Friday, January 2, 2009

Craving Alcohol

By Ed Philips

Many issues lie behind alcohol cravings and they involve a long process over time. For many this time line begins at an early age such as our teens. We are told that alcohol is bad and even the law does not allow anyone under the age of 21 to make an alcohol purchase. For many of our teens and young adults under 21, this only serves to make alcohol seem more attractive and even "cool" to try to obtain and drink.

This can lead to turning to a bottle of alcohol at a later point in order to "fit in" with peers or in a social situation. As the addiction grows, they turn to booze to feel better or to escape their troubles. Since alcohol can at least temporarily make them feel better about themselves or a situation, not only their body but their mind begins to crave it.

Consuming alcohol on a regular basis also becomes a habit after a while, just like driving down a familiar road. If there is a problem, or a social setting that calls for alcohol, you may be grabbing that bottle of beer or glass of wine without even thinking about it.

Once drinking reaches the point of being almost second nature, the dependency has begun. Your body becomes accustomed to the levels of alcohol in the blood stream and will react if that level drops with withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can be wide ranging from mild to very severe.

Alcohol can be extremely dangerous to your health and wellbeing. The most familiar disease related with alcohol addiction is liver cirrhosis, in which liver cells die and the tissues harden as a result of drinking. Cirrhosis is not however the only danger to your body.

Drinking can also bring about heart disease, stroke, dementia and brain damage, cancer (including liver cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer in women). Once you factor in the risks involved with drinking and driving, alcohol is a top killer among our society today.

Should you find yourself wanting that occasional glass of beer or wine, make smart choices. Make sure that you recognize the craving as to not let it develop to anything serious and make a conscious choice to limit yourself to only one glass, or skip it at all. Don't let your cravings or emotions cloud your judgment.

If it is that you believe you are addicted to alcohol and are unable to say no to your cravings, please seek professional help, the sooner the better. Alcohol dependency is very serious and the earlier you seek intervention, the easier it will be to break the addiction and take control over your alcohol cravings.

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