Posts Tagged ‘alcohol’

Get Out OF The Alcohol Disease

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Is alcoholism an incurable disease or is it something that can be overcome? For millions and millions of people this has been a topic that has been debated for years. Many people have been told that their alcoholism is something that they will always have and that by putting their faith in a higher power that they will be their only chance of recovery. Though even with this apathetic form of therapy, they are still told that relapse is part of recovery and that they will probably have slip ups on their way.

To some extent it reduced the stigma experienced by sufferers and has opened the door to treatment rather than punishment. It is the mainstay of the belief system of AA and NA groups who have been responsible for helping many to recover from a hopeless state. However there are many critics of the disease model, both on the grounds that there is little evidence to support it and that it may in fact be detrimental to recovery.One of the great controversies in respect of treatment of alcohol problems is the debate of whether alcoholism is a disease. There is little doubt that regarding alcoholism as a disease, rather than as a moral weakness, has brought benefits to alcoholics/addicts.

There are many definitions of what constitutes and what causes alcoholism. This makes it more difficult for the drinker to admit a problem and also makes it easier to argue that they don’t have a problem. For most people, even today, the word alcoholic still carries a lot of shame. It suggests a damaged person somebody who is different from the rest of society, who has a different psychological or genetic makeup and therefore can’t drink. It is very difficult for most people to admit that they are different in any way from everyone else, it is even more difficult if that difference carries with it a sense of shame. Consider how difficult it is admit being different, if that means having to give up something that most people enjoy without any problem.

Also, many people become alcoholic due to emotional reasons; they do not like how they feel when not intoxicated, so they drink excessively, just to feel alright. Some people, when experiencing loneliness, anxiety or depression turn to alcohol in order to feel more comfortable. This is because alcohol can have anxiety-inhibiting effects, if taken in sufficient amounts.Alcoholism in a person can be caused by several factors. One hypothesis is that some people have genetic predispositions which cause them to get intoxicated easier or more intensely or have fewer side effects or hangover symptoms than others. This causes them to drink more indiscriminately or carelessly than others.

Alcohol is a word that appears so much in our daily lives and culture that it is difficult for a non-alcoholic to imagine a life of alcohol addiction. Yet, no matter how much one may despise the term and the addiction, psychiatrists describe an alcoholic as one who exhibits any or all of these qualities: an irresistible thirst for alcohol, total loss of control once he or she starts drinking, and a certain tendency of relapse into the addiction after a session of rehabilitation.

Alcoholism addiction is more widely spread in today’s society in addition to smoking, either by the accessibility, cost or lack of prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages. The increasing consumption of alcohol is a real problem with large economic and social impact. These range from diseases of body of the drinker to family breakdowns and changes in system productivity.

It is often difficult to detect if a person is an alcoholic because they may have been drinking and yet doing all the work and activities that any normal person does. They are called functional alcoholics as they are very unaware of their problem, having always been able to perform all the day-to-day activities. Seeking help from a trained professional is the wisest thing that you could do. To overcome this destructive disease, there are support groups, medical and alternative therapies available. With will, determination and the willingness to deal with the problems behind the addiction, you can come out of it.

Live the most precious moments your life by getting yourself treated with the malibu drug treatment . To be on the right path know about addiction treatment .

Peptic Ulcer Disease - How Harmful Is It?

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Peptic ulcer is a disease of the gastrointestinal system. It causes eruptions in the protective coating of the stomach. Some people who have peptic ulcer disease do not often experience symptoms until the disease is already in the progressive stage. The real cause of peptic ulcer disease is not known although its mechanism is explained. The intestine contains bacteria that harbor in it and also aid in the process of digestion; however, there are certain bacteria that are associated with the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease and one is Helicobacter Pylori.

The presence of increased acid contents in the stomach causes the peptic ulcer disease. This corrosive acid is called hydrochloric acid. The stomach can tolerate a specific amount of hydrochloric acid; however, if the amount exceeds the limit, the protective layer called the mucous layers of the stomach will be disrupted and therefore cause the ulceration.

A person with peptic ulcer disease will experience a sharp gnawing pain in the epigastric area of the abdomen. This pain is experienced every after eating and is not relieved by food intake, when it is gastric in origin. There are a lot of predisposing factors for the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease, and one of them is stress.

A person who is stressed or is facing a stressful situation has increased gastric motility. Gastric motility is the movement of foods from one part of the stomach to another. Gastric motility is required in the process of digestion. With increased gastric motility, the parietal cells of the intestine release hydrochloric acid that helps in the breakdown of food for the nutrient to be supplied in the bloodstream. Therefore, stress contributes to the increased amount of hydrochloric acid within the stomach.

Stressed people also resort to other ways to relieve anxiety such as drinking alcohol and cigarette smoking. However, what they do not know is that these things increase the chances of developing peptic ulcer disease. Nicotine is present in the cigarette that a person smokes. Nicotine is known to be a stimulant and a potent vasoconstrictor. Stimulants trigger the parasympathetic reaction of the body wherein the body enters a relaxed state.

Aside from alcohol and smoking, another factor for peptic ulcer disease is caffeine. Coffee drinkers who drink excessive amounts of coffee per day are also at risk for developing peptic ulcer. This happens because caffeine is also a stimulant and a vasoconstrictor just like nicotine in cigarettes. Coffee should also be not taken as a replacement for a meal.

Patients with peptic ulcer disease often experience nausea and vomiting. Aside from that, the typical sign is the presence of pain in the stomach after or during eating. When peptic ulcers become bleeding or perforated ulcers, this will cause the patient to vomit blood and to defecate with blood. Blood will be colored black because of the blood mixed with stools. This condition is called melena.

Preventing peptic ulcer disease requires lifestyle modifications such as cessation of habits that are bad for health. Alcoholics should stop drinking alcohol and engage into a more productive and healthier lifestyle.

About the Author: