Sober Resources

Moderate Drinking: What is it really?

What is moderate drinking? This term is something which is hard to explain or define because what may be moderate to one person may be too much for the other. Some people call it social drinking which means drinking in social events and gathering or when there is a special occasion. However, there are people who call themselves social drinker because they attend social gatherings everyday. Does that mean that they are moderate drinkers?

What is really moderate drinking? In defining this term, it is important that one should consider the word moderate. Moderate is a term used to describe everything being done in a safe way not going beyond the safe limit. However, since each individual who drinks has a different tolerance for alcohol, then it’s possible for these people to claim that they moderate drinker indeed.

Even though complexity in this term exists, some guidelines were made to define the term moderate drinking. According to different health organizations worldwide, moderate drinking should be defined as not drinking greater than 1 standard drink for woman everyday and not drinking more than two standard drinks for men everyday.

What is a standard drink? Since there are many types of alcohol that exist, it is also very essential to define what a standard drink is. For beer, a standard drink is measured as 12 ounces, for wine, a standard drink is measured as 5 ounces and for distilled spirits having a proof of 8, a standard drink is measured as 1.5 ounces. Using these standards, it will be easier to define what moderate in alcohol means because all the mentioned alcohol has an absolute alcohol content of 0.5 ounce.

Moreover, as part of the guidelines, pregnant women, driving people, people under medical treatment or people under medication, and minors should not drink even a single ounce of alcohol. There is no exception for the first three mentioned but the last one may vary depending on which country he lives in. There are some countries which consider age 21 years old below as minor and there are countries which consider 18 years old below as one.

The guidelines for drinking alcohol are never as complicated as the term moderate drinking. If only these guidelines can be strictly followed in all countries around the world, there would not be any problem related to alcohol. However, this is the point where the alcohol-related problems start. Simple guidelines accordingly are the hardest to follow.

Getting Sober: What To Expect, is written from first hand experience of a recovering alcoholic. I know all to well the fears you may face when thinking about getting sober.

In this book you will have all those questions answered and more! It is my hope that knowing what to expect when getting sober will make that decision all the easier. Getting Sober: What to Expect was written with your best interests in mind. I hope this book makes that decision easier for you once you know what to expect.

Good luck and I wish you the very best on your road to recovery!

Please visit www.sobertime.net to get your copy of Getting Sober: What to Expect.

Alcohol Abuse
What does the term abuse mean?
The term ‘Abuse’ differs slightly from ‘addiction’. The usage of an illegal substance or usage of a legal substance in a wrong way is called substance abuse. One can abuse a drug substance for example alcohol but that does not signify that the person has an addiction to it.

Alcohol Abuse
The term ‘Binge drinking’ is very much important before discussing alcohol abuse. Binge drinking is the common problem among young people. It basically means simply drinking to get drunk. When a person’s consumption of alcohol starts to cause problem and eventually the habit of alcoholism continues, then Binge drinking turns into alcohol alone. When one continues the consumption of alcohol despite social, legal, interpersonal problems then it is alcohol abuse. The consequences of alcohol abuse can lead to mismanaging time at work, educational institutions, and even neglecting household responsibilities and children. It also affects socially.

When does alcohol abuse become alcohol dependence?
Alcohol abuse turns to alcohol dependence when the alcoholics start to have a craving for alcohol, have withdrawal symptoms when they stop consuming alcohol and lose control over their consumption. Alcohol dependence is a progressive disorder that induces strong need to consume alcohol in spite of the negative consequences.

Is alcoholism an inherited disease?
Scientific study on alcoholism shows that genetics play a vital part in problems related to alcohol development. The research also indicates that for a person to become an alcohol dependent the environment of the person and peer influences play a major role. Most of the scientific studies indicate the important role of heredity in alcohol development. Having said that, a family with history of alcoholics does not doom a member of that family into turning an alcohol addict. A person if properly managed can very well overcome the genetic tendency.

Symptoms Related to Alcoholism
There are vast varieties of symptoms associated to alcoholism. Alcoholism is generally perceived as a progressive disorder or disease, which means the effects and symptoms of alcoholism become increased over a period of time. Person, who consumes alcohol, may show initial signs of problem and then over a period of time, symptoms would progress and will be able to witness symptoms of alcohol abuse. If the consumption persists then they show symptoms related to alcoholism.

Symptoms Related To Alcohol Abuse
The primary symptom of alcohol abuse happens when the person repeatedly consumes, even after the person’s consumption level reaches a stage that causes continuous problems. Thus alcohol abuse can be confirmed, when the person continues the intake of alcohol, even after the drinking leads the person to miss school, work, drunken drive, social responsibilities and lands the person in trouble with the law. When blood Alcohol content (BAC) test is conducted a heavy drinker shows the following results. The results include increased carbodydrate deficient transferring, elevated GGT2, moderate increase of ALT and AST and a ratio of 2:1 (AST: ALT), and enlarged MCB known as macrocytosis.

Treatment
The prime focus of the most treatments for alcohol problems is to help the affected person discontinue the alcohol consumption. This is coupled with supporting the person socially so aft to aid them withstand a return to consumption of alcoholic beverages. As a part of the treatment, it is important for the person to get detoxified. Detoxification is an abrupt stop of intake of alcohol coupled with the replacement of drugs that have same effects to stop alcohol withdrawal.

How is the alcoholic treated mentally?
The detoxification treats the physical effects caused due to long term usage of alcohol. But the treatment should have an approach towards the psychological issues related to that particular person. For this purpose psychotherapy or group therapy, which deals with the mental state of person, can be employed. Mutual help group helps the affected person to maintain sobriety. Apart from that treatment, rationing and moderation programs play a vital part to manage the person from relapse to alcoholism.

