Alcoholism is a complex disease of the mind and emotions that research has proven is caused by specific risk factors. The type of person who can become an alcoholic is distinct, and it can happen to either a man or a woman. Alcoholism is not a maladaptive behavior or a problem of willpower and control. It is a mental and emotional disorder that affects one in three people in the United States. Any person, regardless of their financial status, education level, or race, can become an alcoholic if they have as few as one of the four criteria for what causes alcoholism. The Four criteria that cause alcoholism include:
- Family history of alcoholism
- Environmental Influence ( presence of alcohol abuse in the home or environment)
- History of trauma, abuse, or neglect
- Diagnosed or undiagnosed mental or mental health disorders
Who is Affected More by Alcohol?
Both men and women can suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally by drinking too much alcohol. When a person consumes large amounts of alcohol regularly, they damage their liver, heart, and even more severely, they cause neurological damage to the brain. The research has confirmed that women are affected more by alcohol than men. Women metabolize alcohol at a different rate from men and what that means is they often have higher amounts of alcohol in their blood even though they drink the same amount as men. Women get intoxicated more easily than men, and their bodies suffer from a higher concentration of alcohol more than men.
What Do the Medical Experts Say?
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism confirms how women are more susceptible to the negative effects of alcohol because of the difference in water and blood volume between the two sexes.
Because women have less body water than men of similar body weight, women will achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. Therefore, women appear to be more vulnerable than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use. Women become more impaired than men after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. Research also suggests that women are more susceptible than men to alcohol-related organ damage and trauma resulting from traffic crashes and interpersonal violence. (NIAAA)
What To Do If Your Family Member is an Alcoholic?
For loved ones of an alcoholic, the reality of their family member’s alcoholism can be hard to accept and even harder to know what to do. The first step is to offer professional, evidence-based alcoholism treatment. If your family member has already realized that they need help, we urge you to act quickly. It is very common for the alcoholic to accept help and make every intention of going to treatment and at the last minute refused to go saying they don’t need the help after all. This is typical, and we provide fast admission to our center to avoid this scenario.
What Is The Best Treatment for Alcoholism?
Alcoholics require immediate entrance into evidence-based alcoholism treatment programs that first provide medically supervised detox, followed by advanced behavioral therapy methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, one-on-one counseling, and small group counseling. We suggest inpatient and intensive outpatient for most of our patients in alcohol treatment. Evoke Wellness at Cohasset provides personalized alcoholism treatment planning, which must be present for your relative to receive advanced therapy and professional assessments.
Start Recovery From Alcohol Dependence at Evoke Wellness at Cohasset
The purpose of alcoholism treatment is to help the person realize that their drinking is a problem and learn to be happy and at peace without alcohol. Alcoholism treatment will also give them in-depth therapy to help them realize what makes them drink and the tools to cope. We have helped thousands of alcoholics achieve lasting recovery, and we make the admission process fast and easy. Call now for same-day admission to Evoke Wellness at Cohasset.
