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Summer Drinking: Fun or a Problem?
Summer often feels like that three month long vacation with lots of parties and social gatherings. Inevitably there is alcohol present and most people drink. Drinking can be relaxing, a little uninhibiting and make the social moments seem like more fun. However sometimes what started as one drink can become two, four or more. How do you know if you have a problem?Alcohol is a depressant, in the same class of drugs as the benzodiazepines like Valium. It is both psychologically and physiologically addictive. It is not how much alcohol you drink, so much as the symptoms you develop when you don’t drink anymore. If you have a hand tremor (the shakes), feel sweaty, agitated, anxious, nauseous and can’t sleep without having another drink then you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal. This is because your body has gotten used to the alcohol in your system and needs it if you take it away. This is why a drink later (an "eye-opener" or the "hair of the dog that bit you") makes you feel better physically.
Alcohol dependence is when you experience three of the following symptoms:
- You need more and more alcohol to get the same desired effect,
- You experience withdrawal,
- You keep trying unsuccessfully to cut down,
- Your drinking effects your personal or job life, and you keep drinking despite it.
Because people are different sizes and have different metabolisms, the number of drinks they have does not define a problem: It is the effect of the alcohol and the need for continued use. Many people believe they don’t have a problem because they never try to cut down, but when finally in a situation where they can’t drink they realize it is not possible to stop.
It is both socially acceptable and common to drink alcohol. About half
of Americans drink. About a third of adults have had one
alcohol-related problem like driving drunk or missing work due to a
hang over. 10% of women and 20% of men qualify for alcohol abuse
(alcohol use causing problems with either their job, personal life, the
law or taking hazardous risks). 5% of women and 10% of men have alcohol
dependence. Alcohol abuse lowers one's life expectancy about 10 years.
The effects range from heart disease, liver disease and cancer to
suicide, homicide and driving fatalities. People with alcohol problems
often suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. They may even use
the alcohol to try to cope with the depressed or anxious feelings they
suffer from. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work and now they have an
alcohol problem, too.
Like most things in life, alcohol is fine, even potentially good, in moderation. Studies show that a glass of wine or two a day can even be beneficial in lowering heart and vascular disease. So enjoying a cocktail with your friends is not a problem. But if you find a cocktail has creeped up to four, or on the nights you aren’t drinking you feel so bad that you drink or even that you are really tying one on every weekend (called binging) you may have an alcohol problem and may need help
What should you do?
Like most things in life, alcohol is fine, even potentially good, in moderation. Studies show that a glass of wine or two a day can even be beneficial in lowering heart and vascular disease. So enjoying a cocktail with your friends is not a problem. But if you find a cocktail has creeped up to four, or on the nights you aren’t drinking you feel so bad that you drink or even that you are really tying one on every weekend (called binging) you may have an alcohol problem and may need help
What should you do?
- Give yourself the CAGE questionnaire (Have you tried to Cut down unsuccessfully?, Are you Annoyed by others criticizing your drinking?, Do you feel Guilty about drinking?, Do you need an Eye-opener?) If you answer yes to any of these you may have a problem.
- Try cutting down on your own.
- Educate yourself about the health risks. It is very motivating.
- Go to a group meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous
- Get individual help. Therapy and outpatient detoxification with medication can be done.
- Some people with a significant problem may require an inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation.
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I gathered lot of information. I am very happy to post my comment in this blog. I am enjoyed when i read this blog.
Maryland Alcohol Addiction Treatment
I get drunk every day summer or not
My name is Paul Harris and i would like to show you my personal experience with Valium.
I am 55 years old. Have been on Valium for 20 days now. I decided to get off of all benzos after much reading and having a friend who was abusing Xanax kill himself (may have been other issues, too). I was taking about 4 mg of Klonopin daily. I read a lot of the reseach on benzos by Dr. Heather Ashton, one of the world's leading authorities on benzos. I was shocked to see her equivalency table for Klonopin and Xanax. 1 mg of Klonopin or Xanax is equel to 20 mg of Valium. That's right, 20!! Plus, Klonopin and Xanax have nasty side effects. That did it for me. No more benzos!! Because Valium has the longest half-life of any benzo and the least side effects, I'm using it and water-titration to get off Klonopin, a method widly used in Europe. 10% reduction every 10-14 days. So far so good.
I have experienced some of these side effects -
Headache, drowsiness in the morning. Hard time getting my Dr. to prescribe and go along with treatment program. Valium supposedly is far less addicting than some other benzos, with far fewer side effects. I hope that turns-out to be true.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Paul Harris