We\'ve been inundated with news about celebrities arrested/jailed for DUI-- Lind

Question

We've been inundated with news about celebrities arrested/jailed for DUI-- Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, Dave Hasselhoff --to name a few. Alcoholism is a major problem that leads to a lot of long term health problems such as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, gastritis, cancer of the esophagus, heart disease and diabetes, not to mention broken relationships. Research the web and share what you find about alcoholism. Is it inherited? How does one know he/she is an alcoholic? What exactly is alcoholism? What is binge drinking? Is alcoholism curable? Are there any drugs that can cure it?

Explanation / Answer

Alcoholism is not determined by the genes you inherit from your parents.But our genetic structure determines all our huan traits.Our DNA dictates our physical characteristics and also our behavioral characteristics(such as aggression,addiction).These genes are passed on to us by our parents. Among the behavioral traits parents can pass on to their children is a predisposition toward alcohol abuse or addiction.Among those abusing alcohol people who are genetically predisposed to alcoholism have a higher risk of becoming addicted.Although people can inherit alcoholic tendencies,the development of an alcohol use disorder is also dependent on social factors.Some who have inherited genes making them susceptible to alcoholism are responsible drinkers or never take a drink in their life.

Alcoholism is also known as alcohol use disorder(AUD),it is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems.A person drinks large amount of alcohol over a long period of time,has difficulty in cutting down.This can result in mental illness,irregular heartbeat,liver cirrhosis,affect on pancreas and immune system.

Binge drinking is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.It is somewhat overlaps with social drinking as it is done in groups.It is associated with a profound social harm,economic costs as well as increased disease burden.It is more common in males during adolescence.   

A number of rehabilitation centres and alcohol treatment organisations want people to believe that alcoholism is a disease and that there is no cure,however that is simply not true.Science is not able to identify an alcoholic gene and cannot say with absolute certainty that alcohol overuse is a disease.Drinking in excess is a choice that is reinforced by the individual.It can be only stopped by an individual with his will power and attending some meetings in rehabilitation centres or by doing meditation and yoga.

There is no magic pill or one-size-fits-all treatment that can banish an alcoholic's need or desire to drink.But a handful of FDA-approved medications, when used in combination with psychological and social interventions such as 12-step programs, can help a significant number of alcohol-dependent patients reduce their insatiable cravings and cut back substantially on the number of heavy drinking days.

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