Varying Medications for Alcoholism
The medications can be considered as part of treatment for alcohol addicts. The medication for alcoholism varies widely. There is medications for detoxification and withdrawal and Medication for long-term usage. Benzodiazepines drugs are the most suitable drugs to reduce the effects of withdrawal symptoms. Baclofen acts as a GABA B receptor agonist, which helps to increase detoxification. The drugs for long-term medication include Antabure, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Topiramate. It has been known that sodium oxybate which is the sodium salt of GHB – gamma – hydrobutyric acid can be an efficient medication for both alcohol withdrawal and for long term usage.

If you or someone you knows suffers from alcohol abuse visit us at The Sober Village, where we do recover!

Other than the health related problems associated with alcoholism that requires physical and medical treatment, alcoholism itself is considered a psychological, mental or psychiatric disorder. In this case, medical treatment may not really be necessary as compared to those that are considered health related. When alcoholism has not yet affected the internal system of a person, alternative therapy for alcoholism treatment may be the treatment required.

There are different alternative therapies for alcoholism treatment. These are health and wellness program, psychedelic enhancement therapy and other complementary therapies. These types of therapies are good alternatives for alcoholism treatment because they are proven to be effective clinically.

The health and wellness program is a very good alternative therapy for alcoholism treatment. This program consists of hydration, physical exercises, proper nutrition, journaling and meditation and rational recovery. In this program, the alcoholic person is lectured about the harmful effects of drinking too much alcohol, the benefits quitting will give him and about the wellness of a person’s individuality and health when totally freed from alcohol. The person is given some programs to follow such as water therapy or hydration which lasts for a certain period of time depending on what the doctor advises the patient to do. It is proven effective in eliminating the toxins carried by the alcohol in the body. When the alcohol toxins were totally flushed out from the body, programs for nutrition and exercises should be followed. While the above are being done, the patient should also keep a journal about his experiences while having the program. He may put all the bad and negative feelings he has, the changes he feels and will be asked to compare the day to day experiences. This helps in meditation and reflection.

Psychedelic enhancement therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on internal reflection of a person. The main goal of this program is to totally free the person from the thought of drinking alcohol physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Complementary therapies involve counseling, psychological treatment against depression, anxiety, tension and stress withdrawing from alcohol brings. Accordingly, these are the greatest barrier for any kind of alcoholism treatment. When a person begins to feel distressed, nervous and anxious about not drinking alcohol, he usually has the tendency to go back and fall prey again. Hence, complete understanding of the therapy treatment will help the person realize the disadvantages of drinking alcohol and then he may start to combat the barriers.

Above all, the best and most important alternative therapy for alcoholism treatment is the continuous support of family members, loved ones and friends. Encourage, motivate and support the patient. Be on his side all the way and this will help him overcome his disease.

For more information on alcoholism and therapy visit the Sober Sources Network.

Stressful situations are widespread in our society. People are always faced with problems dealing with their physical problems, social life, family life, and their finances. These are the different factors contributing to feelings of apprehension, and most people will look for ways to relieve their tension.

Most likely, these people will resort to alcohol to manage their stress – this is prevalent in today’s culture. But drinking alcohol repeatedly will lead to neurological adaptations and biochemical changes, which will drive the person to keep on drinking more alcohol.

The body physiology behind addiction explains why the so called “alcoholic individuals” feel the periodic urge to drink. Alcohol dependency will:

· Affect the neurotransmitters and the brain.
· Greatly affect GABA (increases the inhibitory activity) and glutamate receptors (decreases the excitatory activity).
· Disrupt glutaminergic and GABAergic transmission, causing apoptosis (these are primary ways that alcohol affects the brain by suppressing its activity).
· Increase dopamine “rush,” which disappears after the body’s alcohol level stops increasing. This will encourage you to drink more alcohol so that you can get “high” again.
· Increase blood alcohol concentrations to toxic levels. This is dangerous because the dopamine rush will be gone but there will still be a high alcohol content in your body. You will not realize that this is happening, so you will continue drinking – this is the reason why some heavy drinkers die from alcohol blood poisoning.

Just like other chemical substances (drugs and cigarettes), alcohol can be very addictive and usually cause tolerance and dependence.

Tolerance occurs when the individual consumes alcohol continuously but is no longer achieving a maximal effect from it. You have alcohol tolerance when you need to increase the amount of alcohol you must consume to produce the desirable effect. This means that your brain is already less sensitive to alcohol but the toxicity to your brain cells remains the same.

Dependence, on the other hand, is characterized by abnormal consumption of alcohol and lack of drinking control. You already have alcohol dependence when you possess intense and uncontrollable craving for it. The three stages are:

Acute drug effects – release of dopamine into the “pleasure center” (nucleus accumbens), which causes pleasure and will stimulate more usage of alcohol.
Neuron Changes – transition to addiction, as the body becomes more accustomed to the alcohol in the body. This is where the plasticity of the body’s neurons begins to reshape its synapses. The body starts having withdrawal symptoms (such as sleep disturbances, shaking, and anxiety) when the alcohol is no longer in the body.

Addiction – the damage has been done due to alcohol dependence, which means that there is already a strengthening of the synapses and permanent cellular changes.

If you need help with alcoholism or drug addiction please visit one of the many sites of the Sober Sources Network. Our live forums may be found at the Sober Village and Recovery Works.