Alcohol Addiction
According to the National Institute of Health, there are over 18 million Americans suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcohol addiction. A person may become addicted to alcohol in months or over the years. When regularly consuming alcohol, despite harmful consequences (missing work, car accidents, disruptive behavior, risky sexual behavior), s/he may be suffering from an addiction to alcohol. There are a host of health conditions directly related to alcohol abuse and addiction such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, breast and digestive cancers, ulcers, personality changes, memory loss and many more). Despite ill health, trouble at work or home, the individual will continue to drink. Indeed, s/he is physically and emotionally compelled to drink. Once addiction sets in, the body craves more alcohol to get the initial sense of calm and relaxation. Withdrawal symptoms will occur when the alcohol is abruptly halted. It is dangerous to stop drinking without medical treatment to move the body through the withdrawal process.
