Emotional State in AUD
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a progressive disorder in which a person's mental and physical health deteriorates with time and alcohol consumption. That’s why an evaluation of a person’s emotional state can tell us the disease progression in a certain individual.
Four phases of emotional state evaluation after alcohol consumption are discussed below,
- In the first phase, people get to drink alcohol for the first time in their life. They are happy and excited to try something new and become a part of a certain culture.
- In the second phase, people seek the pleasure they get to taste for the first time. Eventually, they get addicted to alcohol in desire for that pleasure.
- In the third phase, people are addicted to alcohol. They don’t know when to stop. The Consequences of their addiction starts affecting their personal, social, and work life. Damage to their emotional and physical health worsens.
- In the last phase, people are usually in denial of alcohol dependence. It’s hard for them to determine what’s wrong or right. This causes serious damage to their health, causing major organ damage or even premature death.
Pregnancy and AUD
Prevention of alcohol abuse is critical in pregnancy for fetal well-being. A pregnant mother should know when to stop alcohol use to prevent “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” such as the fetus's small head size, abnormal appearance, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Alcohol Use in The United States
Alcohol dependence takes around 3 million lives every year worldwide. It takes around 141,000 lives in the United States annually. Alcohol is the most easily available drug in the United States which is misused on a very large scale. A vast majority of American adults consume alcohol.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 5% of people aged 12 or more had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2019. Among all the states, California has the highest number of alcohol-related deaths.
Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
There are a variety of options for the management of alcohol abuse.
Psychological treatment
Alcohol addiction is treated with social support to help discontinue excessive alcohol use. Psychotherapy and counseling are used to bring alcohol consumption to moderate limits and to prevent relapse of harmful alcohol addiction.
Detoxification
Most people consuming alcohol find it challenging to stop alcohol misuse due to its withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepine, Phenobarbital, or Propofol is given for the treatment of alcohol dependence and to reduce the withdrawal symptoms associated with it.
Medications
The following drugs are mainly used in the United States of America to manage alcohol use disorder.
- Acamprosate
- Naltrexone
- Disulfiram
Some anti-depressant drugs are also prescribed as supportive therapy for people dealing with depression and other psychological conditions related to withdrawal symptoms of alcohol to prevent relapse.
Prevention of Alcohol abuse
If alcohol misuse is prevented, alcohol-related health diseases and costs can be managed. Less effort is required to deal with the harmful consequences of alcohol preventatively.
Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) joins forces with national governments to form certain policies regarding alcohol use and distribution to prevent drastic results. Campaigns, strategic programs, and guidelines to help adults are introduced to prevent alcohol misuse and improper distribution.
Benefits of prevention of alcohol
- It can help save billions of dollars the US government spends annually on alcohol-related costs.
- Increases work efficiency.
- Decreases alcohol-related health diseases.
- Reduces motor vehicle accidents caused by driving after a high intake of alcohol
- Increase the life span of individuals subjected to alcohol
- Results in better personal and social relations.
Before starting to work on alcohol prevention, certain vital factors need to be kept in mind, including,
- Whether a person has Alcohol use disorder (AUD) or not.
- Drinking patterns of alcohol consumption.
- Family history and culture.
- Effects of excessive alcohol intake on a person.
- A person’s dependence on alcohol.
Prevention of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in Teens and Young Adults
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is more common in teenagers than adults due to peer pressure, schooling, family history, and social culture. It is very important to prevent teenagers from alcohol misuse because they are more prone to drug misuse Cessation of alcohol at the right time in their life is necessary to prevent damages associated with it.
Psychotherapy and social awareness can be effective methods to prevent alcohol use disorder in teens and young adults.
Health Risks of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in Teens and Young Adults
Underage excessive alcohol intake can pose various health risks, such as the following.
- Growth retardation
- Delayed development of sexual characteristics
- Depression and increased suicidal thoughts
- Alcohol-related dementia
- Alcohol poisoning
- Cognitive defects
- Brain developmental defects
Ways to prevent alcohol misuse in teenagers
Here are some strategies that can help in the prevention of alcohol dependence in teens:
- Legal measures: Enforcement of laws that keeps a check and balance on alcohol outlets making sure they don’t sell liquor to minors.
- Liquor-free environment: Create a safe alcohol-free home space for your children, so they don’t get their hands on the bottle when they’re depressed or elated. Try not to drink in front of your children and set a good example for them.
- Counseling: Develop a good relationship with your children so they can honestly discuss their struggles. Provide awareness regarding the damaging effects of alcohol abuse on emotional, social, and physical health.
- Positive environment: Create a positive environment for yourself by making friends who do not drink. Peers who encourage you to do healthy activities.
- Support group: A support group will help you to keep your alcohol consumption in check to reduce the risk of alcohol addiction. It can give you supportive friends who can understand your struggle and help you recover.
Health Risks of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in Adults
Alcohol dependence takes a serious toll on a person’s well-being. Some of the harmful effects include,
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart and liver diseases
- Cancer of the liver, pancreas, larynx, and Gastrointestinal tract.
- Dementia
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, Sudden infant death syndrome.
- Psychological disorders
- Recurrent infections due to decreased immunity
Prevention of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adults
A few steps towards a better life by preventing excessive alcohol intake are:
- Safe drinking: An adult should follow The Dietary Guidelines regarding the safe limit of alcohol consumption. He or she should be able to limit their drinking to a moderate level rather than excessive alcohol consumption.
- Avoid triggers: Every person has his struggles which later become triggers for the need to binge drink. For example, the loss of a loved one, an alcohol prevalent environment, and high-stress levels.
- Support programs: Support programs teach how to control stress and other trivial thoughts to stay optimistic. It helps to prevent suicidal and homicidal thoughts, an act of self-harm, and other alcohol misuse-related harm Avoiding these triggers can prevent AUD in adults.
- Seek treatment: Proper medical treatment for eliminating alcohol is the most demanding step. An adult should seek treatment for alcohol dependence, psychotherapy, and detoxification to avoid withdrawal effects and addiction relapse.
Confidant Health provides professional help to treat and prevent alcohol use disorder. Through Medication-Asisted Therapy (MAT), this online platform offers psychotherapy and medications to overcome alcohol dependence.
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