Alcoholism Treatment Programs in Cambridge MA (877) 804-1531
Alcohol abuse and addictions are serious issues in Cambridge as well as in the wider United States. Many people are suffering from alcoholism without the help of proper alcoholism treatment. Alcoholism treatment, however, is a person's best chance at controlling and overcoming their addiction. As such, it is vitally important to be able to understand alcoholism and the alcoholism treatment available.
Get help finding treatment centers today when you call Drug Treatment Centers Cambridge at (877) 804-1531.
What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol. It is a compulsive disorder that is both chronic and progressive. Chronic refers to the fact that the person's abuse of and addiction to drinking occurs continuously over a prolonged period of time. The progressive nature of alcoholism indicates that the condition gets worse over time.
It is also a condition that is both mental and physical in that a person wants, craves, and yearns for alcohol in a mental way and their thoughts are preoccupied with substance abuse and use (mental addiction). Additionally, their body and nervous system come to rely on drinking to function, which is the physical side of addiction.
What is Alcohol Abuse?
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are not terms that are synonymous, in spite of what many people tend to believe. Alcohol abuse is a precursor and/or a symptom of alcoholism, but is not alcoholism itself. Alcohol abuse is the misuse and overuse of alcohol. Alcoholism is an addiction that forms, often as the direct result of substance abuse.
Alcohol abuse often falls into two categories. Those categories are binge drinking and blackout drinking.
Binge Drinking
Binge drinking involves rapidly consuming drinks in a short period of time. In other words, if a person consumes three to four or more alcoholic beverages in an hour (or two at the most), they are binge drinking. Binge drinking is most common among young adults between 18 to 34 years of age as well as older adults at retirement age or older (55 and up).
Blackout Drinking
Blackout drinking does not necessary involve passing out. Blackouts, instead, occur when a person becomes so intoxicated that it actually interferes with operations in the brain that are responsible for converting current experiences into memories. This interference prevents a person from being able to remember events that occurred while they were intoxicated and therefore experience so-called blackouts.
Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism
Signs of Alcoholism
- Slurred speech
- Frequent binge drinking
- Loss of coordination
- Anxiousness and/or restlessness
- Problems at school and/or work
- Distancing from friends and family
- Isolation
- Legal and financial trouble
Symptoms of Alcoholism
- Bloating
- High blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Water retention (due to liver damage)
- Depression
- Intense cravings to drink
- Withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
- Anxiety
- Tolerance
Withdrawal from Alcohol
When a person has developed an addiction and they do not drink with enough frequency or they attempt to quit, their mind and body will go into withdrawals. These withdrawals can range from minor discomforts to major symptoms that require immediate medical attention.
Some of the symptoms of withdrawal include:
- Headaches
- Body and muscle aches
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
Alcoholism Treatment
Treatment for alcoholism should begin with medical detoxification. Medical detox is a form of treatment to break a person's physical addiction to drinking. It involves a gradual reduction of the effects of alcohol in the body and system under the close control and supervision of medical professionals.
This allows withdrawal symptoms to be monitored and treated as need be, and will help the recovering addict to safely and successfully get the alcohol out of their system. Following detoxification, relapse prevention treatments include individual and group therapy as well as the possibility for family therapy, restorative yoga, and art or music therapy among others.
Alcoholism treatment is available to you with the help of Drug Treatment Centers Cambridge. Just give them a call at (877) 804-1531 to get started finding treatment centers.