1. What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also referred to as alcohol dependence, is a disease that has the following four symptoms:

• A strong need, or urge, to drink is craving

• Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun is loss of control

• Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking is state of physical dependence

• The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get "high" is when the person develops tolerance

2. Is alcoholism a disease?
Yes, it is a disease. An alcoholic will continue to crave and drink in spite of serious family, health, or legal problems.
Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person's lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person's genes and by his or her lifestyle.

3. Is alcoholism an inherited problem?
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. The inherited genes partially explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a factor.Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is also are factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.
But remember: Risk is not destiny. Knowing you are at risk is important, because then you can take steps to protect yourself from developing problems with alcohol.

4. Can alcoholism be cured?
Alcoholism is difficult to get rid of,Even if an alcoholic hasn't been drinking for a long time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. Not drinking is the safest course for most people with alcoholism.

5. Then can alcoholism be treated?
Yes, alcoholism can be treated. Treatment has helped many people stop drinking and rebuild their lives. The treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking.

6. What are the medications that are used in treatment of alcoholism?
Three oral medications--disulfiram , naltrexone , and acamprosate-are currently approved to treat alcohol dependence. In addition, an injectable, long-acting form of naltrexone is available. These medications have been shown to help people with dependence reduce their drinking, avoid relapse to heavy drinking, and achieve and maintain abstinence.

*Disulfiram discourages drinking by making the person taking it feel sick after drinking alcohol.

* Naltrexone acts in the brain to reduce craving for alcohol after someone has stopped drinking.

*Acamprosate is thought to work by reducing symptoms that follow lengthy abstinence, such as anxiety and insomnia.

Other types of drugs are prescribed to help manage symptoms of withdrawal (such as shakiness, nausea, and sweating) if they occur after someone suffering from alcohol dependence stops drinking.

7. Is alcoholism treatment successful?
There are varying levels of success when it comes to treatment.

*Some people stop drinking and remain sober.

*Others have long periods of sobriety with bouts of relapse.

* Some cannot stop drinking for any length of time.

With treatment, one thing is clear, however: the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she will be able to stay sober.

8. Are alcoholism and alcohol abuse different?
No. A person can abuse alcohol without actually being an alcoholic--that is, he or she may drink too much and too often but still not be dependent on alcohol. Some of the problems linked to alcohol abuse include not being able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities; drunk-driving arrests and car crashes; and drinking-related medical conditions.

Under some circumstances, even social or moderate drinking is dangerous--for example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medications.

11. Can an alcoholic simply cut down on his drinking?
If that person has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out alcohol--that is, abstaining--is usually the best course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can't stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.

12., What can you do if an alcoholic is unwilling to get help ?

An alcoholic can't be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a traffic violation or arrest that results in court-ordered treatment. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment:

*It is important for the Family members to make excuses or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his or her drinking.
*The appropriate time to talk to the drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a serious family argument or an accident. Start a conversation when he or she is sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk in private.

*Make the close family member aware that you are worried about his or her drinking.

*Explain to the drinker what you will do if he or she doesn't go for help--not to punish the drinker, but to protect yourself from his or her problems.

*If the person is willing to get help, call immediately for an appointment with a treatment counselor. Offer to go with the family member on the first visit to a treatment program and/or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

* If the family member still refuses to get help, ask a friend to talk with him. The intervention of more than one person, more than one time, is often necessary to coax an alcoholic to seek help. A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental may help.

*With the help of a health care professional, some families join to confront an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried under the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in this kind of group intervention.

*The support groups help family members understand that they are not responsible for an alcoholic's drinking and that they need to take steps to take care of themselves, regardless of whether the alcoholic family member chooses to get help.

13. What is a safe level of drinking?

Certain people should not drink at all, however:

Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require alertness and skill (such as driving a car)
People taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications
People with medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking
Recovering alcoholics
People younger than age 21.

For most adults, moderate alcohol use--up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people--causes few if any problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)

14. Is it safe to consume alcohol during pregnancy?

No, alcohol can harm the baby of a mother who drinks during pregnancy. The damage caused by prenatal alcohol includes a range of physical, behavioral, and learning problems in babies. Babies most severely affected have what is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). These babies may have abnormal facial features and severe learning disabilities. Babies can also be born with mild disabilities without the facial changes typical of FAS.

15. Does alcohol affect older people?

Older people also tend to take more medicines than younger people. Mixing alcohol with over-the-counter or prescription medications can be very dangerous, even fatal. In addition, alcohol can make many of the medical conditions common in older people, including high blood pressure and ulcers, more serious. Physical changes associated with aging can make older people feel "high" even after drinking only small amounts of alcohol. So even if there is no medical reason to avoid alcohol, older men and women should limit themselves to one drink per day.

16. Does alcohol affect women differently compared to men?

Women become more impaired than men do after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account. This is because women's bodies have less water than men's bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body than in a man's.. That is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower than for men.
In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol dependence and related medical problems, such as brain, heart, and liver damage, progress more rapidly in women than in men.

17. Is it true that alcohol is good for your heart?

If you are a nondrinker, however, you should not start drinking solely to benefit your heart. You can guard against heart disease by exercising and eating foods that are low in fat. And if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, have been diagnosed as alcoholic, or have another medical condition that could make alcohol use harmful, you should not drink.

If you can safely drink alcohol and you choose to drink, do so in moderation. Heavy drinking can actually increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as cause many other medical problems, such as liver cirrhosis.

18. When taking medications, must you stop drinking?

More than 150 medications interact harmfully with alcohol. Alcohol’s effects are increased by medicines that depress the central nervous system, such as sleeping pills, antihistamines, antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and some painkillers. In addition, medicines for certain disorders, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, can have harmful interactions with alcohol. If you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can safely drink alcohol.

19. How can a person get help for an alcohol problem?

There are many national and local resources that can help.