WHAT IS ALCOHOL ADDICTION?

Addiction to alcohol and drugs affects millions of people in Pakistan. Alcohol addiction or Alcoholism is the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

It is also commonly referred to as alcohol use disorder (AUD). According to American Psychiatric association “addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence”. Alcohol addiction is organized into three categories: mild, moderate and severe. Each category has various symptoms and harmful consequences. If left untreated, any type of alcohol abuse can spiral out of control. Rehab Center provides treatment for drugs and alcohol addiction.

Individuals struggling with alcohol addiction often feel as though they cannot function normally without alcohol. This can lead to a wide range of issues and impact all aspects of life. It impacts physical and psychological health, social and spiritual health. The serious side effects of consistent alcohol addiction or abuse can worsen and produce damaging complications over time.

Alcohol is of four types namely Ethyl, Isopropyl, Rubbing, Denatured. Ethyl alcohol known as ethanol is used for drinking. Alcohol is also known as spirit and liquor. Distilled alcoholic drinks are spirits or hard liquor. Drinking alcohols are made up of different ingredients including ethanol, water, yeast, different grains (wheat, corn, rye, rice), fruits, plants, sugarcane, potatoes, sugar, herbs, leaves, spices, honey and oils by a process called fermentation. There are two types of alcoholic drinks; distilled and un-distilled.

In-distilled alcoholic drinks include:

• Beer
• Hard cider
• Sake
• Mead
• Wine (red, white, champagne) & Port Wine

Distilled alcohol drinks include:

• Brandy
• Rum
• Vodka
• Whiskey
• Gin
• Tequila
• Bitters
• Vermouth
• Cognac
• Absinthe
• Ever clear

Alcohol not only gets absorbed throughout your entire body, but in the brain too. It interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect how your brain processes information. Alcohol addiction causes difficulty in walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory. Some of these effects can persist well even after the person achieves sobriety.

A number of factors influence how and to what extent alcohol affects the brain including,

1. The duration of his alcohol abuse
2. Amount and frequency of his alcohol consumption
3. Person’s age, genetics, and general health status.

Those who develop the disease of alcohol addiction are at a high risk of thiamine deficiency as a result of poor nutrition, which may result in the development of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). This condition can cause persisting mental confusion, eye movement disturbances, difficulty with coordination, and persistent learning and memory problems.

Alcohol addiction is a chronic brain disease; it means that it is an illness of the brain and it will last long. Its effects are long lasting and can come and go. People with alcohol addiction can live a normal, healthy life with treatment and managing their recovery throughout their lives. They can never drink alcohol for recreation by controlling its amount. At PRC Rehabilitation Center Karachi, we help people with drug/alcohol addiction. We provide recovery support as well as relapse prevention planning.

This article is written for awareness of alcohol addiction. For more information regarding drugs and alcohol addiction, visit PRC Clifton. If you know anyone suffering from addiction issues or other mental health problems, you can refer them to Parvarish Recovery Center. To know more about our services, call us at 0341-1959599 or visit our treatment rehabilitation centers.