1.
The person is addicted - they do not get through every and any day without drinking. If they do not drink, more anxiety returns, than they are prepared to bear .2.
The alcohol drinking has gone on over so long a time, or in sufficiently large amounts that the body organs, particularly the liver, the heart, eventually the brain, are damaged,so that the otgans cannot do their work.
What is the 'normal' purpose of alcohol drinking?
Generally it is to allow convivial meeting between people who are not constantly in touch, but who have to come together on occasions. They may bring with them unresolved tensions anxieties, and this is a time to set them on one side. Anxieties left over form a workday
'need' a settling before easing into home .Alcohol relieves the carrying over period when people have to establish an agreeable meeting, 'to level with each other'.
All cultures seem to have one generally used substance serving more or less the same 'social' function.
Problems can arise when new cultures come immigrate bringing different historically acceptable usages of their cultural substances, which the home country does not historically know about, and therefore the old inhabitants does not know the 'more' for the usage of the new import - the level of usage, the day by day allowance.
the Home territory inhabitants had long historical 'rules' for the local substance.
Cultures use different 'sedatives' and develop different rules of behaviour to govern drinking behaviour or whatever other substance is used
People who work and live in common, are familiar with each other's ways, are usually supportive of each other, and are generally not anxious when together; or they hold back from alcohol for their anxieties because of the sanction against it, in a particular company - when in charge ... on duty ... with responsibilities ahead - family children etc.
People are addicted, when the brain is not able to clear itself from the adaptation required for 'swimming' in alcohol. The brain adapts to the sedative that is alcohol [ and other sedatives ] by 'pushing up' - upraising its level of 'sensitivity'.
A practical test of addictive alcoholism, is if the brain cannot overnight, clear itself of the effect of alcohol
When it does not do this, the person is anxious in the morning, and the normal tremor is exaggerated with 'jumpiness'. till another 'drink' or substitute sedative comes along.
A practical test of the alcholism from chronic drinking, is the test of liver and heart enzyme activities, and the 'queasiness' in eating, perhaps because th stomach lies next to the liver.
Prevention.
Give the brain, enough time free from alcohol [ and its sedative substituting class members; sleeping pills , benzodiazepines-ativan, valium - etc ] so as the brain to be able to clear itself of the need to adapt upwards to remain alert, combating the sedative effect.
In effect this means leaving two to three days separate in the week when no alcohol is taken: or restricting the amount drunk each day, to a quantitity which allows the brain to clear itself of alcohol overnight.
Restricting alcohol consumption to three units and less a day is deemed effective, in doing that.
Some times alcohol starts
to be taken to excess as a medicament for anxieties which cannot be resolved without waiting, that have suddenly become worse with some additional worry - a sudden loss of supporting companionship.
In general, depression in alcoholism is not the endogenous kind that responds to medication.
Uncommonly, it is taken to relieve the anxiety coming early in onset of depressive state which needs medical treat ment.Alcolism can be hidden, until an intake cannot be found. The sudden withdrawal exposes the physical and mental rebound ' the shakes' ... that can go on to delirium ... sometmes the physical rebound reaches an epileptic fit, which may drain the brain of wnhat needs, and leaves permanent damge with loss of memory , and a persistent loss of the ability to make new memories.
Trteatmentr consists of prscribing a substitute member of the sedative group which is les harmful to the bodily organs, subsquently tapering off the dosage of the preparation.
EEG records show that after alcoholism the brain record is abnormal for a furthe three mpnths, suggesting that the brain remains sensitive to alcohol during this time.
Most treatments offer to take the addict away from their normal - abnormal - ways for this length - if success is to follow.
A treatment - less used now - is for the addict after withdrawal is over, to take a substance [ antabuse ] which produces an obnoxious body reaction, if alcohol is taken.
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