Sometimes falling asleep is no easy task, and for many it’s downright difficult to do under any circumstance. Due to its sedative effect, alcohol is a common choice for those who have a hard time finding a way to fall asleep. It’s important to consider the other effects, however, that alcohol will have—namely on the very sleep these people use it to achieve. Booze before bedtime may appear to ease the transition into dreamland, but what happens after that is well worth taking note of.

Adults function best with anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. The consumption of alcoholic beverages before bedtime, interestingly enough, will effectively serve to cut the number of hours actually acquired in half. In fact, drinking alcohol at any time three hours or less before bed can lead to both early waking and disruptions in the sleep cycle on the whole. The entire sleep process is advanced by alcohol intake: N-REM sleep [also know as "deep sleep"] increases, incrementally decreasing REM [or "Rapid Eye Movement" rest].

The problem is that you need both types, in very balanced doses. You may be surprised to learn that these facts don’t deter many: in recent studies, some 28% of insomniacs claimed to have depended on alcohol as a means for falling asleep, and fully 67% described the practice as helpful.

The difficulty with this nighttime “medication” approach is plain: alcohol can either make sleep disorders more frequent, or increase your susceptibility to acquire them. The most common sleep disorder that occurs as a result of the consumption of alcohol before bedtime is obstructive sleep apnea, and it’s one of the most destructive in regard to heart health. Drinking alcohol will narrow your air passages and thereby make it harder to breathe at night. As you gasp for the air that’s being blocked, your sleep cycle is deeply disturbed.

When air is obstructed in the passages, your heart must work much harder to get the oxygen that it needs, which results in lasting health problems if it persists over a long period of time.

Studies have shown that the consumption of alcohol even just an hour before bedtime causes major disruptions in the second part of the sleep cycle, which will lead to early awakening. As mentioned earlier, drinking alcohol before bedtime will not only shorten REM sleep but increase deep sleep. The resultant physiological state is known as “REM rebound.”

After consuming high doses of alcohol, the body becomes sedated, causing you to fall asleep quickly. After you begin to snooze, your body becomes adjusted to that alcohol running through your blood stream.

By the time the second part of the sleep cycle is underway, however, your body has metabolized [re: eliminated] the alcohol from your system, and it will attempt to return your metabolism to normal levels. This is where that rebound begins to occur. Instead of successfully returning to physiologically-normal levels [gauged by certain sleep variables such as the amount of REM sleep acquired at night] your body will over-compensate and change its course in the opposite direction, which results in a sleep disturbance.

Furthermore, this disturbance will disrupt the proportionality of the various sleep stages. When rebound and its associated disturbances occur, your body won’t feel fully rested the next day. We all know what that’s like: an unclear [or "foggy"] state of mind and a marked inability to perform simple tasks at an optimal and efficient performance level.

Several studies have evaluated next-day performance and alertness in healthy people who consumed alcohol before falling asleep. In one such study, young pilots drank alcohol between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. in quantities sufficient to result in BACs [blood-alcohol concentrations] of 0.10-0.12 percent right before bedtime. The following morning, over 14 hours after consuming alcohol and with BACs reset to 0, the performance of pilots in a flight simulator was significantly impaired when compared to their performance after imbibing a placebo.

The lack of continuity and longevity of the sleep they experienced after heavy drinking is the same as what everyone will suffer when doing so: it simply makes people slower and less attentive the following day.

It’s clear by now that the effects of alcohol on sleep can be dire. Though you may believe it’s helping you sleep, the consumption of alcohol before bed will only result in next-day fatigue and an inability to remain alert… and can actually lead to a serious sleeping disorder. Aside from the havoc it wreaks on your system when frequently drunk at high levels, alcohol can also be dangerous to others around you. There’s no question that critical mistakes are made every day by folks in all walks of life due to the effects of alcohol consumption, whether in the intoxicated state or, like the pilots mentioned, well after you think you’ve “slept it off.”

Remember that there are several alternatives to alcohol that are both healthier and more effective when it comes to getting the shut-eye you require on a nightly basis. For starters, you might try getting into a sleep routine, which is a tremendously effective way to train your body’s physiological nature into winding down at night.

You’re probably already aware that you should avoid caffeine, dairy products, and smoking before bedtime. Finally, consider going to bed an hour or two later—it can help you go to sleep faster because you’ll be more fatigued.

And bear in mind that your old mattress may be part of the problem… switching to memory foam will improve your body’s blood circulation and alleviate the pressure points associated with traditional innerspring mattresses so that you get more restful sleep each night. In sum, you can do better for your body than waking up with a hangover every day. It’s time to make strides toward getting some quality sleep without alcohol.

Even if you do own a fine memory foam mattress like ours at www.bedinabox.com, you must be sure to have good sleeping habits to help you fully enjoy it!

Alcohol Alert. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm. Retrieved on July 28th, 2009.
Alcohol and Sleep.Loyola Marymount Universtiy. http://www.lmu.edu/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=25070. Retrieved on July 28th, 2009.;

Alcohol addiction has wide-ranging effects that encompass all aspects of the addict’s life. Some of the potential effects of alcohol addiction could include:

Physical effects – Pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, insulin resistance, alcoholic dementia, nutritional deficiencies, heart disease and in extreme cases; death.

Economic effects – Loss of employment and the subsequent financial problems that follow as a result.

Social effects – Social alienation due to unacceptable social behavior, marital conflict and divorce.

