Alcohol Abuse Facts

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One of the key alcohol abuse facts or info about alcohol abuse is this:  alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that can result in physical injury; ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at school, work, or at home; and/or the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems (such as receiving multiple DWIs and DUIs) during a twelve-month time period.

Another one of the key alcohol abuse facts is that abusive and irresponsible drinking over a period of years results in various alcohol abuse effects that are highly correlated with different diseases, medical issues, and illnesses.

An additional alcohol abuse facts that many people do not realize is that binge drinking, even if done only a few times per year, is a form of alcohol abuse.

If you abuse alcohol you could be gambling with your life.  How?  Simply this:  many individuals who drink excessively, involve themselves in binge drinking. And abusing alcohol in any fashion can eventually result in alcohol dependence which is a type of drug addiction. As a consequence, why not break the connection between abuse and alcohol in your life and do some "proactive thinking" so that you can prevent the disease of alcoholism before it ever becomes an issue?  In short, why not avoid any potentially unhealthy alcohol abuse effects and consider getting the alcohol abuse treatment that you need?

Alcohol Abuse Facts:  What is Alcohol Abuse?

Many people think that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the same.  This is incorrect.   Indeed, though both alcohol abuse and alcoholism are similar in that both point to the unfortunate connection that exists between abuse and alcohol, alcohol abuse, unlike alcoholism, does not include the loss of control due to drinking, physical dependence, or an extremely strong craving for alcohol.

Definition of Alcohol Abuse.  Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following circumstances in a twelve-month time frame:

• Drinking in situations that can result in physical injury such as operating machinery.
  
  
• Continued drinking in spite of ongoing relationship problems that are the result of drinking.
  
  
• Failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, work, or school.
  
  
• Experiencing recurring alcohol-related legal problems.  Examples include getting arrested for damaging someone's property, receiving a DUI, or for physically hurting someone while drunk.

A Definition of Alcoholism

To understand the differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, we will provide a definition of alcoholism.  Also known as alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence, alcoholism is a form of drug addiction and is a disease that includes the following symptoms:

• Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking over time or on any given occasion.
  
  
• Craving: A strong and continuing compulsion or need to drink.
  
  
• Tolerance: The need to drink increasing amounts of alcohol in order to "feel the buzz" or to "get high."
  
  
• Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms when a person stops drinking after a period of excessive drinking.  Such symptoms include: "the shakes," nausea, anxiety, and sweating.

Alcohol Abuse Facts: Causes of Alcohol Abuse

A question that has entered the minds of many people is the following: why can some individuals drink alcohol without encountering any difficulties or negative consequences while others cannot? Stated differently, why does abuse and alcohol exist for some people and not for others? One answer to this question concerns genetics.  More to the point, according to the literature about alcohol abuse, researchers have found that having an alcoholic family member increases the risk of developing alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

In fact, there may be a genetic predisposition for certain people becoming "problem drinkers."  In addition, research scientists have discovered that various environment factors can interact with one's genetics--the result being that both of these components can influence the development of alcohol related difficulties such as alcohol abuse.  Examples of these environmental aspects include where and how a person lives, a person's culture, peer influences, the relative ease of obtaining alcohol, and one's family and friends.

Unfortunately, once alcohol abuse starts, the behavior in many instances continues and can result in long term health, legal, and social difficulties.  Also unfortunate is the number of documented cases of adolescent alcohol abuse and youth alcohol abuse, especially the abuse of alcohol that takes place in high schools and on college campuses.

Statistics and Facts About Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

There are certain words that almost always go together.  Examples include the following: peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, and unfortunately, abuse and alcohol.  Regrettably, the widespread dangers and destruction of alcohol abuse do not necessarily make a full impact on people until they are introduced to relevant statistics.  As a result, we decided to include a few highly relevant abuse and alcohol statistics. 

