Getting to Know the Alcohol Diagnoses

Are you painfully familiar with someone who has been diagnosed with an alcohol related diagnosis? Do you understand the diagnosis they have been given? There are two basic alcohol diagnoses that medical professional use to separate the health conditions and symptoms individuals with alcohol problems present with. The two basic diagnoses for alcohol related health problems are alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (alcoholism). To understand more about these diagnoses read on.

The two alcohol-related health conditions alcohol abuse and alcoholism are described below:

Alcohol abuse is a diagnosis given to an individual when the drinker refuses to stop drinking alcohol even when the consequences to self, friends, co-workers and family are obviously negative including that the drinker is unable to honor commitments made to these entities. If not treated properly and in a timely manner, alcohol abuse can and often does lead to alcoholism.

Symptoms a person suffering from alcohol abuse may exhibit:

Health wise they may have started to see physical symptoms that drinking is having an impact on their health such as increased waistline, weight gain, increased blood pressure readings and other health related issues.

They may be receiving collection calls from creditors that are complaining about late payments due to money being spent on alcohol instead of being used to pay bills.

They may have been cited for one or more driving while under the influence (DUI) violation.

The drinker’s behavior is seen as risky behavior as it starts to put the drinker and others in danger especially if drinking and driving is the case.

The drinker may miss days of school or work because of hangovers or in order to drink, putting education or a job at risk.

The drinker will become annoyed easily when family members, friends or co-workers criticize their drinking habits. They feel guilty or remorse after drinking.

They start to have a social life that is centered on drinking alcohol foregoing past favorite pastimes or friends in order to be with drinking buddies or just to drink alone. They may even be drinking in secret.

Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic and progressive disease that has no cure and can be fatal if left untreated. A person suffering from alcoholism can exhibit dangerous behaviors including risky sexual behaviors that can have serious medical, psychological or social consequences. The drinker who is alcohol dependent (alcoholism) has an insatiable craving for alcohol, a progressively increasing tolerance for alcohol and an inability to control his/her drinking regarding the amount of alcohol consumption and if the person wants to quit they are unable to do so without support and professional help.

Symptoms a person may be suffering from alcoholism are:

They have very strong and overwhelming cravings for alcohol that they cannot ignore. They have drinking rituals or times that they must drink and if those rituals or times are disturbed they become very annoyed and irritable.

They can go into withdrawal if alcohol is not available at the times they usually drink.

They usually drink more alcohol than they initially intended to drink and are unable to limit consumption or stop drinking.

Alcohol is beginning to have an effect on memory and motivation to do things they should by experiencing "blackouts" or periods of time when they can’t remember what they were doing, what commitments they made or what they said during these "blackouts". They lose interest in past favorite activities or hobbies.

There are many health and behavior effects caused by alcoholism including liver and kidney disease, complications for those with diabetes, certain cancers and an inability for the body to take in nutrition and to absorb it through the bloodstream depriving the body of necessary nutrients it needs to survive.

Alcoholism leads to suicide, vehicular homicide and death by alcohol poisoning.

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