Legal consequences – Alcohol addicts often get into trouble with the law either because of public disorder or because of drunk driving.

Alcohol addiction affects not only the addict but also the addict’s entire family who could experience consequences that range from neglect to domestic violence to spouse and children.
Alcohol TreatmentAbruptly discontinuing the use of alcohol could result in severe symptoms including convulsions, hallucinations, seizures and shakes.

In severe cases it could cause heart failure and even death. Because of the critical nature of the symptoms, it is recommended that withdrawal issues should necessarily be controlled by a supervised detox.
Treatment for cessation of alcohol abuse typically includes managing the physical symptoms and bringing about behavioral changes. This is done by various therapeutic treatments ranging from medications to psychotherapy.

Antabuse and Natltrexone are two of the commonly used medications in the treatment of alcohol addiction. Antabuse works by creating an adverse reaction when alcohol is ingested and Natltrexone decreases the physical cravings of alcohol. Long term use of folate and vitamin B12 are often recommended to help overcome the damaging effects of chronic alcohol use on the liver.
Alcohol addicts can face a lifelong struggle in their effort to stay sober and relapse is a strong possibility on the long road to sobriety.

Unlike drug addiction, where it is often more difficult to obtain the drugs, alcohol is easily available and it is easier for a recovering addict to fall back into the habit of alcohol abuse. Often even one drink at a social occasion can trigger off the addiction. Several professionals hold the view that relapse is part of the learning process and is something that an addict has to go through to finally attain full abstinence from their addiction.

Social support and life training offer recovering addicts much needed support and are indispensable components of alcohol addiction treatment. Alcoholics Anonymous is one such organization that is committed to helping alcoholics beat their addiction and lead normal lives.

One of the important facts about alcohol is that it cannot be stored and therefore must be metabolized. The body begins this process by breaking down the alcohol into Nicotinamide Adenine Dehydrogenase (NADH) and acetaldehyde. After that, the body must then metabolize both of these substances. Unfortunately, the NADH and acetaldehyde are produced at a greater rate than which the body can metabolize them. In addition, some of the alcohol escapes into the blood stream unchanged.

The liver metabolizes acetaldehyde by converting it to acetic acid, and then to water and carbon dioxide in the Krebs cycle. However, because the production of acetaldehyde usually exceeds the liver’s ability to metabolize it, much of it ends up in the blood stream. This rapid buildup of acetaldehyde is primarily responsible for the harmful effects of alcohol. The presence of acetaldehyde inhibits the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria and can cause the following conditions:

1. It will slow down the metabolism by reducing aerobic lipolysis (fat burning) and aerobic glycolysis. This will force the body to use primarily anaerobic pathways such as anaerobic glycolysis, which can result in lactic acid buildup.

2. Since conversion of lactic acid back to glucose (gluconeogenesis) often requires aerobic lipolysis to support the reaction, the absence of this reaction can lead to excessive lactic acid buildup (lactic acidosis) as well as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

3. Because acetaldehyde can only be destroyed in the Krebs cycle (which is disrupted due to its presence), greater concentrations of acetaldehyde will reduce the rate at which the body can destroy it. If acetaldehyde is still being produced due to continued alcohol consumption, then this will lead to a vicious cycle that will aggravate the previously mentioned problems.

The production of NADH from alcohol does have some effects that can affect fitness and fat loss programs. NADH gives alcohol a caloric value of about 7 calories per gram. Also, because the body has no metabolic requirement for alcohol, all of these calories are empty calories. This will force the Krebs cycle to burn off these calories instead of burning fat. Since the Krebs cycle is inhibited by the acetaldehyde that is present, these empty calories will quickly accumulate and force the body into a state of lipogenesis (fat production). In addition, NADH increases the rate of conversion of pyruvic acid to lactic acid, which leaves less pyruvic acid available for conversion to glucose. When this is combined with the effects of acetaldehyde, it will aggravate the excess lactic acid buildup and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Both of these conditions will degrade energy levels and athletic performance.

In summary, alcohol contains about 7 calories per gram. This is a high caloric density, which is second only to that of fat itself. Also, all of these calories are empty calories, which will either prevent you from burning fat, or will be turned into fat. It also induces hypoglycemia and excessive lactic acid buildup, both of which make it difficult if not impossible to exercise. There is no question that alcohol is one of the most fattening substances that a person can consume.

Researches have shown that there can be a definite genetic inclination for getting alcohol problems. This goes even more for sons of dependent fathers than for daughters. It is unknown how big the extra risk is, but offspring of alcohol addicts must keep in mind that they have a larger chance to develop alcohol problems. Some reports talk about a higher risk of about 50%.

It is also known that certain personality traits, which are partly inherited, effect the risk of getting addicted. People who are often anxious, and who seek excitement in life, and who are more antisocial, will more eventually become alcoholics later in life

Influence of the environment:  when you grow up in surroundings in which individuals drink a lot, you can suffer from this as a child.

You can feel less happy because you get less attention, or because you get worried about the sometimes unpredictable or maybe threatening behavior of your father or mother.  An unhappy childhood can then play a role in the development of alcohol problems at a later age.

However, this does not necessarily mean it is an unavoidable situation. There are many other contributing factors that can compound the issue, so just because you have an alcoholic parent, or parents, does not automatically mean you will develop the disorder yourself.

