Living as an Alcoholic

alcoholic lifeAlcoholism is one of the most serious and detrimental forms of addiction and substance abuse. When a person becomes dependent on alcohol, their life will never be the same. Alcoholism robs people of everything they love and value, and requires professional alcohol abuse treatment to eradicate.

Alcoholism is one of many faces of addiction. It is the nature of an addict to find an escape and become obsessed with it. Addicts have been found to have difficulty producing dopamine, the brain chemical that accompanies pleasure and gratification. So when they discover something that makes them feel exceptionally good, they become dependent on it and heavily overuse it, even to the point of their own mental and physical collapse.

Certain addicts gravitate toward alcoholism for a number of reasons: its accessible, legal, socially acceptable within certain limitations and is very easy to find. On a personal level, alcohol can reduce inhibitions, give a person confidence and switch off bad thoughts and emotions, plus a number of other attractive qualities.

When an addict discovers that alcohol can do these things for them, they become hooked. At first, it works like a charm and alcohol fills in for the areas the person is lacking. Moderated drinking is not bad for a person, so initially alcohol will treat a person fairly well. However, it is a delicate scale to tip, and once a person is ingesting more alcohol than their body is designed to manufacture, things begin to deteriorate.

The person’s mental and physical health begin to decline. They become less functional in the world and in their personal lives. They lack energy, stamina and good health. They have also become physically dependent on alcohol and experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to quit.

Alcoholism is a serious mental and physical condition. In order to address the underlying causes of the alcoholism and remove it from a person’s life, professional treatment in an addiction clinic or substance abuse rehab is necessary. If someone you care about is struggling with alcoholism, do not buy into the fallacy that you are protecting them or helping them by telling no one. Their lives may depend on your intervention.


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