1. What are some of the facts about alcohol and its use in life
2. What is an alcohol problem?
3. What is the difference between different types of alcohol problems, such as binge drinking, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?
4. What are the signs and symptoms of an alcohol problem?
5. Who develops alcohol problems?
6. What are the treatments for alcohol problems?
7. What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Q: What are some of the facts about alcohol and its use in life?
A: Alcohol - including beer, wine, and hard liquor is the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the country. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), alcohol is the most widely tried drug among teenagers. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 121 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers of alcohol in 2004. 55 million participated in binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks on at least on occasion in the 30 days prior to the survey. 16.7 million were heavy drinkers, defined as binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month.
Q: What is an alcohol problem?
A: Researchers use the term "alcohol problems" to refer to any type of condition caused by drinking which harms the drinker directly, jeopardizes the drinker's well-being, or places others at risk. Depending on the circumstances, alcohol problems can result from even moderate drinking, for example when drinking and driving, drinking during pregnancy, or when taking certain medicines. Alcohol problems exist on a continuum of severity ranging from occasional binge drinking to alcohol abuse or dependence (alcoholism).
Q: What is the difference between different types of alcohol problems, such as binge drinking, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?
A: It is important to note that alcohol problems occur along a continuum of severity. The term alcoholism usually refers to alcohol abuse or dependence. Alcohol dependence is the most severe alcohol problem and typically consists of at least three of seven symptoms experienced within one year. These symptoms include:
• Repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop or cut down;
• Need for increased amounts of alcohol (tolerance);
• Symptoms or withdrawal upon cessation of drinking (physical dependence).
Many other types of alcohol problems do not entail alcohol dependence but are nevertheless harmful in their effect on a person's job, health, and relationships. In addition, alcohol problems of lesser severity can often progress to alcoholism if untreated.
Q: What are the signs and symptoms of an alcohol problem?
A: Certain behaviors are known to be possible early signs of an alcohol problem. Behaviors may include:
• Neglect of other activities: Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of alcohol use;
• Excessive Use: Alcohol is consumed in larger amounts over a longer period than intended;
• Impaired Control: Ongoing, unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol consumption;
• Persistence of Use: A persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely caused or exacerbated by alcohol;
• Large Amounts of Time Spent in Alcohol Related Activities: A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain, use or recover from the effects of alcohol;
• Withdrawal: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking;
• Tolerance: The need for increased amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects.
Q: Who develops alcohol problems?
A: According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 4 million people in the United States (1 in every 13 adults) have alcohol abuse or dependence. More men than women are alcohol dependent or have other types of alcohol problems. Rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults 65 years and older. About 43% of U.S. adults (76 million people) have been exposed to alcoholics in the family; they grew up with or married an alcoholic or problem drinker or had a blood relative who was an alcoholic or problem drinker. Although alcohol abuse and dependence tend to run in families, risk is not destiny. A combination of genetic and environmental factors determines who develops alcohol problems.
Q: What are the treatments for alcohol problems?
A: Alcohol problems that do not involve physical dependence can be treated through interventions such as education, counseling, and a reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed on a regular basis. Alcohol intervention is a process that helps an alcoholic to recognize the extent of their problem. Alcoholics usually do not know they are out of control. They look at their alcohol-using peers and their own use appears normal in comparison. They need objective feedback on their behavior. Through a non-judgmental, non-critical, systematic process, the alcoholic is confronted with the impact of their alcoholism. The goal of alcohol intervention is for them to accept the reality of their alcoholism and to seek help. It was once thought that an alcoholic had to "hit bottom" before help could be offered and accepted or that an alcoholic could only get better if he/she was self-motivated to change. Now we believe that a skilled professional counselor can motivate an alcoholic toward recovery. Varieties of treatments exist for alcohol dependence including self-help groups, medication, detoxification, and rehabilitation on either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.
Q: What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
A: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a cluster of irreversible birth abnormalities that are the direct result of heavy drinking during pregnancy.
Alcohol, like most other drugs, passes easily through the mother's placenta and into the fetal bloodstream. In the fetus, the alcohol depresses the central nervous system and must be metabolized by the immature liver of the fetus, which cannot effectively process this toxic substance. The alcohol stays in the fetus's body for a prolonged time (even after leaving the mother's body) and the unborn child remains intoxicated, possibly suffering withdrawal symptoms after the alcohol is no longer present.
Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome typically are smaller in size, have smaller heads, and suffer deformities of limbs, joints, fingers, and face, as well as heart defects. They may also have cleft palate and poor coordination.
In some children, FAS does not appear until adolescence, when they exhibit hyperactivity and learning and perceptual difficulties. These impairments are symptomatic of minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), which affects between 5 and 19 percent of schoolchildren, according to a study by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Studies of children with FAS who are now teenagers have uncovered new physical problems-ear infections, hearing and vision loss, and dental problems- that were not identified when the children were first studied at a younger age. Only a small percentage of the children born to women who use alcohol suffer FAS. The reasons for this are unknown. Maternal risk factors for this condition include:
• Chronic drinking during pregnancy
• Previous problems with drinking
• Previous childrenM
Some studies have shown that female light-to-moderate drinkers (so-called social drinkers) give birth to babies with subtle alcohol-related neurological and behavioral "problems". Although these "problems" are less severe than those in children of heavy drinkers, these findings indicate that lesser amounts of alcohol can also cause developmental and behavioral abnormalities.
Pregnant women should abstain from all alcoholic beverages. Women attempting to conceive should also abstain.
