events. Alcohol is produced when vegetables, fruits, or grains are fermented. Fermentation is a process which uses yeast or bacteria to change sugars in these items into alcohol. This substance is also used as cleaners and antiseptics.

Alcohol is a depressant that can act as a sedative drug and may slow down the nervous system. In small doses, alcohol can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Alcohol however may do more harm than good if overused. People who overuse alcohol may feel confused and disoriented. Too much alcohol in body may affect the brain and lead to poor coordination, faulty judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, blackouts. Alcohol can damage many organs in the body, it is absorbed directly in the bloodstream and raises the risk of acquiring life-threatening ailments like cancer. Extremely high doses of alcohol at one time can cause alcohol poisoning which can lead to coma or death.

Despite the adverse effects of alcohol, many individuals still engage in drinking this beverage for many reasons. Many teens and young people use alcohol because of curiosity, relax, fit in a crowd, and feel older. One of the reasons why many people are engaged in alcohol is the fact that from a very young age, children are exposed to advertising messages of alcohol. A number of advertisements of alcohol show people drinking alcohol enjoying life. While in reality, it is the exact opposite. Because alcohol damages the nervous system, drinking alcohol can may people do embarrassing things and look stupid acts like peeing on themselves or throwing up. Drinking alcohol may lead also develop bad breath and hangovers.

In addition to the health hazards of alcohol, studies show that almost many deaths among teens are alcohol-related. The use of greatly alcohol increases the possibility of teens and many individuals of being involved in car accidents, suicide or homicide.

Studies show that in every thirty minutes, someone dies from an alcohol related car accident. Driving while under the influence of alcohol can cause many health problems and affect body reactions while driving. People who are drunk may experience decreased amount of performance and judgment while driving. Drunk drivers are not the only ones who are in danger, these drivers may distribute danger to passengers, pedestrians, and other road users.

Alcohol disorders amplify suicide and risk, at least one-third if individuals who have committed suicide are alcohol dependent. In addition, suicide among alcoholics also seem to increase with age. A study released by Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research conclude that middle-aged and older alcoholics have higher risk to commit suicide than young adults who are alcoholics.

Consuming inappropriate amounts of alcohol puts individuals at risk for several health issues like cancer like cancer and diabetes. Alcohol may reduce the body’s absorption of necessary nutrients. Many alcoholics do not partake in healthy diets, therefore further harming the body. The health effects of alcohol should not be taken for granted but should act as a reminder to drink alcoholic drinks in moderation.

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Keywords:

alcoholism disease,alcoholism physical symptoms,alcoholism,alcoholism symptoms,alcohol abuse,

Alcoholism disease and alcoholism physical symptoms should be understood if there’s concern about alcohol abuse. Alcoholism disease can be defined as a drug addiction where alcohol consumption is at a level that interferes with the person’s physical and mental health and negatively impacts family, social or work responsibilities.

Because alcohol consumption can involve many organs in the body, long-term heavy drinking puts a person at risk for developing serious health conditions and illnesses. While each of the health conditions listed below can exist for reasons unrelated to alcoholism disease, certain conditions and alcoholism physical symptoms may be indications that alcohol abuse exists and is affecting the health of the person.

Here are examples of health conditions and related alcoholism physical symptoms that may indicate alcoholism disease:

• Liver Inflammation – alcoholism physical symptoms for liver inflammation include abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs and urine, fever and abdominal pain. Since alcohol destroys liver cells and the ability of the liver to regenerate new cells, long term abuse of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis of the liver.

• Cirrhosis of the Liver – symptoms of cirrhosis or scarring of the liver tissue can be tiredness or even exhaustion, nausea, loss of sex drive and appetite loss leading to weight loss.

• Malnutrition – a common alcoholism physical symptom is malnutrition. While the symptoms will vary with the specific malnutrition-related disorder, general symptoms include dizziness, tireness, unexplained weight loss and reduced immune system function.

• High Blood Pressure – high blood pressure symptoms include dizziness, headache, blurred vision and nausea. And the American Heart Association advises that excessive alcohol consumption can raise levels of triglycerides in the blood and related increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

• Pancreaitis – long term heavy drinking can result in the development of inflammation of the pancreas which is called ‘pancreatitis’. The pancreas are needed for food digestion, and pancreaitis symptoms include severe abdominal pain and weight loss.

• Erectile Dysfunction – alcoholism disease will likely affect a man in the bedroom. Heavy drinking can cause sexual dysfunction, meaning the man may have difficulty getting an erection. And the likelihood of alcohol-related erectile dysfunction occurring increases as a man gets older.

• Insomnia – the connection between sleep problems and disturbances and alcohol abuse has been proven by numerous studies. Alcohol in the body can interfere with getting to sleep and with enjoying deep, restful sleep. In fact, insomnia may continue for weeks or months after alcohol abstinance.

Additional long term alcoholism disease health effects include damage to the brain, nerve damage, bleeding in the esophagus and depression. Alcohol consumption can increase the breast cancer risk in women undergoing hormone replacement therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. Alcoholic beverages are considered cancer-causing by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Important note – all of the conditions listed above may be due to reasons other than alcoholism disease and must not be considered conditions that should be self-diagnosed. Most of these conditions can be life-threatening and should only be diagnosed by qualified health care professionals.

Besides alcoholism physical symptoms, learn more about the alcoholism warning signs, alcoholism stages and proven resources available online that can help. It is never too late to begin recovery from alcoholism disease and alcohol addiction.

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