Alcoholism leads to significant nutritional deficits that impair the way the body and brain function. A successful program of recovery addresses emotional, biological and cognitive components of staying sober, but also requires changes in...
Alcoholism is a disease characterized by long-term, excess consumption of alcoholic beverages. When you quit drinking, your body must learn how to function without a constant supply of alcohol. The body must heal muscle tissues, replace calcium in...
Excessive alcohol consumption inhibits the body's ability to absorb nutrients, dramatically influences the diet of the heavy drinker and can result in severe malnutrition. A recovering alcoholic must not only cease using alcohol and carefully wean...
Recovering alcoholics face many challenges, both mental and physical. As you recover from alcoholism, your body may feel the effects of changes you experienced during alcohol abuse. These changes may include how your organs functioned, how your...
The risks of alcoholism increase in people who began drinking at an early age, have relatives who abused alcohol, have experienced other mental health disorders such as depression, are male or have drank consistently over a extended period of...
Alcohol, for some, is a drug that they can consume only in social situations and in qualities that are manageable and do not have significant negative effects on their life. For others, alcohol becomes something they need; alcohol helps them get...
When you suffer from alcoholic neuropathy, it's essentially a form of peripheral nerve damage caused by the excessive use and abuse of alcohol. But the development of this condition isn't thought to be solely related to the nerve poisoning caused...
Alcoholics often have nutritional deficiencies that need treatment once they become sober. Anyone recovering from alcoholism requires daily vitamin supplementation with a high-potency multivitamin, but many alcoholics also require additional...
The classic twelve-step program comes from Alcoholics Anonymous founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob who, in 1935, were both seeking to relinquish a personal attachment to alcohol. The two men came together as friends sharing a single purpose, and their...
Relapse refers to engaging in maladaptive behavior that leads to alcohol use. The recovery process often involves relapse back to drinking; this is part of the process in developing a more effective plan for sobriety. RelapsePrevention.com...
When a recovering alcoholic relapses, it affects family, friends and co-workers, as well as the alcoholic. Supportive friends and family members may lose trust and feel disappointed and let down. According Al-Anon, a 12-step program designed for...
Detoxification from alcohol includes eating a nutritious diet with vitamins and minerals to replace the nutrients lost from alcoholism. Heavy consumption of alcohol causes you to eat foods high in unhealthy fats and added sugars, according to the...
People who beat drug addiction or alcoholism have a period when relapse can destroy everything they have accomplished in overcoming their addiction. Some people have to make attempts at quitting drugs or alcohol several times because of relapse...
Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive and often fatal disease of the mind and the body. According to the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, alcoholism is directly responsible for more than 100,000 deaths each year because of...
An alcoholic might feel fine after giving up drinking. But the recovery process may be filled with temptations, social pressures, frustration and anger. The signals these feelings bring out can be noticed by the alcoholic and by the people around...
Reiki is a therapy that has been used in Japan for centuries. The word "reiki" is derived from the Japanese words for "higher power" and "life force energy," according to the International Center for Reiki Training. It is based on the idea that...
Alcohol awareness activities at an early age teach kids about the effects of underage drinking. The activities give kids the knowledge and confidence they need to deal with peer pressure related to alcohol. Alcohol awareness activities work well...
Addiction to alcohol is a powerful disease that is difficult to overcome without assistance. While many alcoholics can quit drinking for a period of time through simple abstinence or treatment, most alcoholics will relapse without continued help....
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are common problems in the United States and elsewhere around the world. The National Center for Biotechnology Information notes that alcoholism and alcohol abuse are two unique types of problem drinking. Alcoholism is...
Alcohol use begins with the voluntary choice to take a drink. Over time, however, that choice shifts to dependence. Alcoholism is characterized by an uncontrollable craving for alcohol, regardless of the consequences. In 2007, the National Survey...
In 2008, 6.4 percent of Americans identified themselves as "heavy drinkers," found a survey performed by the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Drinking one or more drink per day with the...
A healthy diet plays a major role in helping recovering alcoholics return to normal living. The process of recovery includes practicing regular eating patterns with good nutrition. Those in recovery face severe nutritional deficiencies, especially...
When Dr. Edward Bach developed his system of flower remedies, he included only one combination remedy. The crisis formula, as he called it, combines five flowers that help you to cope with crises and emergency situations. Nelson & Company...
Bach flower remedies correlate with an emotion or frame of mind and therefore address the underlying reason for your sleeplessness. Consider the reasons for your insomnia, and then choose the remedy that seems to fit. Combine up to seven flowers...
Recovering alcoholics need a balanced, nutritious diet to complement their involvement with support groups, counseling or medication to deal with cravings. Nutritional deficiencies result from alcohol addiction, especially for prolonged...
For alcoholics, achieving sobriety and staying sober is a challenging task. If you are addicted to alcohol, you have likely built strong destructive habits that heave kept you dependent on alcohol for daily survival. Alcohol addiction affects both...
Chronic alcohol consumption can have disastrous effects on your overall health. In addition to the elevated risks of developing serious health complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, sexual problems and liver disease, chronic...
During prolonged alcohol abuse, particularly among daily heavy drinkers, the brain is forced into hyperactivity to compensate for the depressant effects of alcohol. When an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking, this hyperactivity continues leading to...
No single medication works for every alcoholic. Medications for alcoholism are continuing to be tested. There are drugs to help reduce the need for alcohol and medications that deal the symptoms of quitting. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