Alcohol addiction does tend to run in families, and it’s felt that genetics is partly accountable for this. A lot of investigation is and has been undertaken to discover and understand those genes that make a person prone to developing alcoholism. In clinical research.

It has been found that twins born to alcoholic parents, given up for adoption and living separately, have both gone on to develop alcoholism, and research like this lend weight to the heredity reasoning.

Alcoholism is also considered to be a inherited disease. And it is certainly true to say that this is the case. Whether it is just a case of learnt behaviour, or if the alcoholic is already at a drawback because of disturbance during his or her formative years, or even whether it’s due to a genetic susceptibility,

The facts are clear and investigations have shown that children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop the dependency themselves. It’s also been reported that twins, separated at birth from each other, and their natural parents, have both gone on to develop the illness. So there is definitely support for that theory.

There are many reasons why a person might take up hard drinking. Normally to blot out something sad or troublesome, or to deal with upsetting situations. People who have suffered mental or physical abuse as children are high risk.

Anyone with emotional problems is also a prime candidate, and there’s no doubt that sensitive situations can definitely trigger the condition. But it is paramount to understand the difference between someone having a bad patch in their life, and the alcoholic. To be clear, the former is likely to use alcohol to cope in the short term with crises or problems, whereas the true alcoholic will be completely unable to live without the booze. It will consume them, and they will create excuses and reasons to keep drinking.

Alcoholism is an habit, that develops when a person over indulges in the consumption of alcohol. In 1991, the American Medical Association declared alcohol addiction as a disease which can be lethal, if not corrected at the proper time. Drinking alcohol has existed in our society since ages and even today it is considered as a part of the social life.

Although drinking moderately is not harmful, it becomes a problem when a person consumes alcohol excessively, affecting not only his health but also the people around him. When an individual overly indulges in alcohol, it leads to alcohol abuse, where a person does not stop drinking even though he or she has to face problems in personal, social and professional life.

Alcohol abuse, if not given timely treatment can lead to alcohol reliance, where the individual can’t stay away from alcohol, though the individual knows its significances.

Additionally, researchers have discovered a unique gene expression that is more prevalent in alcoholics and amongst alcoholic families than in the general population, and this gene expression also seems to make us more vulnerable to depression and anxiety, which themselves increase the risk of problem drinking.

Scientists and clinical researchers continue to look  at the puzzle, and are gaining a better understanding of the bio chemical factors that increase our tendency to alcoholism; and hopefully, when enough knowledge on the biological basis of alcoholism emerges, accompanying treatment options will also reveal themselves.

But since the human brain is so complex, there is no way to say when if ever scientists will gain a complete understanding of what the real overall causes are.

After getting out of a rehab center for 21 days, would one still have alcohol withdrawal symptoms? If so, how long would they last?

Cancer

2-4% of all cancer cases are related to alcohol. Upper digestive tract cancers are the most common, hitting the esophagus, mouth, larynx, and pharynx. Women who drink prior to menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer. Your risk of skin cancer doubles if you drink slightly more than “moderate levels.” Some studies implicate alcohol in colon, stomach, pancreas and lung cancer. And let’s not forget the liver…

Alcohol poisoning.

Drinking large amounts can result in alcohol poisoning, which causes unconsciousness and even death. Breathing slows, and the skin becomes cold and may look blue. Don’t let a person in this condition “sleep it off.”

Heart disease

Heart disease could be another effect of your drinking. Long term alcohol dependency has been know to be the cause of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and even some strokes. Your liver is going to be affected by all your drinking and you might find yourself suffering from liver failure or even Cirrhosis of the liver.

Personal relationships

Personal relationships will suffer. As your disease progresses, alcohol begins to take control of your life. You will find that you cannot make even the simplest decisions. You will find that you would rather spend your time drinking than spending it with family and friends. Alcohol can also make you more violent then you are normally. Most domestic abuse involves drinking as well as some child abuse cases. Your temper and patience is much shorter than it would be if you were not drinking.

Dehydration

Alcohol has been known to mitigate the production of the ADH, which is a hormone that acts on the kidney, favoring water reabsorption in the kidneys during filtration. This occurs because alcohol confuses osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus, which relay osmotic pressure information to the posterior pituitary the site of ADH release. Alcohol makes the osmoreceptors signal as if there was a too low osmotic pressure in the blood, which triggers an inhibition of ADH. Consequently, one’s kidneys are no longer able to reabsorb as much water as they should be absorbing, leading to creation of excessive volumes of urine and subsequently overall dehydration.

Alcohol and pregnancy

Women who drink heavily during pregnancy are at risk of having babies with a condition called fetal alcohol syndrome. This can result in growth deficiencies, nervous system problems, lowered intelligence, and facial abnormalities in the child. It is also called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder – all the symptoms are not always present and can vary in how serious they are.

Psychological effects

Although alcohol initially makes people feel relaxed, long term excessive use can ultimately increase anxiety and cause depression. It is also related to problems with sleeping, mood-swings, violence and suicide (about two-thirds of suicide attempts are thought to involve alcohol).

Neurologically

Neurologically there will be some side effects also. Alcohol is a toxin that is going to do damage to your brain. You may find that you have a loss of balance, loss of intellectual abilities and unable to concentrate on anything. Your hands might become numb and you may feel that you are always in a state of mental confusion.

