Question: What are some of the problems associated with alcoholism?
Alcoholism is physically destructive, giving rise to many other forms of disease, for example, cancer of the liver, esophagus, colon, stomach, and breast. Chronic alcohol abuse can also lead to hypertension, stroke, heart attack, and brain damage. Pancreas and kidney disease, along with a host of other physical disorders—hepatitis, cirrhosis, esophageal bleeding, blood disorders—may also result from alcoholism.
Alcoholism can also trigger a host of personal problems. Alcoholics may become less productive at work and may eventually lose their jobs. Marriages may not endure the strain, and children may suffer emotionally and sometimes physically from a parent who is an alcoholic. An alcoholic abuser may feel a general sense of loss of control over his or her life.
Question: What about alcoholism treatment programs?
In the past, one of the barriers to successful treatment of alcoholics was the social stigma attached to the disease. People were not only reluctant to admit they had an alcohol problem, they were even less likely to risk social embarrassment by seeking help. In recent years the social stigma has greatly relaxed due in large part to the realization by many Americans that alcoholism is a disease like any other, afflicting millions of people of all ages and all walks of life.
Today, many new and innovative treatment techniques are being used to counteract alcoholism. Some alcoholics may benefit from outpatient or inpatient treatment programs. Occasionally, alcoholics may benefit from pharmacological intervention to treat depression or help maintain sobriety. Medical supervision is usually advisable to treat coincidental medical problems. Advancements in biochemistry are being applied to treat patients through nutritional therapy. This means that vitamins can be used to repair the liver and other damaged body parts. Experimental research is underway to try and diagnose early stage alcoholism, and work in being done to unlock the key to hereditary predisposition to alcoholism.
Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), has been instrumental in providing the long-term, therapeutic treatment recognized as vital in rehabilitating alcoholics. A.A. is an international fellowship of alcoholics and recovered alcoholics that meets regularly to provide support to members and to share experiences with alcohol. A.A. facilities are listed in local telephone directories, as are numerous self-help support groups that have been set up to help family members of alcoholics.
Educational programs are seen by many as crucial to any satisfactory solution to the problem of alcoholism. Many schools and community organizations have set up programs to alert people (especially young people) to the dangers of alcohol. Legal remedies, like the raising of the drinking age to 21 and the increased enforcement of drunk-driving laws, have also been undertaken in an attempt to limit access to alcohol.