Such alcohol abuse information, it is asserted, will not only help put alcohol abuse in a more understandable perspective, but it might help lead to better alcohol abuse prevention.  Concerning alcohol abuse statistics and basic info about alcohol abuse, according to a study undertaken by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in 2005, the following statistics about alcohol abuse and alcoholism were discovered:

• American youth who drinking before the of age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than young people who do not drink before the age of 21.  This statistic focuses on the importance of drinking at a later rather than at an earlier age.  This statistics also points out very clearly how abuse and alcohol go together, even for teenagers.
  
  
• The 25.9% of underage drinkers who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all underage drinkers.
  
  
• Every day in the U.S. more than 13,000 children and teens take their first drink.  Among other things, this means that many of these teens will understand first hand the relationship between abuse and alcohol.
  
  
• Every year, 1,400 American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related accidents and injuries, including motor vehicle accidents.  Traffic fatalities, perhaps more than any other statistics, point out the devastating realities that often result from abuse and alcohol.
  
  
• In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes.  This amount was approximately 39% of all traffic fatalities.  This amounts to one alcohol-related death every 31 minutes.  This statistic, quite honestly, is overwhelming.  Talk about abuse and alcohol---one alcohol related traffic fatality every 31 minutes and the grief and devastation suffered from these deaths is beyond comprehension.

• Here's an abuse and alcohol statistic that though logical, is something that most drinkers and non-drinkers probably do not know:  The 9.6% of adult alcoholics drink 25% of the alcohol that is consumed by all adult drinkers.
  
  
• Every year in the U.S. more than 150,000 college students develop health problem that are alcohol-related.  This is additional evidence that abuse and alcohol, unfortunately, are intimately interrelated to one another.
  
  
• Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005.  This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion).  Though dollar amounts like this are hard to comprehend, at least they make an attempt at placing a dollar value on the relationship of abuse and alcohol.

Binge Drinking

Here' some more important information about alcohol abuse.  It appears that many people do not understand that getting drunk "only" once or twice per year is neither "drinking in moderation" nor "responsible drinking."  In fact, there is a term for occasional alcohol abuse:  binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks at one sitting for women and five or more drinks at one sitting for men.  Stated differently, when an individual consumes an excessive amount of alcohol over a short period of time, or use is continuous over a number of days or weeks, this is called intensive use, bingeing, or binge drinking.  Obviously, binge drinking perfectly illustrates the relationship that exists between abuse and alcohol.

It is interesting to note that hangovers are frequently more common in light to moderate drinkers than in heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic drinking.  Therefore any man who drinks more than five drinks or any woman who has more than four drinks in one sitting is at risk for a hangover.

Binge drinking not only significantly increases the risk of injury and contracting sexually transmitted diseases, but it can also result in alcohol poisoning.  Considering the fact that 60 percent of American men between the ages of 18 and 25 binge drink and in 2002, a reported 2.6 million U.S. binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17, binge drinking is not only extremely dangerous and potentially fatal, but it is also a drinking pattern that affects millions of teens, pre-teens, and young adults.  To state the obvious, people who regularly engage in binge drinking need alcohol abuse help because they are actively engaging in the abuse of alcohol.

Alcohol Abuse Effects

Drinking alcohol to an excess typically results in a number of negative alcohol abuse effects.  For instance, one of the more typical alcohol abuse effects concerns liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.  Pancreatitis, the inflammation of the pancreas, is also highly correlated with long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Another one of the more common alcohol abuse effects concerns the many different types of cancer that are directly or indirectly interlinked with long-term abusive drinking.  Examples include cancer of the throat, kidneys, colon, liver, mouth, rectum, voice box, and esophagus.

Vitamin deficiencies, sexual problems, and ulcers also result from repetitive and continuous alcohol abuse.  And finally, another of the more typical of the alcohol abuse effects are various circulatory disease such as strokes and heart disease. In sum, it can be determined that chronic abusive and excessive drinking result in a number of negative alcohol abuse effects that manifest themselves as health-related diseases, illness, and medical problems.

Alcohol Abuse Treatment

In spite of the fact that alcohol abuse is not the same thing as alcoholism, alcohol abuse is a serious problem in the United States.  In fact, roughly 14 million Americans currently abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.  Not only this, but several million more Americans engage in risky drinking patterns such as binge drinking that could lead to chronic alcohol abuse or to alcohol dependency.