Alcoholism symptoms begin to appear in an alcoholic after consumption of alcohol over prolonged periods. To decide whether or not you are a chronic alcoholic you can ask yourself a few questions, like do you get offended when asked about your drinking, do you feel guilty about your drinking, have you tried to cut down on your drinking or do you need a drink first thing in the morning.

If the answer to any or all of these is yes you need help as these are the signs of an alcoholic.

Alcoholism symptoms can be divided into sub categories depending on the site of action or different symptoms. When we think of the sites that this poison works on, we realise that there isn’t a single system or organ which is left unaffected. Let us begin at the very beginning, so we take the brain and the nervous system.

The nervous system is affected in various ways, the commonest symptom of the nervous system affection is thiamine or b complex deficiency. Alcohol depletes the body of thiamine which is essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, this leads to tingling and numbness in the extremities. Later these increase to psychosis, dementia and even stroke; blackouts are very common in alcoholics.

Though the physical signs and symptoms are not given much importance the puffiness around the eyes or swelling on the face are all indicators of heavy drinking leading to water retention. The next in line is the heart which gets severely damaged due to alcoholism.

Alcoholism symptoms like palpitations and throbbing are commonly reported, the reason being increased blood pressure. With raised blood pressure the heart starts getting larger; the cardiac muscles weaken and can lead to cardiac failure or angina.

The stomach is said to be the centre of the body, when this central organ gets affected most of the other body functions go hay wire. The mucosa of the stomach that is the lining gets eroded due to the alcohol causing inflammation or gastritis ending in gastric ulcers. Alcoholism symptoms get serious when the liver gets involved; it gets inflamed and enlarges with fatty tissue and scar tissue. All the metabolic functions of the liver get affected and deranged, from bile production to clotting factor manufacture.

This gives many symptoms from pain in abdomen, yellowish discoloration of skin and eyes, nausea, loss of appetite and diarrhoea. The end stage liver disease will give additional symptoms of cirrhosis like enlarged portal veins, capillary formations on the skin and abnormal or delayed blood clotting.

The blood chemistry is also altered with reduction in the production of white blood cells the immune mechanism of the body is down, this makes the addict susceptible to most infections. The worst symptom is the mental psychosis, altered nature and extreme tendency towards violence. All these symptoms make alcoholism a collective packet of many different illnesses, which are brought on oneself by the conscious consumption of alcohol.

The fact of the matter is that we can be saved from most of these illnesses if we just say no to alcohol.

Liver disease is a condition that is very common. It affects more people that you think. If you suspect yourself of having a liver disease symptom, then review your other symptoms to help you determine whether it is necessary that you take appropriate action to help protect your liver.

Liver disease symptoms can be hard to detect initially. For example, you may not realize that a loss of energy is associated with liver diseases. Little energy often is the first sign of liver problems and are readily confused with a myriad of other problems, including simple factors such as a reaction to a seasonal change or a lack of sleep.
A more obvious liver disease symptom is jaundice. Jaundice can cause a yellowing of the skin tone.

This is often accompanied by poor appetite and digestion. Digestive problems can also result in weight loss vitamin or mineral deficiencies. You may also find that you experience a bloating in the abdomen.
Another liver disease symptom to look out for is a change in the color of bowel movements.

Change in bile levels can give stools a lighter color. You may also find that your urination and thirst increase dramatically, although these can also be symptoms of diabetes as well.
In many cases of liver disease, an overuse of alcohol is the cause.

Liver disease shows a direct relationship between the amount of time and volume of alcohol consumed and the severity of damage to the liver; although overall health, nutrition, and genetic predisposition have some impact.

Malnutrition increases the odds of having liver disease.
By the time you discover your symptoms, it is very likely that your liver has been under strain for a period of time.

This being the case, you would need to reduce the overload on your liver. Some liver cleansing with herbs that aid in liver detoxification will help. Give your body and immune system a chance to recover. You may want to check with your health care professional how best to go about cleansing your liver and to strengthen it.
If you find yourself having liver disease symptoms, then ensure that you drink one half to one gallon of pure water per day to flush your liver. Incorporate foods rich in antioxidants in your diet to protect your tissues.

Consume herbal teas to provide protective and healing ingredients while flushing your liver with fluids.
A liver disease symptom may not be easily detectable, but due attention is needed if your liver is not working properly. If you are an alcoholic, then you would need to you would need to stop your drinking habits and go on a liver cleanse. It is crucial that you provide your body with proper nutrients and sufficient hydration so that it can function well.

As far as the body is concerned, alcohol is a poison. Some of the effects of chronic alcohol consumption include damage to the brain (women may be more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption), liver, pancreas, duodenum, and central nervous system. Alcoholism causes metabolic damage to every cell in the body and depresses the immune system. It may take years before the consequences of excessive drinking become evident, but if an alcoholic continues to drink, his or her life span may be shortened by ten to fifteen years or more.

Alcohol is broken down in the liver. The repeated consumption of alcohol inhibits the liver’s production of enzymes, impairing the body’s ability to absorb proteins, fats, and the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), as well as B-complex vitamins (especially thiamine and folic acid) and other water-soluble vitamins. Many essential nutrients are not retained for use by the body; they are rapidly eliminated through the urine. The toxic effect of alcohol on the liver is very serious. First, excessive amounts of fat accumulate in the liver, a result of alcohol’s effect on the body’s ability to digest fats properly. Next, the alcoholic may develop hepatitis, a condition in which liver cells become inflamed and may die. The final, usually fatal, stage of alcoholic liver damage is cirrhosis of the liver, a disease characterized by inflammation, hardening, and scarring of the liver This prevents the normal passage of blood through the liver, inhibiting the organ’s ability to filter out toxins and foreign substances.

