Substance addiction is one of the most difficult diseases to treat because this kind of addiction is chronic and progressive in nature, which means that the longer and more you are hooked on the substance, the harder it is to overcome. One example of this kind of addiction is alcoholism, which is an illness that is characterized by excessive ingestion of ethyl alcohol in the form of alcoholic drinks or other substances that contain it.

Causes and symptoms

Studies on the disease have shown that there are a number of factors that can cause alcoholism, which can be psychological, social, genetic or physiological. Studies have also shown that some people use alcohol as a coping mechanism in response to various stresses such as psychological and emotional stresses. What causes the problem is when the addiction lasts for a prolonged period of time to the point of physical dependence.

Alcoholism is usually characterized by four common symptoms. The first symptom is the craving for alcohol, wherein a person usually feels a strong urge to drink. The second symptom is loss of control, where the person feels that he is unable to stop drinking once he starts to drink. The third symptom is physical dependence, wherein the person exhibits withdrawal symptoms when he does not drink, which includes nausea and anxiety. The fourth symptom is tolerance, which is described as an urge to drink more in order to get a certain high.

Some effects and treatment

As a result of this dependence, the alcoholics main pre-occupation would be to get the next drink and nothing else. This can lead to various physical, psychological and emotional effects that need to be addressed. One of the physical effects includes being susceptible to liver disease, which can be very serious. Psychological and emotional effects include being detached from people, which results to a general decline in productivity and relationships. One of the most effective treatments for alcoholism is to undergo a rehabilitation program in a rehabilitation center, which usually starts with alcohol detox and followed by therapy and other forms of treatment.

Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disease that can have very detrimental effects and it can also be fatal. Given this, there is a need to identify the disease through its symptoms at the soonest possible time so that the addiction can be easily overcome.