Based on the significance of this condition, there are many alcohol abuse therapeutic approaches and methodologies that help those who abuse alcohol either significantly reduce the amount and the frequency that they drink or help them totally abstain from drinking.  Due to the significance of alcohol abuse, some individuals are sure to ask the following question: "What is the most effective type of alcohol abuse treatment"?

Although there are many effective alcohol abuse treatment approaches, individuals who abuse alcohol have to first realize that they have a drinking problem before they can get the assistance they need.  Once involved in treatment, furthermore, problem drinkers need to "buy into" and follow through with the treatment protocol if they are to overcome their drinking problems.  In a word, those who abuse alcohol need to either want to quit drinking altogether or learn how to drink in moderation in order for their treatment to become successful.

Alcohol Abuse Intervention

It is important to note that if you see your family members or friends displaying any of the above listed behaviors, consider them as signs of alcohol abuse that could possibly reveal important information about alcohol abuse and treatment.  And if your family members or friends in fact do display some of these signs, they may require alcohol abuse intervention, treatment, or alcohol abuse rehab.  More specifically, your family members or friends may require alcohol abuse counseling, alcohol abuse education, or they may need to enter a treatment center or facility for alcohol abuse rehab.

Although some individuals are able to recover from chronic alcohol abuse without medical or personal help, many, if not most, people who regularly abuse alcohol need professional assistance.  Regrettably, this seems to be a fact about alcohol abuse that over time does not change significantly.  Fortunately, through treatment, rehab, and support, many individuals who abuse alcohol are able to either abstain from drinking or regulate their drinking behavior and reclaim their lives.

Alcoholism Videos

So that you can better understand the path to alcoholism that many who abuse alcohol will follow, we have included some alcoholism videos.  We feel that it is important for people who are interested in learning more about alcohol abuse to see and hear directly from various people about their struggles with alcoholism.  If you, a family member, or one of your friends has a "drinking problem," seeing what others have gone through and how they attained successful recovery is much more "real" than any information you can read about. 

These videos also illustrate once again how abuse and alcohol are interrelated.  Furthermore, watching these videos may help you understand what others with a drinking problem are experiencing.  If nothing else, these videos will provide some additional information about alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  So, if you are looking for some alcohol abuse facts or further info about abusive drinking, make sure you look at these excellent videos!

Alcohol Abuse Facts: Conclusion

Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, work, or at school; the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems; and/or drinking situations that can result in physical injury.  Long-term excessive and hazardous drinking also results in a number of negative alcohol abuse effects that manifest themselves as health-related problems such as binge drinking, liver disease, cancer, pancreatitis, heart disease, and strokes.

Unfortunately, for many people, abuse and alcohol go together similar to the way that peanut butter and jelly go together:  it appears difficult to engage in one activity without the presence of the other.  The same sort of logical connection, regrettably, applies to the terms abuse and alcohol.

There are many kinds of alcohol abuse facts that need to be examined.  Indeed, there are social, behavioral, psychological, physical, and health aspects of alcohol abuse that ironically lead to and also result from alcohol abuse.  One of the most important alcohol abuse facts, however, is this: when people frequently abuse alcohol on a regular basis, they increase the risk of becoming alcoholic.  And keep in mind that since alcohol is a drug, alcoholism is a form of drug addiction.

Stated differently, at some point, the line between alcohol abuse and alcoholism becomes blurry and the person makes the transition from being able to control his or her drinking to a total lack of control.  This is especially unfortunate when teen alcohol abuse or alcohol abuse in teens is considered.  In short, the earlier and the more frequently a youth starts to drink alcohol, the more likely he or she will eventually abuse alcohol, which can in turn, lead to alcohol dependency.  These are alcohol abuse facts and info about alcohol abuse that though based on reality, are most unfortunate.

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It is at this point that the person has become alcohol dependent.  If you abuse alcohol, do you think it is worth gambling with your life to the extent that you could become an alcoholic?

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