Alcoholism: Support and Recovery for You and Your Loved Ones
Alcohol consumption is legal and socially acceptable in most places in the United States. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to consume healthily and responsibly, and alcoholism is a prevalent condition. Alcoholism has devastating consequences, not only for the sufferer, but also for his family and community. As with other health-related topics, finding reliable information and help in making informed decisions can be the key to recovery.
Expand All Guide SectionsAlcoholism Information
Alcoholism is a disease that can grow worse over time, possibly shortening the life or causing the death of the sufferer. It's important to understanding the causes, effects, and symptoms of this disease, whether for yourself or for a loved one.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are two different conditions. Alcohol abuse is characterized by patterns of destructive and excessive drinking; however, the alcohol abuser is still able to stop or change these patterns. Alcoholism is a chronic and progressively destructive disease. The user is physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol and the situation is out of his or her control.
- Keep in mind that alcoholism is a disease that must be treated as such. Be sensitive to the fact that some factors contributing to alcoholism cannot be controlled.
- Because of the widespread abuse of alcohol on college campuses, college Web sites and their health resource centers can be very useful places to start when learning about alcoholism on the Internet.
- Alcoholism is one of many health topics for which there's a lot of half-baked advice and quackery touted online as fact and legitimate medicine. We've included only trustworthy sources in this guide, of course, but if you want to search further on your own you'll need to be able to detect and reject inaccurate and unscrupulous sites. For additional tips on finding credible health information online, visit the findingDulcinea Health Web Guide.
- For more information on some mental health issues that might accompany alcoholism, go to the findingDulcinea Mental Health Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For understanding and defining alcoholism ...
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
focuses its content on alcohol's relationship to public health. With statistics, surveys, articles, and more, the CDC gives a complete overview of alcohol usage in the United States.
MedlinePlus
compiles content from government health sites and links to tools and information concerning alcoholism. Start with the basics and overviews and then click for more in-depth information in the "related issues" and "health check tools" sections.
Mayo Clinic
provides a detailed article on alcoholism in the mental health section of its site. The article progresses from an introduction of alcoholism to coping skills and alternative medicine.
InteliHealth
divides its content into clear, informative sections. This affiliate of Harvard Medical School gives practical advice such as an acronym for remembering the symptoms of alcoholism and indicators for when to involve a professional.
Drug and Alcohol Rehab Services
is a division of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This site describes the several stages of alcoholism and the recovery process. Scroll down to read about the disease from start to finish.
MedicineNet.com
provides general information on alcoholism and alcohol consumption that answers a variety of questions such as, "Do you have to be an alcoholic to experience problems?" and "Is alcohol good for your heart?" You'll also learn which groups are particularly prone to alcoholism and how to identify safe levels of drinking.
Helpguide.org
is a nonprofit organization that includes information about understanding and identifying the warning signs of alcoholism. Use this information to catch problems early and to know when to step in.
For information on diagnosing alcoholism ...
Getting Them Sober
is a five-step instructional guide to alcoholism diagnosis rather than a quiz. This guide gives general advice for ways to go about making a well thought-out decision.
Familydoctor.org
lists characteristics describing the different roles alcohol might play in your life. Decide which characteristics accurately represent your style of drinking to understand how alcohol relates to your lifestyle.
The American Academy of Family Physicians
has published an article on alcoholism recognition with the purpose of intervention. The information is very thorough and illustrated with tables mapping the indicators of alcoholism.
For diagnostic quizzes ...
AlcoholScreening.org
offers a simple online test called the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) that determines if your level of alcohol intake is harmful to your health. After you complete the questions and click the "finish" button, you will see your diagnosis followed by a section of recommended actions with links to programs.
Habit Smart
gives a "self-scoring alcohol checkup," with four brief sections covering the quantity, patterns, emotional states, and severity of your alcohol consumption. After learning your alcohol dependence level, this Web site offers some personal questions to be considered by the user.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
provides a simpler version of the above tests. With 17 yes or no questions, the end of the test simply tells you what your answers may indicate.
For the dangers of alcoholism ...
Merck
is a pharmaceutical company and creator of the Merck Manuals (among the most widely used medical encyclopedias), reviews the effects of alcoholism on the liver. Although written for medical professionals, the extensive sections (covering risk factors, types of liver disease, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment) can be very useful to the average user.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
has a number of interesting articles, such as this one, which describes how damaging alcohol can be to the brain. Another addresses alcohol's effects on sleeping patterns, something that isn't as well-known, but can seriously impact a person's health. A third article describes the dangers of alcohol and drug interactions. A thorough table of specific medications (listed both by generic and brand name) describes the possible side effects when taken with alcohol.
The American Heart Association
identifies the cardiovascular dangers of alcohol and ways to avoid health problems in a question-and-answer format.
KidsHealth
details the symptoms, diagnosis, and causes of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a danger of alcoholism specific to pregnant women.
Familydoctor.org
which has been mentioned previously explains alcohol withdrawal syndrome, a concern for long-term alcoholics who are trying to cut back or quit.
Health-cares.net
gives a long list of the various effects of alcoholism, starting with physical diseases and including possible mental health effects. This list is brief but thorough and direct.
Alcoholism Intervention
If you know someone who suffers from alcoholism and you want to try and intervene but aren't sure ... read more »
Treatment for Alcoholism
Alcoholism treatment is available all over the country but it can be a challenge to know where to ... read more »
Alcohol Addiction Recovery and Support
Recovering alcoholics and their families need lots of support to help them back on the path toward ... read more »
Research on Alcoholism
To stay on top of recent developments and emerging medical technology, use the sites we recommend ... read more »
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