Alcohol addiction

An occasional glass of wine or beer is nice and relaxing and is often an important part of a social occasion. If drinking too much becomes a dominant part of your everyday life, however, you may have an alcohol addiction. Not everyone who drinks regularly is addicted, and alcoholism can be hard to define, particularly in the UK, where binge drinking is common, particularly among the 16-24 age group. However, binge drinkers are themselves at high risk of becoming alcoholics.

Alcoholism is a serious issue in the UK and causes thousands of deaths each year 8,974 in 2020 alone. It destroys the lives of addicts and those around them.

Alcohol addiction is defined by any of the following symptoms:
- Regularly consuming more than 14 units (women) or 21 (men) of alcohol per week;
- Drinking alcohol at inappropriate moments or whilst endangering others (for example whilst at work, looking after children or just before driving);
- Being obsessed with alcohol - everything evolves around it.
- Drinking to relieve stress or cope with certain emotions
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms (vomiting, sweating, insomnia) if you do not drink regularly.

Alcoholism involves a greater risk of certain conditions, including:
- Cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer;
- Cancer of the head and neck;
- Diabetes;
- Korsakov's syndrome (irreversible memory disorder caused by the death of brain cells).
- Blood poisoning - this occurs if a binge drinker consumes too much alcohol in too short a period of time leading to dangerously high concentrations of alcohol in the blood.

Moreover, alcohol addiction can also cause a lot of psychological and social damage. Many alcoholics cause irreparable harm to the relationships with their family and friends as a consequence of their addiction-related behaviour, including theft, dishonesty, violence, and many other antisocial practices.

Detoxification of alcohol is often done through behavioural therapy. A doctor may also prescribe medications that help people to withdraw from alcohol safely. One common medication is Antabuse, which causes unpleasant symptoms if alcohol is consumed. Another drug is Campral, which reduces the need for alcohol).