The liver is one of the most robust organs of the body. It is the only organ that has the ability to regenerate itself after certain types of damage. Up to 25 percent of the liver can be removed, and within a short period of time, it will grow back to its original shape and size. It continually takes abuse, but if cared for properly, it will function more than adequately for decades. Alcohol is one of the toxins that the liver doesn’t handle as well as others. The liver cannot regenerate after being severely damaged by alcohol.

There are many other health consequences of alcoholism as well. Alcoholics often experience damage to their peripheral nervous systems. This damage may show up initially as a loss of sensation in the hands or feet, with an accompanying difficulty in walking. Chronic drinking also causes inflammation of the pancreas. This further hampers the body’s ability to digest fats and other nutrients, and can lead to diabetes.

Alcoholics face an in creased risk of mouth and throat cancer due to the direct toxicity of the alcohol. They may also experience high blood pressure, reduced testosterone production, visible dilation of blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface, and pathological enlargement of the heart that can progress to congestive heart failure.

The social consequences of alcoholism can be very destructive as well. Alcohol abuse takes a tremendous toll on society through traffic and other accidents, poor job performance, and emotional damage to entire families.

Alcoholism and pregnancy

Drinking during pregnancy is particularly dangerous. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects and increases the chance of miscarriage. Alcohol passes through the mother’s placenta and into the fetal circulation. This toxic substance depresses the central nervous system of the fetus. Further, the fetal liver must try to metabolize the alcohol, but since the fetus’s liver is not fully developed, the alcohol remains in the fetal circulation. Women who drink during pregnancy generally give birth to babies with lower birth weights. Their growth may be retarded or stunted; their brains may be smaller than normal, and there may be mental retardation as well. Limbs, joints, fingers, and facial features may be deformed. Heart and kidney defects may occur. Some children exposed to alcohol in uterus become hyperactive at adolescence and exhibit learning disabilities. Every drink a pregnant woman consumes increases her child’s risk of being born with fetal alcohol syndrome, and also increases her chances of miscarriage. Even moderate amounts of alcohol may be harmful, especially in the first three to four months of pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms

Alcoholism is often accompanied by the following signs and symptoms. Symptoms vary with the amount of alcohol taken and how long it has been abused.

Craving for alcohol
Inability to control drinking habits
Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking
Tolerance (the need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects)
Psychological, social, occupational dysfunction
Malnutrition, anorexia
Cardiovascular symptoms (leading cause of death)
Increased levels of cancer (second leading cause of death)
Repeated infections—for example, tuberculosis, urinary tract infections
Lung conditions—complicated by smoking; for example, respiratory failure, pneumonia
Central nervous system disorders—unsteady gait or stance; cognitive impairment; psychiatric manifestations (for example, mood, anxiety, psychotic disorders); blackouts; coma; sleep disruptions
Diarrhea, vomiting
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Men—increased sexual drive with decreased ability to maintain an erection
Women—miscarriage, stopping of menstrual periods
Inflammation of the pancreas
Hepatitis (a disease of the liver)
Poor wound healing
Buildup of fluid in the body
Swollen, painful muscles, paralysis, lack of reflexes
Increased bone fractures
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Hypothermia (reduction of body temperature)

Moderate drinking

Alcoholism is caused by chronic over-consumption of alcohol.

Moderate drinking is probably best defined as the level of drinking that poses a low risk of alcohol-related problems, both for the drinker and for others. It is difficult to give a quantitative definition of moderate drinking because alcohol can have different effects on different individuals.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health of Ontario and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse defines moderation, or ‘low risk drinking guidelines’ as follows: ‘Healthy adults who choose to drink should limit alcohol consumption to 2 or fewer standard drinks per day, with consumption not exceeding 14 standard drinks a week for men and 9 standard drinks per week for women.

Who’s Most At Risk?

People with the following conditions or characteristics are at a higher-than-average risk for developing alcoholism.
Genetically predisposed
Preexisting psychiatric disorder
Began consuming alcohol at an early age
Stress

What to Expect at Your Health Provider’s Office

If you or someone you care for is experiencing symptoms associated with alcoholism, you should see your health care provider. He or she can help make a diagnosis and guide you in determining which treatment or combination of therapies including alternative therapies will work best.

Your provider will take a history and do a physical exam to look for specific organ damage or trauma and to evaluate if your muscles are tender or weak. Laboratory tests will reveal any indicators of alcoholism, such as high blood alcohol. Imaging techniques may be used to diagnose alcohol-related disorders.

Treatment Options

- prevention

The nature of treatment depends on the severity of your alcoholism and available resources, and must address both medical issues and rehabilitation. Treatments may be provided in a hospital, a residential treatment setting, or on an outpatient basis.

