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Alcoholism Definition - What Is Alcoholism

To those of us who don't drink a lot, it is hard to understand why someone can not stop drinking.

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Alcoholism Definition - What Is Alcoholism

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  1. We hear so often about people suffering from alcoholism. There is still a belief amongst some people that an alcoholic is just someone who drinks to much. To those of us who don't drink a lot, it is hard to understand why someone can not stop drinking. But to those of us who have either dealt with alcoholism personally or know someone who has, understands that there is much more to it.

  2. Alcoholism is really alcohol dependence. If you are an alcoholic you suffer from a compulsion to drink. Your body and your mind crave alcohol and for some people they are unable to think of anything other than drinking. If you are a smoker, you are familiar with craving something so strongly that you can not think of anything else but smoking a cigarette. In fact if you go too long without a cigarette, you start to show physical symptoms of withdrawal. The same runs true for someone who is an alcoholic. Just a few hours after that last drink, the signs of withdrawal begin to creep to the surface. You may find yourself feeling sick to your stomach, sweating, and feeling very anxious. The only way to stop these feelings is to have another drink.

  3. Alcoholism is also when your tolerance level goes up. You no longer get the same effect from alcohol unless you constantly drink more of it. It doesn't matter what type of alcohol it is. You can be an alcoholic who just drinks beer, or you could be one who just drinks whiskey. The meaning of alcoholism has nothing to do with how long you have been drinking or exactly how much you drink, but rather your uncontrollable need for alcohol. This need is as strong as your need for food, water and air. This is why some doctors will classify alcoholism as Alcohol Dependence Syndrome.

  4. Many alcoholics start off as binge drinkers. Binge drinking is when you have five or more drinks in one session. As you continue to binge drink, and once it begins to cause problems in your work or school life or with family and friends but yet you continue to drink, is when you have gone on to alcohol abuse.

  5. It is important to know that there is a difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The biggest differences are that with alcohol abuse there is not an extreme craving to drink, nor is there a physical dependence on it. Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that can cause you to not fulfill work, school or home responsibilities, legal problems that are related to alcohol such as a DUI and relationship problems that could be caused by your drinking. Most alcoholics are alcohol abusers but not all alcohol abusers are alcoholics.

  6. Resources: https://www.brcrecovery.com

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