Alcoholism Symptoms

People face ailments of all sorts. They range from the obvious physical problems to diseases of the mind along with various other troubling conditions. One of the most pernicious - largely because it is self-induced and frequently difficult to acknowledge - is alcoholism.

There are a number of tests and tools used to identify possible alcoholism symptoms. Many of these tools are self-administered or professionally administered questionnaires. These are designed to help the alcohol abuser identify his or her own symptoms of addiction.

There are five major tests used by addiction counselors and alcohol abuse programs. These include the CAGE questionnaire, the Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire, the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Paddington Alcohol Test. To learn more about each one, keep reading.

The CAGE Questionnaire

The CAGE Questionnaire is named after each of the four questions that are used to screen an alcohol user for possible abuse and addiction. These four simple questions ask if the person has ever felt the need to cut down on their drinking, whether people have ever criticized their drinking patterns, if they feel guilt about their drinking habits and whether they felt the need to have a drink first thing in the morning.

The person is then initially diagnosed with alcoholism if answering “yes” to two or more of the above questions. It’s designed specifically for alcoholism and not intended to be used to identify other drug dependencies.

The ADDQ (Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire)

The ADDQ not only attempts to identify alcohol dependence, but also determine the severity of that dependence. It’s a little more comprehensive than other tests and typically takes a few minutes to administer.

The questionnaire is comprised of 15 questions and rates respondents on a scale of 0 to 45. A score of 1 to 9 indicates low dependence, 10 to 19 denotes medium dependence, and any score higher than 20 suggests high dependence. It is used predominantly in Europe.

The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST)

The MAST is a popular testing system that’s most often used by the legal system. It’s typically administered to test whether an individual has an alcohol problem before they are sentenced, charged or convicted of an alcohol-related offense.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

The AUDIT was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is intended to be used throughout the world. It has been tested and validated in six countries in both independent and WHO-sponsored studies.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test consists of ten basic questions and covers three sets of issues. These include the respondent’s level of alcohol consumption, their dependence on alcohol to function and how alcohol has negatively affected daily life.

The Paddington Alcohol Test

The PAT was created for emergency health workers to use when dealing with someone who had a possibly alcohol-related injury or was in the ER due to hazardous drinking. It’s intended to identify alcohol abuse issues so that the patient may be directed to the proper care and resources.

Each of these tests is designed to score a patient based on their alcoholism symptoms. Some are simple and take a few seconds (the CAGE) while others are more complicated (the Michigan). Each has been validated and serves a helpful purpose unique to its design.

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As so many people know when you fall seriously sick you need good quality medical attention. You will be able to get this attention from any of the hospitals in your area but for superior health care the best place to go to is St. Francis hospital. This hospital is located in Hartford, Connecticut and it is a hospital that is dedicated to giving the best care that it can to the many patients who enter its doors. For all of these people the many services that St. Francis provides is just what they need.

While the many different hospitals in the Connecticut area will be able to provide you with a friendly service the St. Francis hospital takes this service a step further by showing the compassionate side that so many people who are in hospitals for either short stays or long stays, want to have shown to them.

As St. Francis Hospital is connected to the healthcare ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, you will find that the hospital considers it mission to help people as being a part of their faith. This is the reason why St. Francis hospital has strived to improve the quality of the people who live in the surrounding community. With this commitment to community enrichment and development you will find that St. Francis Hospital is a place that you can find your life being enriched even while you are being in the physical recovery process.

To help you to find out the various service and facilities that you can find in the hospital St. Francis has developed a web site that makes searching for items about the hospital easier. With this website you will find that the information that is given to the public is constantly updated. This means that you will be able access both old information and the ongoing current information.

There are special programs that let you interact with the St. Francis Hospital web site. One of the links that you can find on this web site will provide you with an easy and fast way to locate doctors from the hospital. You can find information about these medical practitioners from this site.

Another program is for you to be able to e-mail a patient who is in the hospital. This facility allows you to let the person know that you care about their progress in hospital even though you are unable to visit them. These and other services that St. Francis Hospital provides for its patients and visitors means you know that anyone one who is a patient at this hospital will have the highest care and service that any hospital will be able to provide.

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How is life treating you these days? Are you completely jovial and content with your life overall? Okay, stop right there. The truth of the matter is that most of us are not completely ecstatic about every single aspect of our lives. Sure, a few things can be improved. Whether it’s losing that spare tire around your waist, or making some extra income, most of us want more. This is normal in our world. However, when it comes to your life as a whole, you should be fairly satisfied. I know that I am. If you aren’t, then I suggest making some changes. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not referring to illegal changes, such as drugs or criminal activity, but rather to social and/or employment alterations. The last thing you want to do is take up a drug habit in order to achieve some bogus euphoric state of bliss. If you do go this route, you’d better count on future drug addiction treatment or death. That’s just reality.

Have you ever acquired or known someone who received drug addiction treatment? This is a sad reality in our sometimes harsh world. So many individuals turn to drugs when things aren’t going their way. Get a life, people! Or at least get some will power. The last thing on your mind should be illegal substances. With all that we know regarding drugs these days, you’d basically have to be an ignorant idiot to even try them. This is what I tell my kids so that they never end up needing drug addiction treatment. I sat down with my teenager and wrote out the pros and cons to doing drugs. She was amazed at how many cons there are. And in reality there plain and simply aren’t any pros. Therefore, what would anyone want drugs for? It’s a no-win situation that only leads to death and destruction of self. Trust me; I’ve seen others take the drug route. One guy I knew in college was a former cocaine addict. These days he complains of the damage done to his mind. He apparently has reoccurring nightmares about demons trying to get him. Yikes!

Are you in need of Drug Treatments? Well, if you are, then I would suggest that you get help as soon as possible. The earlier you seek drug addiction treatment and squelch the affliction, the better off you are. Get online and check out all the treatment centers near you. After all, do you really want to be seeing demons for the rest of your life?

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I think my girlfriend is addicted to drugs. I’ve told her that it makes me Alcohol Addiction and he’s said he’ll stop looking at it but he hasn’t. I’ve caught her many times with it downloaded on his computer or it left in the DVD player and I don’t know what to do. It makes me mad when I catch her just for the reason that he made the promise to me not to do it. It makes me not want to trust her because he keeps breaking his promise.

Now as I sit here typing this I feel I don’t really have anyone to turn to for help. I still feel 100% regretful and wish I could take back every moment from 72 hours ago. I have since called the person and apologized a million times over, but still no response. It all really depends on how much you know your significant other, how much you love her/her, but I would probably end up doing the same thing, however, leaving might be a bit too extreme and will possibly send them back to drugs.

My girlfriend and I have been in an unofficial sort of relationship for years but only recently decided to Alcohol Addiction - we can’t help but leave around one another. We’ve loved each other for a long time, and now we really have each other for real. We should be up in the clouds. Unfortunately we’ve both been dealing with major issues as of late, plus we are both alcoholics.

I hope that he accepts thus I can alleviate some of my worrying. But still which direction should I turn? My parents don’t really seem to have any alleviating advice. Thus I think I’m going to try and phone ADAAC or a physiatrist. Can anyone out there relate as to such or at least perhaps off some guidelines and to which direction you may think I should head.

If you’re single, I would say as often as you can or want to. It’s still okay in a relationship, but if I do it too much I start to notice I’m not interested in sex as much, which can have an effect on the relationship.

I realized last year and have been Alcohol Addiction ever since. He’s in pain, and really down on herself as he’s been dealing with this and other life issues for lots of years. There are times he actually says he gives up and tries to do unhealthy things just on the off chance they’re unhealthy enough. He tells me he’s no good for me and all I can see is that he’s no good for herself, he’s very proud and brilliant so I can’t really say much to help her that he’ll listen to until he’s really down emotionally.

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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.

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I just saw a biography of former first lady Betty Ford, who, after hiding her depression and loneliness with alcohol and prescription drugs (and hiding her addiction), found that when push came to shove getting recovery and opening your own alcohol and drug treatment center worked wonders on the self-esteem, the self-worth, and the self-survival process.

Once Mrs. Ford (or is that Lady Ford?) outed herself, she gave license to other celebrities to acknowledge, get help for, and heal from their own private addictions. And at the same time that Lady Ford was establishing a drug and alcohol treatment center for the well-to-do, those of us who could not afford such expensive recoveries were using the longstanding clinics, therapies, and twelve-step programs that worked for millions.

In other words, when seeking drug and alcohol treatment, we have literally hundreds of options (as another show airing that same week revealed, for example, with its intervention efforts to get bulimics to clinics, speed freaks to intervention centers, and alcoholics to recovery facilities across the nation).

We are blessed with alternatives. I mean alternatives in the sense that for some, drug and alcohol treatment centers with tough love, confrontation-style approaches are the only things that will kick our butts into change, while for others the kid-glove treatment of therapists is necessary to our growth, and for still others the rough and ready rigors of a 12-step program such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the only way to heal.

There’s no need to begrudge the upper class, the wealthy, the elite for having a “different” or “better” program than we peons and proletariats have. The fact that one type of drug and alcohol treatment program costs thousands and another drug and alcohol recovery system is cheap or free has nothing to do with quality of recovery. What works for the individual is what is important. And how one works his or her program is imperative.

That is, in one recovery system the premise is that an addict or alcoholic (or both) should go to the same lengths to get recovery as he or she went to get loaded. Following this formula of sorts, then, Robert Downey Junior will spend a few grand to heal from the extravagant binges he has fallen prey to, Joe Blow, the truck driver who succumbed to lifting TV sets and stereos to get a fix will now volunteer his time at a music school to get himself “fixed”.

In the end it all works out to reveal we are all similar; we all have a disease that needs to be squashed, and we all have to work at working it for it to work. Or to echo one sentiment (developed by way of Mr. Bill and Dr. Bob (founders of AA), “There are no big shots or little shots. One shot, and we’re all shot.”

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Dealing With Alcoholism

Whether it is you, or someone you love, dealing with alcoholism may be one of the toughest things you have to do within your lifetime. Alcoholism, like taking drugs or smoking, is a tough burden to carry, and many times it can lead to disaster. When dealing with alcoholism, you have to expect the worst and hope for the best.

The first step in dealing with alcoholism is admitting there is a problem. There are many guidelines you can follow to figure out if you or someone you love may have a drinking problem, but common sense will tell you right away. If someone’s drinking is out of hand, and this is having a negative impact on his or her life, and the lives of others, there is a problem that must be dealt with immediately. In most cases, dealing with alcoholism is a two way street. You generally cannot help someone who will not admit they have a problem, and this leads to a lot of pain before the person has to finally admit there may be something wrong.

There are many places that can help an alcoholic deal with alcoholism. Perhaps the most well known place is Alcoholic Anonymous. These folks have a tried and true plan designed to help people with drinking problems. Many people quit drinking, and rely on AA to help them in dealing with alcoholism for the rest of their lives. There is also help out there for families of alcoholics. These groups help family members who are dealing with alcoholism and the effect it has had on their family. They learn how to help the individual cope with their new life, and also to help keep the family unit strong.

When dealing with alcoholism, remember that it is indeed a disease. You may have little pity, but remember that this disease may mean the death of your friend, spouse, or family member if they don’t get help. This can leave a huge hole in your life that you cannot fill. If you are dealing with alcoholism, but don’t know where to turn, you can find great information and help online. Look through sites to find what you are looking for, and trust that there is help out there. You don’t need to live your life under the influence of alcoholism, whether it is your own, or if it is a problem for someone you love.

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Would you consider yourself a big drinker? Or are you more like me; some one who likes a beer or glass of fine wine once in a while? I will be the first to tell you that the second one is a much safer and healthier route. The whole machismo heavy drinking thing is highly over-rated. Nothing good can come from it. That should be all you need to know of something. If nothing positive results, then why do it? Before you know it, you’ll be a loser who lost his/her job and can barely afford alcoholism treatment. Is that where you really want to take your life? I seriously doubt it. There are much finer paths to take.

You’d better believe alcoholism treatment is quite prominent these days. I’m sure you see celebrities in the tabloids and other forms of media who struggle with alcohol. Don’t buy into their “I live a troubled and stressful life” garbage. Do you really thing these privileged individuals receiving alcoholism treatment have it rough. Give me a break. I don’t care about the movie role they didn’t get or how often their parents paid attention to them during their childhood. Bla, bla, bla! There are people on this planet that really have it rough. Try living in poverty for one day in some Third World country without a single meal. Try spending a year in Iraq, fighting and worrying about death on a regular basis. Then talk to me about troubles and hardships. Most people don’t even know what the words mean. Anyway, we still have oodles of individuals receiving alcoholism treatment. I think much of this is brought on at an early age. After all, life is about choices. Do you not choose whether or not you chug beer or mixed drinks on a daily basis? I think it’s all up to you.

Do you know someone who’s in dire need of alcoholism treatment? If this is the case, then maybe it’s time you stepped in with a helping hand. It is your problem as well simply because you know about it. Why let them grapple with it on their own for all eternity? Especially if you know they won’t help themselves. Get them involved with alcoholism treatment as soon as possible. Don’t wait for their luck to run out or their health to fail. Read more about alcoholism treatment online today. This is what the web is for.

