While with diligent and long term treat ment the disease is manageable, there is no know cure for the condition. Some doctors believe it is hereditary, but say that it is not conclusive in every case. They believe in general that it is triggered by a physical condition, or an chemical imbalance in the brain, however no general consensus of the cause of the illness has been reached.
By the time Alcoholism is identified it is often times in later or advanced stages making treatment and long term care a necessity. While the exact cause of Alcoholism is not known it is now believed that a gene (D2 Dopamine Receptor gene) when inherited in a specific form might lend to a higher disposition for developing the disease.
Alcoholism treatments may vary from case to case, some including only psychological counseling, in some extreme cases serious medical treatment to alleviate withdrawals, and physical therapy might become necessary. Alcohol addiction is one of the few conditions that the AMA lists with a dual classification, that added to the fact that no specific causes and no permanent cure are known further complicates the disorder.
Alcoholics generally have difficulties in later stages of the disorder with functioning in many social settings, and become reclusive, often times choosing to stay away from other people. Many people think that Alcoholism is just a social or behavioral disorder, an issue of the weak willed, that could not be further from the truth, an alcoholic often times possess a stronger willpower and determination than those not afflicted.
Severe or chronic alcoholism can lead to other health issues including but not limited to liver disease, peptic ulcers, Kidney disease, hepatitis B, and even mental disorders such as alcohol induced dementia. If gone untreated Alcoholism has a 100% mortality rate. There is hope out there even for the most chronic of alcoholics, There is AA.
Alcoholics Anonymous founded by Bill Wilson and a small group of alcoholics looking for a long term treatment for this illness have in recent years made leaps and bounds in the areas of treatment and counseling of alcoholics. Alcoholics need no longer feel alone, They need only to find a local meeting to go to, and learn from the old veterans who have been there and done that. My name is James, and I am an alcoholic.
