Alcohol In The Depressant Family

Alcoholic beverages are the only consumable products in the U.S. that do not have nutrition labels. Consumers are being kept in the dark about serving size, alcoholic content, calories, carbohydrates, fats, protein, cholesterol and other nutrition information. Alcohol, specifically ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is produced by fermenting the starch or sugar in various fruits and grains. Alcoholic beverages produced by fermentation and distillation include beer that is usually about 4 to 6 % alcohol, wine that is usually 7 to 15% alcohol, and hard liquor which is about 45% alcohol.

According to the DMS-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders issued by the American Psychiatric Association, the Alcohol Use Disorder is defined as “a problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment of distress, as manifested by at least two symptoms of the eleven in their diagnostic criteria occurring within a 12-month period. These symptoms demonstrates activities such as, alcohol being often taken in larger amounts over a long period of time, a persistent desire to cut down or control alcohol use, cravings to use alcohol, a great deal of time spent in activities necessary to obtain alcohol, use alcohol or recover from its effect, recurrent alcohol use in situations in which it is physically

Early symptoms of alcoholism includes putting an excessive importance on the availability of alcohol. An alcoholic usually has a high tolerance to alcohol, which means they are able to drink more and show less side effects when compared to another

Alcoholism is a pressing topic in the contemporary society and it is responsible for ruining the lives of numerous individuals from all over the world. Most people are likely to be acquainted with a person who abuses alcohol and this further contributes to emphasizing the magnitude of the problem. Alcoholics are typically inclined to ignore their problem and it is very difficult for them to accept it even when it interferes with their personal lives and makes it more and more difficult for them to perform tasks that they previously had very little problems completing. "Through treatment agencies, through the meetings and literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), and through interactions with significant others and with persons who call themselves alcoholics, the problem drinker gradually takes on an alcoholic

The continuous or excessive use of alcohol (ethanol) with associated pathologic results. Alcoholism is characterized by constant or periodic intoxication, although the pattern of consumption varies markedly. Individuals admitted for the first time to an alcoholism treatment center typically have been consuming 3–4 oz (80–100 g) of pure alcohol per day, corresponding to seven to nine drinks or bottles of beer or glasses of wine. Studies have shown that problem drinking in these populations starts at about 2 oz/day (60 g/day), that is, four to five drinks per day, and that these are consumed in rapid succession, leading to intoxication on three or more days per week. Individuals who consume these levels of alcohol have a greater-than-average

Outside influences • Family problems •In trouble with the law (close calls) Stage 2: Physical dependency – motivates the large bulk of alcoholic drinking; drinks to alleviate symptoms. Stage Two: Physical Dependency • Daily, usually a.m. use • Variety of drugs • Increase tolerance • Withdrawal symptoms: headache/nausea • Irritability/mood swings/paranoia • Sleeplessness • Sexual problems • Depression and other psychiatric diagnoses • Intention tremor • Nightmares • Preoccupation/cravings • Development of blackout patterns • Disease pathology developing in major organs. Outside influences •School/work problems •DWI/DUI/unlawful possession.

Drinking can cause a person to have a complete personality change and become violent or hostile after drinking. They may also become irritable or panicky during times when a drink is expected. An alcoholic may drink to the point of black out; this is where they don’t remember what they’ve done or said that happened during a bout of drinking. A definite red flag for alcoholism is when a person has to have to drink in the morning when they first wake up.

According to the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, it is considered binge drinking when an individual’s blood alcohol concentration is at a level of .08 percent, and they have consumed five or more drinks in a span of two hours or less (four or more if female). Binge drinking has a number of consequences

There are signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse that appear both physically and emotionally. Physically, they start to show signs of red glossy eyes that occur when having too much to drink. You will later notice that people who suffer from alcoholism develop a persistent cough. Emotionally, they appear to be going through stages of depression. They tend to blame others for things that they themselves are the cause for. They are almost always stressed about matters that normally they wouldn’t stress themselves so hard over. These are not just common signs that occur in alcohol abuse, but they are also signs that appear in regular drug abuse as well. “Drug use is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including increased risk of serious

Signs of Alcoholism are spending a lot of money and time in consuming alcohol. People with Alcoholism choose to drink instead of dealing with responsibilities such as going to work, and dealing with family responsibilities. Alcoholics engage in risky behavior like driving a car while intoxicated, having unprotected sex and abusing drugs. A person who abuses alcohol often builds a tolerance which means they need a significant amount of alcohol to reach a level of intoxication. A person who consumes a lot of liquor often has severe withdrawals when they don’t have liquor in their

People drink in many ways, for many different reasons. We drink socially, to gain acceptance into a group. We drink alone to ease stress, to cope with our problems, or we “drink because we like the taste or how it makes us feel”#. Often drinking is a learned behavior, starting out as a social drinker; you quickly become psychologically and physically dependent. When someone reaches this stage they are often classified as an alcoholic. To an alcoholic, drinking becomes a compulsion; they cannot stop themselves from having another drink, like a social drinker can. In many cases alcoholics don’t even have to drink continuously in order to be an alcoholic. One the problems of alcohol addiction is that it’s something that doesn’t just effect the individual but it effects, friends and family as well. Spouse abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can all be influenced by alcohol abuse.

Long-term alcohol abuse produces physiological changes in the brain such as tolerance and physical dependence. Such brain chemistry changes maintain the alcoholic's compulsive inability to stop drinking and result in alcohol withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of alcohol consumption. Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, including the brain; because of the cumulative toxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse, the alcoholic risks suffering a range of medical and psychiatric disorders. Alcoholism has profound social consequences for alcoholics and the people of their lives. Becoming addicted to alcohol is a gradual process that happens as alcohol changes the level of chemicals in your brain, especially gamma-amino butyric acid or GABA (which stops you from being impulsive) and dopamine (which is linked with pleasurable feelings). As the levels of these chemicals change, you crave alcohol to make yourself feel good again.

However, if you drink too much, your movements will become more and more out of control. You will lose to ability to control yourself, and you will get tearful and angry. You will feel giddy, find it hard to stand up and you will even

While drinking might make you feel good now, if you abuse that alcohol it may lead to serious complications later. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks in a day for women and five or more drinks in a day for men (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Alcohol is considered a depressant, so it is only seen fit that one of the chief effects of alcohol on the brain is to depress central nervous system functioning. In turn it may be why major depressive disorders occur in those who abuse alcohol. If the alcohol abuse continues over a period it intensifies into an alcohol dependency. Alcohol has effects on the body both mentally and physically. After a certain limit alcohol will slur your speech, increase your reaction time, and make you lose co-ordination. Alcohol consumption, particularly long-term alcohol dependence has many physiological ricks to consider, such as permanent damage to the brain, alcoholic liver disease, pancreatitis, alcohol poisoning

The four symptoms of alcoholism are loss of control, craving, physical dependence, and tolerance. Loss of control, which is the inability of an individual to limit his or her alcohol consumption, usually occurs when a person has experienced or entered an emotional segment of his or her