Treatments Of Alcoholism Essay - 1826 Words

Treatments of Alcoholism Alcoholism can destroy the life of an alcoholic and devastate the alcoholics family. But it also has overwhelming consequences for society. Consider these statistics from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence: *In 1988, alcoholism and problems related to it nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;cost the United States an estimated $85.8 billion in mortality and reduced productivity; *Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by a womans drinking during pregnancy, afflicts five thousand infants a year; it costs about $1.4 billion annually to treat the infants, children and adults afflicted with FAS; *More than twenty thousand people die annually in alcohol related car accidents. (Institute of Medicine, 1989)†¦show more content†¦The Health Recovery Center (HRC) in Minneapolis claims a 74 percent success rate (patients still sober one year later) and differs from conventional programsin several significant ways. First, it focuses on uncovering and treating physiological imbalances that may be causing alcohol cravings and throwing the entire body out of whack. For example: hypoglycemia is a common imbalance found in up to three quarters of alcoholics. The centers philosophy is simple quot;Until the body begins getting the essential nutrients it needs, recovery cannot begin.quot; (Ewing, 1978) They believe that no amount of talk will stop the cravings, anxiety, depression, mental confusion and fatigue that result from alcohols biochemical and neurochemical damage. quot;There is not time to obsess over past traumas when youre dying of a major disease. Why do people persist in believing that the damage done by excess ingestion of alcohol can be undone wi th psychological methods alone?quot; (Ewing, 1978) The Health Recovery Center is devo ted to the restoration of bodies, minds and spirits that have been ravaged by alcohol. Such restoration begins the moment a new patient walks through the door. After the staff physician takes a thorough medical history and performs the initial physical exam, the patient is hooked up to an IV solution, out of whichShow MoreRelatedFactors, Symptoms and Treatment of Alcoholism Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesAlcoholism is a chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. The disease is often progressive and fatal if left untreated. It is characterized by impaired control over alcohol use despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking. There are critics who disagree with calling Alcoholism a disease despite the definition on the word disease which means an involuntary disability but the fact that alcoholism is a disease is widely accepted within the medical and scientificRead MoreAlcoholism-The Need for Improvement of Alcohol Treatment Programs574 Words   |  3 Pagesstudents, and adults. 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