Alcohol Recovery

Among all addictions, alcohol addiction takes the number one spot for society's most prevalent and most destructive addiction. Alcohol addicts tend to all into two categories as statistics show; The are the 20% of people who consume alcohol and take 5 or more drinks less than 10% of the time. The second, is the 9% of take 5 or more drinks.

The consequences for being are alcohol addict run high. There are the social consequences like destructive relations with friends and family. There are the financial consequences like job losses and mild/no savings. Lastly there are the health consequences.

Alcohol addicts are extremely prone to reduced cognitive & central nervous system functioning, high blood pressure, red blood cell damage, depression and liver damage. Excessive alcohol intake doubles the risk of depression, 11% of alcoholics get depressed while they are alcoholics. That is compared to 5 percent for the non alcoholic general population.

Alcohol addiction carries the inevitable high risk of liver damage. It is the liver that is responsible for cleaning the alcohol out of the blood system. Excessive alcohol overworks it and eventually starts "burning" it. A simple blood test on the presence of 3 liver enzymes; AST, ALT, GGT in the blood stream is used to diagnose liver damage.

Excessive damage leads to cirrhosis, scar tissue on the liver. This means that part of the liver will never function again. It is irreparable. Fortunately, the scar tissue does not spread and the liver is slightly bigger than we need. This is good news for an alcoholic seeking recovery. Smokers battling cancer don't have the same fortune a non spreading infection.

Key to alcohol addiction is the detox. The body must be rid of the addictive substances of alcohol. This process involves taking care of the physiological and mental adjustment that accompanies the process. During this time, the body will go through physical withdraw symptoms. Detox is a must before treatment. Without it, the craving will persist on a continuous basis.

Alcohol detox can be a dangerous process. For this reason it should only be carried out with the aid of a qualified professional. The related withdraw symptoms can be dangerous to the body. The symptoms may include, excessive sweating, rapid pulse, limb tremors, insomnia, physical agitation, anxiety, auditory hallucinations and mal-seizures. All these symptoms can be severe.

The symptoms of withdrawal are complicated, they may seemingly return after having disappeared. There is wide medical literature on this subject and the alcohol detox professional should be of great help.

No less important in the alcohol recovery process is relapse prevention. Without it the process is a joke. A waste of time. A waste of money. And an unnecessary drain on the body.

Alcohol relapse prevention should be aimed at helping the addict find new ways of taking care of themselves and tackle the compelling thoughts. It should help them deal with problems and daily life stresses. Alcoholics have a 54% chance of relapsing. Relapse prevention is needed to help identify the warning signs of a possible relapse. These signs are always there and addicts should be well prepared to see them.

All recovering alcoholics are advised to keep plenty of non-alcoholics beverages around themselves. Whether it is the home or the place of work. They should avoid any foods cooked with alcohol.

With a comprehensive recovery process, every alcoholic however far down the path they are can beat the addiction for good. No one is beyond recovery.