Category: alcohol

Life Without Alcohol

Life without alcohol? Most people can’t imagine going without alcohol – not even a beer while cutting grass! a glass of wine at dinner! a favorite bourbon drink after a long day at work!?!? Most people don’t have a problem with drinking, but they…

Alcoholism: leading cause of preventable death

Did you know that alcoholism is now the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.? This is from The Addiction Advisor: Alcohol abuse is killing Americans at record rates not seen in the last 35 years, according to new research conducted by the…

Alcohol is a depressant

Alcohol is classified as a depressant drug, but there’s more to it. Alcohol produces a stimulant effect in small amounts for most normal drinkers. Alcoholics, however, develop tolerance and are able to drink much more than the normal drinker, thus extending the stimulant effect. Regarding the multiple…

The Economics of Alcoholism

Awhile back I wrote a post on the economics of addiction. This new post is focused on the economics of alcoholism and alcohol abuse. First we’ll define an economic term – externalities. Here is an excerpt from an article that discusses externalities related to alcohol consumption and…

The Damaged Alcoholic Mind

Science is learning more and more about the biological damage to the brain caused by alcoholism, and there are more and more medical treatments to help ameliorate the damage. The biological damage is the easiest to understand. The alcoholic mind is harder to understand. What’s difficult to…

Alcoholics drink every day

Another myth about alcoholism is the idea that to be an alcoholic you have to drink every day. There are different types of alcoholics and different stages of alcoholism. Not every alcoholic drinks every day, although most alcoholics in the late stages of alcoholism…

Understanding Alcoholism

If I could recommend only one book to gain a comprehensive understanding of alcoholism, I would recommend Under the Influence. There are so many myths associated with alcoholism it’s truly amazing, and I’ll bet that the average person who reads this book will be…

If you have an alcohol problem…

Here is a simple test to determine if you have an alcohol problem, or if someone you know might have a problem. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition that doctors diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. The condition can range…

Alcohol, other drugs and society

In reference to alcohol, other drugs and society, one of the biggest barriers in recovery from addiction is societal attitudes and beliefs concerning the use of alcohol or other drugs. Alcohol is the nation’s socially acceptable drug, yet most people have no idea that,…

Abstinence or Moderation?

The ongoing debate over whether alcoholics can moderate their drinking or if abstinence is the only solution is not a new debate. Alcoholism treatment arose decades ago as a reaction to alcoholics failing to moderate their drinking. Psychologists and counselors have worked with alcoholics for a…