Drinking Problem?

Article by: Larry McMahon

“Am I an alcoholic ?... or just a social drinker ?” How often have you asked yourself this question ? Alcohol (unlike Nicotine) is not inherently addictive. Indeed, it is true, that for most people, alcohol is a positive “quality of life” element. But sadly...for a minority of drinkers – it becomes a compulsive and life-wrecking addiction.

It seems there are three ways of becoming an alcoholic...

If you're depressed...

The first way is, if you suffer from Depression, and use alcohol as your own self-administered medication. You could say that this is yet another Irish solution to an Irish problem. A significant number of the regular customers of every bar, fall into this category. But Drink, as an anti-depressant, is very deceptive !

Initially Drink seems to help – especially if the depression takes the form of a social phobia. Alcohol helps the depressive to feel more relaxed (and less depressed). And the more he drinks – the more relaxed he feels. But unfortunately the “cure” is worse than the illness. The subsequent hangovers are especially bad – and make the depression even worse…thus driving the individual to drink again, as the only form of relief. And so the vicious cycle continues in an ever downward spiral.

Maybe it's in your Genes...

The second route into alcoholism, is through Genetics. If you happen to inherit a genetic tendency towards alcoholism, it can be a real trap. It does seem to be the case that alcoholism can run in certain families. Full marks to those individuals who spot this in their own families – and decide to take evasive action. If you see how booze can ruin so many lives within your own family tree, it can be a very wise decision to abstain totally.

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Military at Increased Risk for Alcohol Abuse

Military service in a war zone increases service members' chances of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, and depression, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Serving in a war also increases the chances of alcohol abuse, accidental death, and suicide within the first few years after leaving the war zone, and marital and family conflict, including domestic violence, said the committee that wrote the report at the request of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which asked for a comprehensive analysis of the scientific and medical evidence concerning associations between deployment-related stress and long-term, adverse effects on health.

Drug abuse, incarceration, unexplained illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin diseases, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain may also be associated with the stresses of being in a war, but the evidence to support these links is weaker. For other health problems and adverse effects that the committee reviewed, the data are lacking or contradictory; the committee could not determine whether links between these ailments and deployment-related stress exist.

Although the report cannot offer definitive answers about the connections between many health problems and the stresses of war, it is clear that veterans who were deployed to war zones self-report more medical conditions and poorer health than veterans who were not deployed. Those who were deployed and have PTSD in particular tend to report more symptoms and poorer health, the committee found. PTSD often occurs in conjunction with other anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse; its prevalence and severity is associated with increased exposure to combat.

A persistent obstacle to obtaining better evidence that would yield clearer answers is lack of pre- and post-deployment screenings of physical, mental, and emotional status. The U.S. Department of Defense should conduct comprehensive, standardized evaluations of service members' medical conditions, psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, and psychosocial status and trauma history before and after they deploy to war zones. Such screenings would provide baseline data for comparisons and information to determine the long-term consequences of deployment-related stress. In addition, they would help identify at-risk personnel who might benefit from targeted intervention programs during deployment -- such as marital counseling or therapy for psychiatric or other disorders -- and help DOD and VA choose which intervention programs to implement for veterans adjusting to post-deployment life.