- treatment plan

To understand treatment and make the right treatment choices, it helps to have an overview. Treatment is often seen as having four general phases:

Getting started (assessment and evaluation of disease symptoms and accompanying life problems, making treatment choices and developing a plan)
Detoxification (stopping use)
Active treatment (residential treatment or therapeutic communities, intensive and regular outpatient treatment, medications to help with alcohol craving and discourage alcohol use, medications to treat concurrent psychiatric illnesses, 12-step programs, other self-help and mutual-help groups)
Maintaining sobriety and relapse prevention (outpatient treatment as needed, 12-step programs, other self-help and mutual-help groups)

Promising types of counseling and complementary alternative medicine teach people to identify situations and feelings that trigger their urge to drink and to find new ways to cope without using include alcohol use. In addition, because the involvement of family members is important to the recovery, many programs also offer marital counseling and family therapy as part of the treatment process. Some programs also link up individuals with community resources, such as legal assistance, job training, child-care, and parenting classes.

Here are 12 questions to consider when selecting an alcohol or substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation program, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (USA):
1. Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you?

2. Is the program run by accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals?

3. Is the facility clean, organized and well-run?

4. Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)?

5. Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services?

6. Is long-term aftercare support and/or guidance encouraged, provided and maintained?

7. Is there ongoing assessment of an individual’s treatment plan to ensure it meets changing needs?

8. Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?

9. Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual’s ability to function in the family/community?

10. Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen, if appropriate?

11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help guide patients back to abstinence?

12. Are services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand addiction and the recovery process to help them support the recovering individual?

- prognosis

Recovery from alcoholism is a life-long process. In fact, people who have suffered from alcoholism are encouraged to refer to themselves ever after as “a recovering alcoholic,” never a recovered alcoholic. This is because most researchers in the field believe that, since the potential for alcoholism is still part of the individual’s biological and psychological makeup, one can never fully recover from alcoholism. The potential for relapse (returning to illness) is always there, and must be acknowledged and respected. Statistics suggest that, among middle-class alcoholics in stable financial and family situations who have undergone treatment, 60% or more can be successful at an attempt to stop drinking for at least a year, and many for a lifetime.

- drug therapies

Your provider may prescribe the following medications.

• Tranquilizers called benzodiazepines which are used during the first few days of treatment to help patients safely withdraw from alcohol

• Antipsychotic medications for people who do not respond to benzodiazepines

• Naltrexone, a recently approved medication to help people remain sober. When used in combination with counseling, this medication may lessen the craving for alcohol and help prevent a return to heavy drinking.

• Disulfiram, an older medication, which discourages drinking by causing nausea, vomiting, and other unpleasant physical reactions when alcohol is used

Medications for specific organ damage or for symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal.

- complementary and alternative therapies

A comprehensive treatment plan for alcoholism may include a range of complementary and alternative therapies.

– nutrition (Western Medicine)

A well-balanced, nutritionally adequate diet helps to stabilize alcohol-induced blood-sugar fluctuations and decrease cravings. Following these tips can help reduce symptoms.

• Eliminate simple sugars.

• Increase complex carbohydrates (whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole-grain products).

• Consume adequate protein. (If you eat meat, steer yourself toward the leanest cuts. If you like dairy products, skim or low-fat versions are healthier choices. Beans, soy, nuts, and whole grains offer protein without much saturated fat and with plenty of healthful fiber and micronutrients).

• Increase essential fatty acids (essential fatty acids – two polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs] that cannot be made in the body are linoleic acid [omega 6 family – e.g. oils from Safflower, Sunflower, Corn, Soya, Evening primrose, Pumpkin, Wheatgerm] and alpha-linolenic acid [omega 3 family – e.g. Linseed (flaxseeds), Rapeseed (canola), Soya beans]. They must be provided by diet and are known as essential fatty acids. Within the body both can be converted to other PUFAs such as arachidonic acid, or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In the body PUFAs are important for maintaining the membranes of all cells; for making prostaglandins which regulate many body processes which include inflammation and blood clotting. Another requirement for fat in the diet is to enable the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K to be absorbed from food; and for regulating body cholesterol metabolism.)

• Decrease saturated fats and fried foods (saturated fats – usually derived from animal sources e.g. lard, suet and butter. Saturated and monounsaturated fats are not necessary in the diet as they can be made in the human body).

• Avoid caffeine.

Potentially beneficial nutrient supplements include the following.

• Vitamin B1 (50 to 100 mg a day – Alcoholics are deficient in B vitamins, especially B1 )

• Vitamin B2 (50 mg a day), B3 (25 mg a day), B5 (100 mg a day – Aids the body in alcohol detoxification. Needed to counteract stress), B6 (50 to 100 mg a day), B12 (100 to 1,000 mg a day)

• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids (3,000 to 10,500 mg a day in divided doses – )

• Vitamin E (400 IU a day) to protect the heart

• Calcium (2,000mg daily at bedtime) a vital mineral that has a sedative effect

• Magnesium (250 – 1000 mg ) to decrease withdrawal symptoms

• Selenium (200 mcg a day) to protect the liver

• Zinc (15 mg a day) to aid metabolism

• Amino acids: carnitine (500 mg two times a day) to protect the liver, glutamine (1 g a day) to decrease cravings, glutathione (300 mg a day) to protect liver and heart

• Multienzyme complex (as directed on label. Take with meals – To aid digestion) plus proteolytic enzymes – As directed on label. Take between meals – Essential for assimilation of protein. Caution: Do not give these supplements to a child.)

• Chromium (250 to 500 mcg twice a day) helps reduce sugar cravings and reduces low blood sugar related to alcohol cravings.

