Alcoholism
Members: Brigade: 3
- Beatriz Hernández Díaz
- Adriana Gutiérrez Leyva
- Gema Robert Mesa
Alcoholism
Excessive and repetitive drinking Drink alcohol excessively
of alcoholic beverages to the
extent that the drinker repeatedly Chemical changes in the brain
is harmed or harms others. The
harm may be physical or mental, Increases pleasurable sensations
social, legal, or economic.
This makes you want to drink more often.
Time
Pleasant feelings disappear
Drink
Prevent abstinence symptoms
Definition: Etiology:
Clinical Picture
Drink alone
Drinking more to feel the effects of alcohol (having a high tolerance)
Becoming violent or angry when asked about their drinking habits
Not eating or eating poorly
Neglecting personal hygiene
Missing work or school because of drinking
Being unable to control alcohol intake
Making excuses to drink
Alcohol cravings
Abstinence symptoms when not drinking, including shaking, nausea, and
vomiting
Tremors (involuntary shaking) the morning after drinking
Lapses in memory (blacking out) after a night of drinking
Risk Factors
Known risk factor include having:
More than 15 drinks per week if you´re male
More than 12 drinks per week if you´re female
More than 5 drinks per day at least once a week
A parent with alcohol use disorder
A mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia
A young adult experiencing social pressure
Have a high level of stress
Have a close relative with alcohol use disorder
Tests & Investigations
Alcohol Use Disorders Identifications Test (AUDIT)
Cut down Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE)
Screening with Brief Intervention (SBI) Tools
Treatment:
Treatment includes counseling from a health care professional. One option for
those who need additional help is detox programs in hospitals or medical
facilities. There are medications that reduce the desire to consume alcohol
such as:
Naltrexone: can help reduce consumption
Acamprosate: Facilitates perseverance in abstinence
Disulfiram: Blocks the decomposition of alcohol by the body, causing
unpleasant symptoms, such as nausea or flushing.
Complications
Complications of alcoholism on a physical level
Hypertension arterial and heart damage.
Liver problems such as fatty liver and liver cirrhosis, a condition that has no
cure and severely affects the liver.
Inflammation of the pancreas.
Memory loss, neurological problems and neuronal damage, since excessive
alcohol intake destroys neurons.
Gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers, gastritis, bleeding from the
digestive tract, among others.
Very high propensity to suffer from different types of cancer such as
esophagus, colon, stomach and liver.
Greater possibility of suffering from conditions such as high uric acid or high
cholesterol and triglycerides.
High possibility of suffering from delusions and dementia.
Sleeping problems.
Complications
Complications of alcoholism on a psychological level
Feelings of guilt, frustration and inability.
Depression and anxiety.
Family, social and work problems.
Suicidal thoughts and a high inclination to attack one's own physical
integrity.
Feeling of isolation and loneliness.
Prognosis
Alcoholism is a disease that has no cure, it is chronic. The person can stop
drinking and never do it again, but periods of relapse are frequent and
expected. If the person drinks again, it is very likely that they will relapse
into alcoholism again.