Welcome back to my health impact series. In this post I will discuss about the impact and importance of diagnosis of alcoholism to control this social as well as a personal problem. For people suffering from alcohol tend to deny their problem, hence it sometimes becomes very difficult to convince them that they need treatment and medications. So, the role of near ones becomes very vital and helpful in these circumstances. The close friends, family members and colleagues of an alcoholic person should intervene and seek a doctor’s advice for the affected person and convince the drinker about his problem.
Detection of alcoholism is the key step in treating problem drinking. Simply stopping the drinking habit will not help. If you still have control over your drinking, then reducing the amount gradually is the best way to counter problem drinking and alcoholism. Improve your life through control over your drinking should be the ultimate goal.
The doctor decides whether you are suffering from alcoholism with the help of the prepared set of questions. You will be asked to give answers to some specific questions. Your doctor will also like to have some conversations with your family members; friends and close associates assess your situation. You should feel safe in sharing anything with your doctor as by law the doctor cannot give out any information without your consent.
Alcoholism cannot be detected directly through any specific test. But an assessment of your health conditions which may have direct or indirect link to alcoholisms may help.
The American Psychiatric Association published Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to set specific criteria that have to be fulfilled before you may be diagnosed as alcoholic. According to its protocol following signs and symptoms are checked for a period of 12 months.
The alcohol tolerance level, i.e. amount of alcohol you need to feel drunk, which gets increased with the progression of alcoholism. If alcohol already had a severe effect on your central nervous system, then this amount may also get decreased with time.
Whether experiencing withdrawal symptoms (like nausea, tremors, anxiety, and insomnia) on attempt of trying to cut down or stop alcohol consumption. This may result you get back to alcohol and drink even more to avoid these symptoms (sometimes you may start drinking throughout the day).
Consuming more alcohol and spending more time drinking than you intend. Though you have a strong desire to cut down your alcohol consumption, you cannot do so and have made unsuccessful attempts to quit drinking.
Giving up other important activities of life (may be related to work, relation or social) to have more time for drinking and drinking related activities.
Persisting on your drinking habit even after knowing the adverse consequence of alcohol on your physical and mental health.
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