- herbs

Herbs are generally available as dried extracts (pills, capsules, or tablets), teas or decoctions, or tinctures (alcohol extraction, unless otherwise noted). Dose for teas is 1 tsp/cup water steeped for 10 minutes (roots need 20 minutes). Herbal extracts made with alcohol should be avoided in alcoholics. For TCM herbs the dosage is prescribed by the TCM Practitioner or Herbalist.

- Western Herbs

The use of certain Western herbal remedies may offer relief from symptoms.

• Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): 80 to 200 mg three times a day, to support the liver

• Primrose oil (Oenothera biennis ): 1,000mg 3 times daily, with meals. Used successfully in Europe, this supplement is a good source of essential fatty acids.

• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): 2 to 8 g of root three times a day in tea, or 5 ml three times a day of leaf tincture helps detoxify the liver. Works well with milk thistle.

• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): historic use for hysteria, tension, and nervous disorders, especially anxiety; a cup of tea before bed can help insomnia.

• Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis ) has a calming effect. It is best taken at bedtime.

• Desiccated liver capsules (500 mg three times a day) help heal liver tissue.

- Traditional Medicine Herbs & Diet

Dietary plan for the Garden of Eden: In the book of Genesis, Chapter one, verse 29, God tells man what he should eat: “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seeds; to you shall be for food.”

Certain cooling, detoxifying foods are commonly prescribed by (TCM) in the treatment of alcoholism: tofu, mung bean sprouts, mung beans, fresh wheat germ, romaine lettuce, banana, either sugar cane or dried unrefined cane juice, pears, and spinach. Honey eaten by the spoonful until satiation during a hangover reduces the desire for more alcohol. Soups are helpful and provide a good medium for tofu, mung beans, romaine lettuce, and spinach in the diet.

Kudzu or Ge Gen (otherwise known as Pueraria lobata) is one of the earliest medicinal plants used in TCM. Researchers at the Center for Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA have many profound pharmacological actions including antidipsotropic (anti-alcohol abuse) activity. Although both the roots and flowers of Kudzu (Ge Gen), Radix and Flos Puerariae, respectively, have been used to treat alcohol abuse safely and effectively in China for more than a millennium (reduce cravings).

The herb American ginseng, Xi Yang Shen in Mandarin, (Panax quinquefolium) is prized in East Asia for the treatment of alcoholism, and may be used in conjunction with the golden seal or chaparral formulas. In the event of extreme weakness, American ginseng is indicated as part of the regeneration diet herbal formula containing it in equal parts (in fact this formula is a hybrid between Chinese and Native American traditional medicine):

Suma root (Pfaffia paniculata)
Dried Ling Zhi (Reishi – Ganoderma lucidum ), Maitake, or Shiitake mushroom
Job’s tear’s seeds (Coix lacryma-jobi)
American/Canadian Ginseng root (Panax quinquefolium)
Astragalus root (Astragalus membranaceus)
Because of its warming nature, do not use Chinese or Korean Panax ginseng. Avoid warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper.

After a cleansing program that purges heat and other signs of excess, high protein sources can be added for one to two years to rebuild the liver. It is very important to tonify the body after or even simultaneously because during cleansing a lot of qi (energy) is lost. TCM purging (cleansing) herb formula are balanced from this stand point.

Especially beneficial is spirulina or other green micro-algae; in cases of weakness, small amounts (1—3 ounces) of animal products may be necessary three or four times per week: sardine, mackerel, tuna, pork liver, and pork or beef kidney.

- Homeopathy

An experienced homeopath can prescribe a regimen for treating alcoholism that is designed especially for you. Some of the most common acute remedies are listed below.

• Arsenicum album for anxiety and compulsiveness, with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

• Nux vomica for irritability and compulsiveness with constipation, nausea, and vomiting

• Lachesis for cravings for alcohol, headaches, and difficulty swallowing

• Lycopodium for low self-esteem, heartburn, impotence

Acute dose is three to five pellets of 12X to 30C every one to four hours until symptoms are relieved.

- Acupuncture

Alcoholics who stop drinking often experience withdrawal symptoms, especially during the first week or so that they abstain from alcohol. Insomnia, visual and auditory hallucinations, convulsions, acute anxiety, a rapid pulse, profuse perspiration, and fever can occur. With time, however, and with appropriate supervision if necessary, these symptoms pass and the alcoholic is set free to begin the lifelong work of recovery.

Acupuncture can help committed people to stop drinking by reducing or eliminating the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol abstinence and reducing cravings. Ear and/or body acupuncture can be used by TCM practitioners to treat people with alcoholism based on an individualized and thorough assessment of the excesses and deficiencies of qi (life force) located in various meridians. In the case of alcoholism, a qi deficiency is usually detected in the liver meridian, while the gallbladder meridian tends to contain excess qi. From a TCM perspective the related syndromes of addiction to alcohol or other substances can be defined as follows:

• liver qi stagnation (swellings, lumps, distended abdomen and chest, tension, thyroid problems, repressed emotions, frustration, anger, impatience), which over time leads to liver heat (red face, eyes, and tongue, insomnia, splitting headaches, constipation, aggression, violence), liver wind (moving or fluctuating pain, pulsating headache, spasms, cramps, dizziness, manic/depression) and/or deficient liver yin (dry eyes, weak vision, night blindness, dry brittle nails, and other general deficient yin signs).

