14 DAY TRIAL // What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a depressive drug that slows down the activity of the central nervous system. In small quantities, it produces relaxation and chases away your inhibitions. In large quantities though, it causes difficulty in speech and motion, a confused thinking, turbid eyesight and nausea.
The four phases of alcoholism
1. The experimental use
The youngsters experiment alcohol very often. They realize the attitude changes determined by it and think that they learn how to feel good through alcohol use. Sometimes, they do feel good, but, in most cases, alcohol worsens things instead of improving them. This is when the young man/woman starts feeling bad and ends up vomiting and with a terrible headache the next morning.
Such a negative experience could make some of the young change their minds and decide never to drink again. But still, many end up experimenting some nice (they think) states of mind associated with alcohol and that strengthens their desire to continue drinking. This leads to a regular use.
2. The regular use
Those who consume alcohol on a regular basis do it because it confers them a state of well being, even though for a short period of time. In most of the cases, people lose control over the quantity of alcohol and drink excessively.
3. Alcohol - a habit
In this stage, an alcohol consumer starts drinking more often, invoking all kinds of reasons. If in the case of the men in the first two categories the reason was the 'pleasant' effect of alcohol, the people in this category drink to diminish or eliminate some tormenting feelings. They try to chase away their fears by partying and even gain a certain reputation for the amount of alcohol consumed. Also, some of them develop a physical tolerance to alcohol effects and feel the need to drink more in order to obtain the same effects they did once. This is the first sign of alcoholism.
4. The chemical dependency
Once you've reached this phase, you'll absolutely lose control. Not to think that such a person gets drunk every time he drinks. Sometimes, these act like normal consumers. The thing is that, when a chemical dependent person starts to consume alcohol, no one can foresee the duration or the results of this episode or the quantity of alcohol that will be consumed.
Self medication is the most important motivation force. A chemical addicted person does not drink for pleasure but in the attempt of feeling normal. All that he/she obtains though are some short periods of emotional and physical relief.
True or false?
1. Alcohol is a sign of moral weakness. FALSE. It's very important that this idea be eliminated and with it, the feeling of moral guilt that stops many drinkers to seek help.
2. A moderate consume of alcohol does not harm a pregnant woman. FALSE. Anything that the future mother drinks and eats affects the child. Have in mind that the alcohol syndrome is the third most important cause of malformations.
3. Getting drunk and being an alcoholic is the same thing. FALSE. Getting drunk implies a temporary loss of control over your reactions and behavior. Meanwhile, an alcoholic does not have the power of renouncing drinking and is addicted to alcohol.
4. It's not dangerous to drive if you've had less than three glasses of alcohol. FALSE. It's better to wait one hour after each glass following the first. Nothing can accelerate the process of waking up for the organism oxidizes alcohol in a constant rhythm.
5. Excessive consume of alcohol increases the chances of cancer appearing. TRUE. Alcoholics often risk of developing tongue, mouth, liver cancer.
6. Studies show that even a single major intoxication can irreversibly deteriorate the brain's functions. TRUE. The primary effects of alcohol are on the central nervous system and on the brain. It has been discovered that an excessive and frequent use of alcohol leads to permanent brain dysfunctions.
7. If a person stops drinking then that person is an alcoholic no more. FALSE. Once a person becomes an alcoholic, he/she's considered of suffering from alcoholism, even though he/she doesn't drink anymore, because he/she quickly loses control, sometimes after just one drink.
8. Mixing drinks determines a more rapid of getting drunk than one single type of alcohol would. FALSE. It has been created the belief that persons that mix drinks get drunk faster than in the case of drinking only one type of alcohol. The alcoholic content is the one that's been consumed and not the mixture of different drinks is the one that determines one's drunkenness.
Consider those written above and reach your own personal conclusions! I wonder what they will be.