Alcoholism Statistics
According to the National Institutes of Health, 15% of people living in the United States are considered "problem drinkers". Out of the 15%, 5-10% of males and 3-5% of females are alcoholics. About 30% of people in the United States are bound to have an alcohol disorder at least once in their lifetime. The University of California San Diego showed that the risk of having an alcohol related disorder was higher than 20% for men. Both men and women share a 15% chance of having alcohol abuse problems and 10% chance of having an alcohol-dependence problem.
Based on the information provided by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the age at which the person has their first alcohol drink may help in predicting problems related to alcohol. People who had their first alcoholic drink before the age of 15 are more likely to have alcohol-related problems than those people who had their first drink later on in life.
The World Health Organization showed that there is an estimated 140 million alcoholics around the world. However, experiments show that 30% of people who have problems with alcohol, but are not alcoholics, are able to reduce their alcohol consumption or abstain from drinking alcohol without any sort of professional help.
Alcoholics are ten times more likely to have health-related problems as in developing infections, cancer and having problems with platelets and blood clotting. Not to mention that about 20% of heavy drinkers/alcoholics have cirrhosis of the liver. In the United States, about 2 million people suffer from an alcohol related liver disease (Alcohol Addiction, 2012).
Based on the information provided by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the age at which the person has their first alcohol drink may help in predicting problems related to alcohol. People who had their first alcoholic drink before the age of 15 are more likely to have alcohol-related problems than those people who had their first drink later on in life.
The World Health Organization showed that there is an estimated 140 million alcoholics around the world. However, experiments show that 30% of people who have problems with alcohol, but are not alcoholics, are able to reduce their alcohol consumption or abstain from drinking alcohol without any sort of professional help.
Alcoholics are ten times more likely to have health-related problems as in developing infections, cancer and having problems with platelets and blood clotting. Not to mention that about 20% of heavy drinkers/alcoholics have cirrhosis of the liver. In the United States, about 2 million people suffer from an alcohol related liver disease (Alcohol Addiction, 2012).
treatments AND THERAPIES
Psychological Counseling
The goal for psychological counseling is to help the person understand his or her own addiction better and how to be proactive in seeking a better lifestyle. Therapy and counseling sessions are available for individuals or groups. Also, couples or family therapy are options, which is encouraged because a support system is a crucial part of the recovery process (MayoClinic, 2012).
The Twelve Step Program
A twelve step process initially started by the organization 'Alcoholics Anonymous' around the 1930's is now used to treat addiction of alcoholism and any other drugs as well as other dysfunctional behaviors. The program is available online in a generic form. These steps are meant to be worked on one step at a time while gaining self-growth in freedom and happiness among other things listed in the 'Promises' section of the 12step.org website (12Step, 2012).
In a study performed on 44,222 adults (18 and up), the researchers asked what role help-programs play in recovery. The following table shows the likelihood of recovery for each of the treatment methods depending on the time period of exposure to alcohol. For more information about this study, click here.
ORAL MEDICATIONS
There is no existing medication that completely gets rid of the alcoholism addiction but there are some medications that help with the process:
- Disulfiram (Antabuse) helps with the urgency of drinking by causing flushing, nausea, vomiting, and headaches if alcohol is consumed.
- Naltrexone (Revia) blocks the good feeling caused by the consumption of alcohol which could prevent heavy drinking and reducing the urge to drink without making the person sick.
- Acamprostate (Campral) helps with the cravings of alcohol without making the person sick (MayoClinic, 2012).
Injected medication
The name of the drug is Vivitrol, which is an injectable version of Naltrexone. It is injected once a month by a health care professional and it helps the person with alcohol dependence since it is used consistently (MayoClinic, 2012).
Detoxification and Withdrawal
Treatment for alcoholism usually begins with the detoxification process and it is done at a inpatient treatment center or at a hospital. A detoxification process for alcohol usually takes from two to seven days. While on this process, the person might need to take some sedatives to prevent them from experiencing shaking, confusion or hallucinations as well as other withdrawal symptoms. The detoxification process is important for the health of the person and to keep the liver healthy. It is important to maintain a healthy diet so the liver has the necessary resources to remove the toxins from alcohol from the body (MayoClinic, 2012).