In 1784 Dr. Benjamin Rush, the founder of American psychiatry and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, described habitual drinking as an involuntary condition - a disease caused by "spirituous liquors." However, the Puritan belief eclipsed the disease concept in America until the failure of prohibition.
Shortly before the repeal of the 18th Amendment, which outlawed the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages, the first edition of the American Standard Classified Nomenclature of Disease was published. It listed both alcohol additions and alcoholism as an illness. A few years later Alcoholic Anonymous was founded and embraced the disease concept.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine defined alcoholism in this manner: Alcoholism is a chronic disease with genetic, psychological and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations.
The disease is often progressive and fatal. It's characterized by continuous or periodic impaired control over drinking and a preoccupation with the drug alcohol and the use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, the most notable of which is denial.
An individual is considered an alcoholic when his/her drinking becomes unmanageable and causes problem in the drinker's personal, professional, family, and social life. And the individual is considered addicted to alcohol if he is unable to predict when he will stop or how much he will drink, and what the results of his drinking will be.
It is estimated that between 15.5 million Americans exhibit signs of alcoholism or alcohol dependence. And another 7.2 million show persistent patterns of drinking behaviors associated with impaired health and social functioning. A report completed in 2000 showed that alcoholism and alcohol-related problems cost the nation an estimated $276 billion per year in lost productivity, health care expenditures, crime, motor vehicle accidents, and other related costs.
In America, alcohol-related problems strike one family in every three. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one of the leading causes of birth defects and mental retardation in the United States. Alcohol is closely related to many suicides and attempted suicides. A recent study showed that half of all inmates convicted of violent crimes had used alcohol just prior to the offense.
Alcoholism directly affects those close to the alcoholic, especially family members. Often the affected family members need appropriate help to recovery as well as the alcoholic himself. Most alcoholism treatment programs include a family component with referrals to self-help and support groups. One out of five children lived with an alcoholic while growing up in America.
One in ten adults had been married to or shared a close relationship with an alcoholic. Women are exposed more often to alcoholism in the family than men. Women are more likely to have been in a marriage with an alcoholic than men.
Alcoholism could be overcome with proper treatment amd prevention by educating the public about the disease of alcoholism. The acute awareness and understanding of the early signs of problem drinking is important. Other preventive measures are avoiding high-risk drinking, know your family's history with alcohol, and know your own history with alcohol use.
To learn more about drug abuse visit the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. http://www.health.org Additional Information at http://www.insightconsultant.com
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