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The Facts About Alcohol Addiction

If you are suffering from an alcohol addiction, you are not alone. Alcoholism is a word that sometimes has negative social connotations, and just because a person drinks alcohol does not mean that they are an alcoholic. The amount of alcohol consumed varies greatly from person to person that develops alcoholism, and is also affected by genetic predisposition, and social and emotional health. Alcohol by definition is a disease that results from a persistent use of alcohol despite negative personal, emotional, financial, and professional consequences. Heavy alcohol use accompanied by dependence and symptoms of withdrawal, and the inability to recognize that every bad thing has been related to an alcohol addiction. The sometimes uncontrollable urge to drink leads to constant preoccupation with the drug.

According to numerous online sources, the most common substance of abuse resulting in dependence in patients presenting for treatment is alcohol. Overcoming an addiction to anything can be difficult, but there is help and hope available to people who want to stop drinking and get their lives back on track. The mind is more powerful than any drug, and to discover this is to truly be on the road to recovery. Addicts have to make a conscious choice to get and stay sober, one day at a time, and learn how to control the cravings. It’s not something that can be done alone, which is why there are treatment facilities all over the country, most of which are privately owned substance abuse recovery centers. The philosophy of AA or Alcoholics Anonymous has proven to be helpful to many alcoholics in their fight against alcohol addiction, and the program is often used as an adjunct treatment with other therapies, such as in an inpatient setting. AA also encourages communication with a sponsor to help guide the addict through the recovery process, and provide support while working through the program.

Learn more about effects of alcohol as well as alcohol facts and the truth about alcohol addiction. Some online literature discusses at length what drives alcohol addiction, detailing the effects of alcohol and describes some of the research being done to correct drinking problems. Alcohol continues to be the most greatly abused substance despite the wide-spread negative consequences. Even after public outbursts, divorce, loss of employment, revocation of driving privileges, and loss of life and limb, alcoholics continue to drink because it is so highly addicted in people who are predisposed to this disease. If you or someone you know is giving part of their life to alcohol, encourage them to get help. It may take a series of bad events to get the point across, and for many alcoholics, this is what it takes to see their illness in a different light.

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Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are problems that plague people across the world, regardless of racial or economic background, and result in over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. Roughly 10 percent of people who use alcohol will become alcohol abusers, another 10 percent will become alcoholics. To clarify, ‘alcohol abuse’ is the behavior that precedes the disease ‘alcoholism’, and though it doesn’t always lead to the disease it can in itself be very disruptive to an individual’s life. Alcohol treatment is recommended for both alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Even though people widely regard it as a harmless beverage, alcohol is a very addictive drug in the class of chemicals sometimes referred to as hypnotic sedatives. Some other hypnotic sedatives include benzodiazapines (Valium, Xanax, Klonipin, etc), and barbiturates (Phenobarbital, Seconal, Barbitol, etc). Alcohol is the most toxic, addictive, and widely used of the hypnotic sedatives. All of these chemicals can lead to a tissue dependence to the substance and moderate to severe cravings following discontinued use. The ‘withdrawal’ symptoms for these sedatives can range from mild discomfort to severe anxiety, rapid heartbeat, heart palpitations, profusive sweating, severe nausea, nightmares, hallucinations, tremors, dizziness, disorientation, seizures and death. Because the withdraw symptoms for these chemicals are so serious, it is extremely dangerous to discontinue use of these drugs without first seeking the aid of a doctor or a drug and alcohol treatment professional.

There are many resources available across the internet, and many professionals that can help you determine if you are suffering from either alcohol abuse or alcoholism. Once developed, alcoholism is a lifelong condition that only gets worse with time, unless alcohol treatment is sought. If you are having problems resulting from your drinking, it is therefore highly recommended that you investigate treatment options as soon as possible.

The greatest barrier toward recovery from alcohol abuse is an unwillingness to seek help on the part of the abuser. It is important to keep in mind that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are disorders that afflict millions of people around the world. It has nothing to do with a lack of willpower, or poor character. Like all addictions, alcoholism is a neurologically scripted compulsive behavior that once develops is impossible to fight without help.

The good news is alcohol treatments are often effective. Don’t be dissuaded by the low percentages shown in studies done on treatment methods. While its true, most treatments have a fairly low percentage of ‘success’, they almost always induce some amount of progress for the patient. Addictions are not likely to be overcome immediately, and almost always involve setbacks and relapses. However, with time and repeated attempts, alcohol treatment is effective for most people.

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