Alcohol Addiction
Defining Alcoholism and Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is treatable, and you can recover. Get the help you deserve. Call 1-800-231-2950. The alcoholism treatment programs at Lakeview Health are designed to help you recover from alcoholism with the specific treatment you need.
What exactly is alcoholism? Are alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction the same? How does alcoholism differ from alcohol abuse? When should a person seek alcohol rehab for a problem related to his or her drinking? The following information explains alcohol addiction and alcoholism, the symptoms of each, when and where to seek alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment choices and additional helpful resources.
What Is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction and alcoholism are essentially the same condition. Alcohol addiction is a disease that has as its base, four definitive symptoms
- Cravings: the intense desire or compulsion to drink alcohol
- Loss of Control: the inability to manage one's drinking alcohol on any given occasion
- Physical Dependence: the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, nausea, shakiness and sweating when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking
- Tolerance: the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to experience the same effect
The American Medical Association has established alcoholism and alcohol addiction as a disease. Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease, lasting over the course of a person's lifetime. The risk of developing the disease of alcohol addiction or alcoholism is influenced by environment, genetics and lifestyle.
Alcohol addiction tends to run in families, indicating that it has a genetic link, but genetics are not the only component. Just because a person is born into a family where one or more members suffers from alcohol addiction does not mean that the person will develop the same disease; just because a person has no genetic link to alcohol addiction does not mean that he or she will not develop it. Lifestyle and environment play a huge role in this disease as well as stress, friends and how readily available alcohol is.
If you are looking for an effective dual diagnosis treatment program for alcohol addiction, call Lakeview Health Systems now at 1-800-231-2950. All calls are completely confidential and our staff is available to assist you 24 hours a day. |
