Alcohol is excreted in urine, sweat and breath, but the main method of elimination from the body is by metabolism in the liver where it is converted to acetaldehyde and acetate. The rate at which alcohol is metabolised and the extent to which an individual is affected by a given dose of alcohol is highly variable from one individual to another. These individual differences affect drinking behaviour and the potential for alcohol-related harm and alcohol dependence. Also, the effects of alcohol vary in the same individual over time depending on several factors including whether food has been consumed, rate of drinking, nutritional status, environmental context and concurrent use of other psychoactive drugs. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict the effects of a given amount of alcohol both between individuals and within individuals over time.
- Often, people who are alcohol dependent (particularly in the immediate post-withdrawal period) find it difficult to cope with typical life challenges such as managing their finances or dealing with relationships.
- There are many types of alcoholism, including functional alcoholics, young adult alcoholics, and chronic severe alcoholics.
- Heavy drinking in adolescence can affect brain development and has a higher risk of organ damage in the developing body (Brown et al., 2008).
Co-occurring alcohol abuse and mental health conditions, like depression, bipolar and schizophrenia, can cause an array of serious side effects. In order to overcome these issues, each one should be treated by a medical specialist. About half of this subtype of alcoholics smoke cigarettes, and one-third have a family history of alcoholism. Around one-quarter of the functional why do people become alcoholics alcoholic demographic have had at least one major depressive episode in their lives as well. Depression and mood disorders commonly co-occur with alcohol abuse and can increase a person’s vulnerability to addiction. The functional alcoholic may be good at covering up emotional distress and issues with alcohol, and able to maintain outward appearances of success.
Removing Barriers to Treatment
Approximately one third of specialist alcohol services exclusively provide treatment for people with alcohol problems, but the majority (58%) provide services for both drug and alcohol misuse. Often, people who are alcohol dependent (particularly in the immediate post-withdrawal period) find it difficult to cope with typical life challenges such as managing their finances or dealing with relationships. They will therefore require additional support directed at these areas of social functioning. A proportion of service users entering specialist treatment are involved with the criminal justice system and some may be entering treatment as a condition of a court order. Therefore, appropriate liaison with criminal justice services is essential for this group.
Over 6 percent of American adults battled an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2015, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) publishes. Less than 10 percent of adults in the United States who struggled with alcoholism in 2015 received professional treatment for the disease, NIAAA further reports. According to the recent ABA study, greater education aimed at prevention is needed, along with public awareness campaigns within the profession designed to overcome the pervasive stigma surrounding substance use disorders and mental health concerns. The most significant barriers to getting help, according to the study, are lawyers not wanting others to find out and concerns about confidentiality. The confidential nature of lawyer-assistance programs should be more widely publicized in an effort to overcome the privacy concerns that may create barriers between struggling attorneys and the help they need. And while such education should begin in law school, it should be reinforced throughout the practice of law.
3.2. Mental health
In addition, risk factors are cumulative, such that having more than one risk factor significantly increases the probability that one may develop a specific disease or disorder. Alcoholism refers to use of alcohol that results in an individual experiencing significant distress and or dysfunction in daily life. There are no laboratory tests, brain scans, or blood tests that can diagnose alcoholism.
Gallup’s recent annual consumption habits poll showed that roughly 78% of people with an annual household income $75,000 or more consume alcohol. This is significantly higher than the 45% of people who drink alcohol and have an annual household income of less than $30,000. By having a better understanding of what type of alcoholic you may be, it can be easier to recognize that you would benefit from an alcohol addiction treatment program.