Do you find yourself longing for the evening, only to grab a pint of beer or maybe down a few stiffs? Are you the first one to 'raise a toast to that' or propose a celebratory drink? Do you find these occasions where you decide to indulge yourself with just a couple of drinks cropping up a lot more frequently than they used to? If all of these situations sound distinctly familiar, then it's time to take a minute to seriously revaluate those drinking habits. For these are none but the precursors to the most pervasive addiction of the modern era Alcoholism.

Alcoholism is defined as the compulsive need to drink, even when the practice of drinking begins to hamper your health, cause strains and tensions in the family and when you need to resort to ever increasing quantities to derive that 'high' that alcohol gives you. It also involves you worrying about not having enough alcohol to consume and obsessing about ways to wean out more sources. Similarly, if you feel the need to be intoxicated in order to function 'normally' then you might be in the category of people who are not indulgent, but dependent on alcohol.

The most worrying of all symptoms of alcoholism is that the victim is more often than not, in the state of denial. This means that he is nor only defensive about his habit, but resentful about others commenting on it, simply because he himself is trying hard to convince himself that there's nothing wrong about how much he drinks, or worse, he just doesn't find anything abnormal about it. Also, many alcoholics are deceptively natural in their appearance and interactions, thus alleviating any cause of worry about just how dependant on alcohol they are until they're overcome by their addiction.

That's right. There are several other, more subtle indications which signal that your patterns with alcohol are not headed the right way. For instance, if you are disillusioned with the world around you, if you tend to resort to a stiff drink to drown out your problems, or even have a family history of alcoholism, then you may be more prone to alcohol dependence than if you have different means of coping with stress or release of tension, both physical and mental.

The physical manifestations of alcohol addiction can be severe to the point of being life threatening. By itself, alcohol is deemed responsible for a majority of deaths around the world, be they through diseases stem out of excessive consumption, or mishaps that take place under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol abuse can single-handedly lead to liver cirrhosis, renal failure and several gastrointestinal complications. Alcohol also makes your blood pressure shoot up, which puts your heart at a greater risk of failure or stroke. Alcoholics may find themselves to be hypoglycemic, as alcohol disrupts the release of glucose to the blood stream. Over time, alcohol can even cause severe neurological impairments like distorted thinking and even dementia. Psychologically, alcohol abuse also leads to the individual becoming estranged from his family and even resorting to domestic violence or even pathological patterns of behavior, either to fund their consumption of alcohol, or under the effects of its intoxication.

The most important aspect of your treatment for alcohol addiction is to just talk. Your physician will be the best person to gauge your drinking patterns and can suggest an appropriate counselor as per your level of dependence. If you are just at the higher end of the indulgence phase, your counselor will recommend that you simply cut down on your habit. However, for later stages, absolute abstinence is considered mandatory. Your physician may also recommend medication such as Valium and Campral to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms like palpitation and nausea. The most important part of your treatment is the phase which follows your therapy sessions. Here, sharing your own experiences and learning those of others proves to be of invaluable support in encouraging you to stick to your decision. It is also essential that during the initial phases of your recovery, you avoid any situations which may involve a round of drinks like 'nights out with the boys' or even cocktail events. There are also several other alternative therapies which have been known to considerably aid the process of de-addiction like hypnosis or even acupuncture.

Remember, it's never too late to begin; only that it's you who has to take the initiative. All it takes is one firm resolve to step away from the vicious cycle alcohol steeps you in you'll soon find that there's so much more that life has to offer!
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