Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction has been most commonly defined as the continual consumption of or the compulsive requirement for ingesting alcoholic beverages.  In most cases, this stems from a psychological condition or issue such as depression.  A more modern definition that has stemmed from the medical community is that alcoholism is now defined as a disease wherein the person continues to ingest alcoholic beverages regardless of the negative consequences which oftentimes result. Alcohol addiction is typically characterized by the individual’s continual cravings for drinking these types of beverages as well as their inability to limit how much they drink.  A person may be labeled as an alcoholic when they continually increase the amount they drink in order to achieve a better high.  They may also be classified as an alcoholic based on their exhibition of particular withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, or sweating.  Although current and/or ongoing usage of alcohol is not necessarily a qualifier that depicts alcohol addiction, the usage by no means is a prediction that the addiction is present.

Treatment For Alcoholism

Finding the right treatment and recovery program or rehab center is a daunting enough task, but the real challenge is that the individual must first admit that they do have a problem with alcohol abuse.  Not only that but once the admission has been made, the individual is further challenged by having to make the commitment to do something about it and seek help for their addiction. In many circumstances, a family intervention, conducted by an addiction counselor and having family members and the individual’s close friends in attendance, may be necessary.  This can have both negative as well as positive results.  The positive results that people hope to achieve by holding an intervention are that the individual admits having a problem and then seeks help immediately.  The negative results could range from the individual being angered, exhibiting an abusive or violent reaction, or just angrily leaving the meeting.