As a psychiatrist specializing in addiction, I have been surprised by my patient’s frequent reports that they have had numerous black outs when intoxicated. Have you or anyone you know had a black out? (If you or someone you know have a parent or spouse with an alcohol problem, please click here to get my free special report on, “The 5 Power Tactics for Spouse’s of Alcoholics to Turn Their Marriage Around”. It’s a must read if you want to save the family’s life!)
What is a black out? Read More
As a psychiatrist specializing in addiction, I treat a number of people with alcoholism (alcohol dependence). A number of my patients starting in drug and alcohol recovery are reluctant to be in a situation where he/she is around alcohol or drugs. Read More
Most people know that alcoholism leads to problems with one’s liver, heart, and brain. To make matters worse, alcohol consumption makes you more prone to fractures. In other words, alcohol makes your body even more broken than you previously thought! Read More
Fort Hood Nidal Mali Hasan, a 39 year old American psychiatrist of Palestinian descent, opened fire on fellow American soldiers, killing 13 and wounding 31 at his Texas army base. Major Hasan who was thought to take excellent care of his patients turned from a healer to a killer. We are all left wondering how could this happen? Read More
Think twice as a tween or teen before getting drunk with your friends. A study that was published on line September 18th, 2009 and that will be in print in the December issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, showed the following: Age of first drink (AFD) before 15 increases the risk of alcohol dependence. (If you or someone you know have a parent or spouse with an alcohol problem, please click here to get my free special report on, “The 5 Power Tactics for Spouse’s of Alcoholics to Turn Their Marriage Around”. It’s a must read if you want to save the family’s life!) Read More
Do you worry that you will be an alcoholic? What predisposes a person to alcoholism?
- Genetics: Do you have the genetics for alcoholism?
Scientific studies support that alcoholism does have a genetic component. If one or both your parents are alcoholics, you have four to eight times greater chance of becoming an alcoholic compared to someone whose parents are not alcoholic (Wllliam Lavallo, Director of Behavioral Science Laboratory at the VA in Oklahoma City and author of this study). In other words, alcoholism runs in families. (If you or someone you know have a parent or spouse with an alcohol problem, please click here to get my free special report on, “The 5 Power Tactics for Spouse’s of Alcoholics to Turn Their Marriage Around”. It’s a must read if you want to save the family’s life!)
Are there other important risk factors that predispose you to alcoholism?
- Being male. Alcoholism is twice as common in men.
- Having a tendency toward “behavioral disinhibition”. According to Peter Flynn (professor of psychology at Indiana University at Bloomington), if you show behavior that is consistent with being impulsive, not easily influenced by negative consequences, have trouble delaying gratification and tend towards always getting immediate rewards, you are at a much higher risk. (May 2006 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research).
- The diagnosis of “Conduct Disorder” in childhood (children with this tend to be impulsive, break rules, show cruel or aggressive behavior, lie etc. ) and alcohol dependence appear to be genetically linked based on twin studies (Tatiana Foroud,Ph.D.,an associate professor of medical and molecular genetics andpsychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues).
- Anxiety is also a risk factor for developing symptoms of alcoholism. People with an anxiety disorder are two to three times more likely than the general population to abuse alcohol (I will deal with this in more detail in a separate post).
- Depression elevates your risk as well. 5-10% of people with depression develop alcohol abuse (40% of people who abuse alcohol will develop depression. Remember, alcohol is a central nervous depressant.
- People with Attention Deficit Disorder have two to three times the rate of alcoholism. One explanation is that they are self medicating a “wired” brain. Also,the disorders are genetically linked.
- Bipolar Disorder and alcohol abuse often coexist.
The bottom line is this: If you are an impulsive guy that worries, who has a tendency toward depression or mood swings, with a family history of alcoholism- WATCH OUT! Stay away from alcohol consumption or get help if show the symptoms of alcoholism.
Resources:
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/genetics/a/blacer060508.htm
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/genetics/a/bluic051010.htm
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/39/5/52
http://www.adaa.org/gettinghelp/MFarchives/MonthlyFeatures(March07).asp
http://www.depression-guide.com/alcohol-and-depression.htm
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-2/103-108.htm
Why has Michael Jackson’s death captured so much of our attention? People who had discounted him in the last several years of his life now have a renewed interest in him. Sales of his songs on itunes have skyrocketed. You can’t pass a magazine section without seeing him on multiple covers. Even Dateline ran a special recently about the tapes that he recorded with his spiritual advisor, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach revealing how much emotional pain he had experienced since his childhood. Read More
Many people who drink have disrupted sleep. Do you wonder if you stopped drinking, if your sleep would improve? A study came out Oct 1st, 2009 in the journal Sleep that shows that the negative effects of long term alcoholism on sleep persists even after an extended abstinence period. Read More