• kidney-adrenal stress, resulting in deficient kidney yin (ringing in the ears, dry throat, dizziness, low backache, weak legs, red tongue, insecurity, agitation), deficient kidney yang (cold extremities, aversion to cold, weak knees and low back, frequent urination, edema, enlarged, pale tongue, lack of will power), and deficient jing (poor physical and/or mental development, inadequate brain function, early senility, impotence, dizziness, loose teeth, loss of head hair). Many drug “highs” consume massive amounts of jing essence.

• heart-mind spirit lack of balance (lack of mental focus, forgetfulness, poor sleep patterns, mental illness, speech problems, and agitation during de toxification).

• general qi deficiency (frailty, weakness, faint voice and shallow breath, little or no tongue coating, lack of motivation) and blood deficiency (pale lips, nail beds, tongue, and complexion; thinness; thin, dry hair; spots in the field of vision; irregular menstruation).

One of the primary aims in addiction work is a smooth, obstruction-releasing qi flow throughout the body-mind so that intoxicants are no longer craved. This entails clearing the liver, which directs smooth qi flow in general. Imbedded in the liver are chemical residues representing the life history of unresolved problems, denials, resentments, and repressions that have been masked by alcohol?

In addition to performing needling treatment, acupuncturists may employ other methods such as moxibustion, herbal remedies, diet and therapeutic massage.

Acupuncture has shown potential as an effective treatment for addictions, according to the studies performed in last two decades in China, Europe and North America. They found that acupuncture may reduce the desire to drink alcohol and the lower the number of admissions to alcohol detoxification centers, other studies have failed to duplicate these findings. Interestingly however, many addiction programs that currently offer acupuncture report that people appear to “like acupuncture” and, in many cases, want to continue with their detox program for longer periods of time when acupuncture is provided as a treatment option. This is very important since attendance is essential for the success of treatment.

Following Up

After initial care, medical and/or health care follow-up should continue for 6 to 12 months.

Recommendations

• Avoid all alcohol. Total abstinence is a mandatory requirement for taking back the control over your life and your health.  You cannot begin drinking again and expect to maintain control over it even after years of sobriety. As little as a sip of any drink containing alcohol can renew the drinking pattern. You must choose not to drink.

• Seek help from a person or persons knowledgeable about this disorder. Alcoholics Anonymous has been doing wonderful work for many years in helping alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety. Al-Anon is a similar group that pro vides support for the friends and families of alcoholics. The assistance and counseling services of these groups are avail able in nearly every city and town nationwide. Look in your local telephone directory for the group nearest you, or call your local mental health association for information.

• If possible, consult a nutritionally oriented physician or a TCM practitioner to determine your specific nutritional needs.

• Go on a ten-day live juice and cleansing fast to remove toxins from the body quickly.

• Eat a nutrient-dense diet of fresh whole foods, organically grown if possible, and follow the nutritional supplement program outlined above. Your primary foods should be raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

• Avoid saturated fats and fried foods, which put stress on the liver. For essential fatty acids, use primrose oil supplements plus small amounts of cold-pressed organic vegetable oils.

• Do not consume refined sugar or anything that contains it. Alcoholics often have disorders of sugar metabolism.

• Get plenty of rest, especially in the early weeks of recovery, to allow your body to cleanse and repair itself.

• Avoid people, things, and places that are associated with drinking. Make new friendships with people who do not drink. Taking up a hobby, becoming involved in sports, and exercising (including Yoga, Tai-chi, Qi-Gong) or promote self-esteem and provide a productive outlet for energy.

• As much as possible, avoid stress. Cultivate patience, meditate, pray; this will be needed for the long, slow road to recovery.

• Do not take any drugs except for those prescribed by your physician.

• If you suspect that someone you know may be abusing alcohol, encourage the person to seek professional care.

ANNEX 1 – ‘Alcohol worse for female brains’

Pictures of the brains of more than 150 volunteers revealed how women come to more harm and quicker than men when they drink heavily.

Scientists have suspected for some time that men might be more resilient to booze than women. The German research gives visible evidence of this. The University of Heidelberg team published their findings in Alcoholism.

In the study, around half of the volunteers were alcoholics. All of the volunteers had brain scans at the start and end of the six week study. Those who were alcoholic were helped to “dry out” during the six weeks.

When the researchers analyzed the brain scan results they found obvious evidence of brain damage among the heavy drinkers.

The drinkers had smaller brains, due to loss or atrophy, than the controls.

Brain loss

Women who were heavy drinkers lost the same amount of brain volume as the drinking men, but over a much shorter period of alcohol dependence.

Lead author Professor Karl Mann said although men generally drink more alcohol, women probably develop alcohol dependence and adverse consequences more readily.

Other alcohol-related disorders, such as heart problems, depression and liver disease, also occurred earlier in women than men, he said:

“Women typically start drinking later in life, consume less…and one could reason that women are less affected by alcohol. But there is evidence for a faster progress of the events leading to dependence among female alcoholics and an earlier onset of adverse consequences of alcoholism. This suggests that women may be more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption.”

For these reasons, he said it was even more important to spot and treat alcohol abuse early in women.

A spokesman from the Institute of Alcohol Studies said: “This study supports previous findings that women experience much alcohol-related harm before men at the same level of drinking. These results are particularly concerning given the rising alcohol consumption in UK women, and the increased risk of alcohol dependence that goes with it. This worryingly suggests that alcohol-related damage experienced by women in the UK is set to increase rapidly in the coming years.”

Detect the signs of alcoholism with the help of this checklist.