a. Alkalosis: Excessive consumption of baking soda can lead to alkalosis, a condition characterised with the aid of an imbalance of acids and bases inside the body. This can reason symptoms like nausea, vomiting, complications, and muscle weakness. B. Gastrointestinal Issues: Consuming massive quantities of baking soda may additionally cause gastrointestinal problems inclusive of gasoline, bloating, and diarrhea. C. Hypertension: Baking soda includes a high amount of sodium, which may be harmful to people with excessive blood pressure or heart conditions. D. Kidney Function: Prolonged use of baking soda in high quantities may additionally have an effect on kidney function and get worse current kidney conditions. E. Allergic Reactions: Some people may experience hypersensitive reactions or pores and skin irritation whilst the use of baking soda at the pores and skin. The All-Purpose Cleaning Agent Baking soda's cleansing talents enlarge a ways past the kitchen. It's ...
Alcoholism
is a disease that affect the body, mind and spirit. Other people, such as
your partner, children, relatives and friends, are also affected by alcohol
addiction.
Alcoholism does
not mean that you have a drink or two, sometimes maybe one too many. Alcohol
is a legal drug that is widely available, easily accessible, and socially
acceptable. For most people, a beer after work, a glass of wine or a cocktail
are part of everyday life or part of a party. The problem, however, is
that the transition from normal alcohol consumption to an alcoholic illness is
a fluid one. Many people realize they have a problem with alcohol late or
not at all.
The following
recommendations apply to men and women when it comes to alcohol consumption:
- Women
shouldn't consume more than 12 grams of alcohol per day - that's roughly
the equivalent of a small 0.3 liter glass of beer.
- For men,
24 grams of alcohol per day is considered moderate - that's around two
glasses of beer a day.
- In
addition, regular alcohol breaks are advisable - at least two days a week.
The statistics
on alcohol consumption show that many people consume significantly higher
amounts of alcohol.
Alcoholism - from when?
By definition,
alcoholism is an addictive disorder that has nothing to do with weakness of
will or character. It becomes critical when excessive amounts of alcohol
are consumed, and this is no longer done for pure enjoyment and the alcohol
fulfills certain functions: reassurance, reward after a stressful day,
"drinking away" of problems.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) has define criteria as to when a person becomes an alcoholic
(a kind of "alcoholic definition"). They are recorded in the
International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) under the code F10.2 (see
Diagnosis of Alcoholism).
Alcohol addiction: the alcoholism types
Doctors distinguish five types of alcoholism - they go back to the psychologist Elvin Molton Jellinek, who defined them in 1960
Alpha drinkers are problem drinkers: They use alcohol as a means to relieve mental stress and loads easier to bear. You are not physically but emotionally dependent. You drink undisciplined, but you don't lose control. You can still quit, but you are at risk of becoming an alcoholic.
Beta drinkers are casual drinkers. They consume alcohol at social events. You are neither mentally nor physically dependent on alcohol, but you are easily seduced. You are definitely at risk of addiction.
Gamma drinkers are addicts. You are more emotionally dependent than physically. Inconspicuous phases and excessive drinking alternate. After the first sip of alcohol, she grabs an almost insatiable need to drink more and more.
Delta drinkers are mirror drinkers: The physical dependence is stronger than the emotional. This type of alcoholism needs a certain amount of alcohol (a mirror or level) to make them feel good. If he doesn't drink enough, withdrawal symptoms set in likeTremble, Insomnia ordiarrhea.
Epsilon drinkers are quarter drinkers and psychologically dependent. They often do not touch alcohol for months and then drink all the more excessively. They lose control, drink for days and often their memory fades temporarily (the typical "film tear"). Afterwards they are often abstinent again - until the next drinking marathon.
Alcoholism:
interpreting symptoms correctly
The transition
from “normal” alcohol consumption to addiction often happens slowly and
gradually. Alcoholism is not easy to spot and many do not even notice that
they are sliding into an addiction. Often, family and friends are the
first to notice the problem. These signs indicate possible alcoholism:
- Strong
cravings for alcohol
- Loss of
control over how much and when to drink. Many drink secretly, quickly
and cannot stop drinking themselves
- Tolerance
development: Increasingly larger amounts of alcohol are necessary to feel
the desired effect
- Withdrawal
symptoms, e.g. restlessness, nervousness, tremors, irritability, sweating,
if the amount of alcohol is reduced or alcohol is dispensed with
- Loss of
appetite, malnutrition, weight loss and poor physical condition
- Difficulty
sleeping ,
profuse sweating, red face
- Depressive
moods up to suicidal thoughts
- Neglect of
other interests and needs
- The
drinking behavior is maintained, although there are already indications of
physical (loss of performance, declining fitness, liver damage), emotional
(depressive moods) or social consequences (separation from partner, loss
of job).
- In the
long term, alcoholism is also visually noticeable: on the face, on the
skin, on the (glassy, reddened) eyes or on the nose (reddened
"alcoholic nose").
- Delirium
tremens (withdrawal delirium): disorientation, impaired consciousness up
to a coma, sweating, tremors and visual and acoustic hallucinations. A fever develops and blood pressure rises. Disorders
of cardiovascular regulation and breathing can quickly become
life-threatening. The withdrawal delirium requires immediate medical
treatment.
Recognizing
your own alcoholism and facing your illness is not easy. Many believe that
they have their alcohol consumption under control and that they can stop
drinking at any time. If the partner or friends speak to the person
concerned about it, belittling or defending them is a common reaction. Ultimately,
only a doctor can identify and diagnose an alcoholic.
Alcoholism:
stages of dependence
The course of
alcoholism varies from person to person. Alcoholism can develop in phases,
which the psychologist Elvin Molton Jellinek describes as
follows:
- Pre-alcoholic
phase :
a person drinks occasionally or permanently to reduce stress, problems and
strain and to relieve tension. He is increasingly using alcohol as a
problem solver.
- Initial
phase :
The memory repeatedly fails due to alcohol consumption and those affected
experience film tears or blackouts. In addition, their behavior
changes: because they are ashamed and do not want others to notice the
high level of alcohol consumption, they drink secretly.
- Critical
phase :
those affected can no longer control drinking. They subordinate
everything to alcohol and their thoughts constantly revolve around
drinking. They neglect hobbies, friends and leisure activities. Without
alcohol, they experience withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, nervousness,
or sweating. You blame yourself and try to fight the drinking
problem, but still drink. Conflicts in family, with friends and at
work are inevitable. Those affected withdraw and isolate themselves
socially.
- Chronic
phase :
alcohol is number one. Often people are intoxicated for days or at
least have a permanently high alcohol level. They tolerate alcohol
increasingly poorly or no longer at all. Small amounts are enough to
get drunk. In this final phase of alcoholism, the damage sets in on
all levels: body, psyche, personality and social life.
This is only an
explanatory model. In reality, the individual phases of alcoholism cannot
always be sharply delimited from one another; the symptoms can also occur at
the same time. What is clear, however, is that the consequential damage
continues to increase over time.