11-01-2014, 04:07 PM
Treating the Problem of chronic Alcoholism in USA for The past 10 year
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Abstract
Alcoholism is a chronic addiction where consumption of alcohol is to an extreme. In the United States it is a phenomenon that has come to present itself as a natural occurrence in society. In California alone illness caused by Alcohol costs 18.2 billion $. Yet every illness and addiction has a treatment and alcoholism is not excluded from this rule. Causes and effects of alcoholism are many but rare are the ways of treating it though are efficient. Alcoholism costs the US economy more than 46 billion $ from property damage to expendables. This makes treating alcoholism a priority for this nation.
Introduction
Background:
Alcoholism is a widely spread phenomenon, it is the state of being an alcohol addict. It is no matter that could be taken lightly as it is present in high percentages all over the world. About 18 million people in the United States abuse alcohol and estimates suggest that more than 70 million Americans have dealt with alcoholism in their family. Alcohol is involved in almost half of all traffic deaths in the U.S.1 It has also become a main conflict that affects the aspects of our everyday life.
History of Alcohol:
Alcohol has a long history of use and misuse throughout recorded history. Biblical, Egyptian and Babylonian sources record the history of abuse and dependence on alcohol. In some ancient cultures alcohol was worshiped and in others its abuse was condemned. Excessive alcohol misuse and drunkenness were recognized as causing social problems even thousands of years ago. However, the defining of habitual drunkenness as it was then known as and its adverse consequences were not well established medically until the 18th century.
Main causes of alcoholism
Alcoholism is a medical condition. While the exact cause of alcoholism is unknown, research has shown increasing evidence that susceptibility to it may be inherited and the risk of developing this medical condition rises significantly in families with relatives (in particular, parents and siblings) who are dependent on alcohol.
Additional risk factors include having a psychiatric condition such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety disorders. Poverty, social isolation, and shyness may also be risk factors.
Main effects of alcoholism
The effects of this disease are really serious. Many people get used to drink alcohol, and they can easily abuse; that is the problem.
The first effects of alcoholism are physical. These are the most important because these can cause your death. For example, alcoholism causes cancer in the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Besides, alcohol alters the digestion of nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. Alcoholism also causes severe damage in the neurons, so it causes alterations in the body movements, loss of appetite, and depression.
Diagnoses of alcoholism
Diagnosis is not 100% accurate by laboratory examinations. Most alcoholism is diagnosed through patient and family history. However, alcoholism can be difficult to diagnose until late-stage physical symptoms become apparent because alcohol-dependent people often lie or about underestimate their alcohol use. In addition, many physicians do not routinely screen their patients using standardized questionnaires that may reveal alcohol problems.1
Treatment of alcoholism
Treatment of alcoholism often is a combination of inpatient and outpatient therapy depending on the individual's alcohol history and physical condition. The person with alcoholism often resists the idea that he or she has an alcohol problem and needs to stop drinking. Treatment cannot be forced on adults unless it is a condition imposed by a court of law. 1However, if the person is a danger to him- or herself or to others, immediate hospitalization may be possible without the individual's consent.
Conclusion
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing. It is medically considered a disease, specifically an addictive illness for that treatment is obliged it consists of three stages that are: detoxification, rehabilitation and maintenance.