The WoW Style

Nearly fifteen million people in the United States have an alcohol use disorder. While this condition, also known as alcoholism, more commonly affects men, many alcoholics are women.

There are even teenaged alcoholics. In fact, the earlier someone tries drugs or alcohol, the more likely they are to become addicted.

Like many psychological and addiction-related conditions, there are a lot of misconceptions about alcoholism. Understanding alcoholism can be difficult, especially if someone you love is suffering from it.

There are resources to help you understand alcoholism, should you need them. We’ll give you some helpful tips of our own in the paragraphs below.

1. Why it Happens

The first step in understanding alcoholism is recognizing that it’s a disorder that often has psychological causes. For instance, children of alcoholics are 4 times more likely to develop alcoholism than other children.

There are a few reasons for that. The first is a genetic factor. It’s been proven that genetics can make some people more prone to addiction than others.

That being said, growing up with an alcoholic parent can cause you to drink because it’s the example provided to you, or because of trauma associated with having an alcoholic parent.

Drugs and alcohol can make people more likely to engage in criminal acts, including violent crimes. Drugs are more commonly associated with crime, but alcohol can also cause it. Children who witness these crimes are likely to experience trauma, further increasing their chances of developing addictive behaviors.

Using alcohol or other substances in response to trauma or mental illness is known as self-medication, and it’s all too common. Limited access to mental healthcare and the stigma surrounding it can cause people to look for other solutions, which often come in the form of dangerous substances.

2. Getting Treatment

The sad reality about alcoholism is that most alcoholics never get treatment for their condition. This doesn’t have to be the case, though.

Any number of factors can push a loved one towards treatment. A loving family is one of the biggest ones. Having support can guide someone to be the best possible version of themselves.

There are also many different treatment centers in the country that your loved one can go to, like Revive Detox alcohol addiction treatment. They offer a variety of options that can help someone with alcohol addiction get on the road to recovery.

3. The Process of Recovery

Professional treatment is important in the case of alcoholism. As with most addictive substances, alcoholics often go through withdrawals which can cause very intense symptoms. They can even be dangerous in some circumstances.

The good news is that medical professionals know about this and can help mitigate some of the symptoms of withdrawal.

Another school of thought argues that withdrawal should not be inhibited if possible.

The argument here is that going through something so unpleasant makes you less likely to relapse. Either way, professional guidance through the withdrawal phase and throughout the rest of the recovery process if vital.

Understanding Alcoholism: A Brief Guide

Understanding alcoholism is an important first step in helping others recover from it. The more we know about it, the better equipped we are to overcome it.

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