BEAT ALCOHOLISM NOW
ALCOHOLISM HELP, ADVICE & INFORMATION

BEATING ALCOHOLISM
We are not going to lie to you, beating alcoholism is not easy. But with determination and the support of friends and family it can be done. Thousands of people successfully do it every year.
And the single biggest key is motivation.

Recent medical studies show that alcoholics who were motivated were able to dramatically cut back on drinking over four months, no matter what type of treatment they stuck with.

So, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE UP DRINK, YOU CAN AND WILL.

And if you have reached this page you have already made the first step. Congratulations!

This site does not have a magic cure for alcoholism -it is here to give you information on how you, yourself, can beat your drinking problem.

WHAT IS ALCOHOLISM?

Put simply alcoholism is a dependence on alcohol.

HOW DO I KNOW IF AM AN ALCOHOLIC? WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS?
The severity of dependence can vary. It can develop gradually and become more severe. You may be developing alcohol dependence if you have:

A STRONG, OFTEN OVERWHELMING DESIRE FOR ALCOHOL
If you are alcohol dependent you have a strong desire for alcohol. So much so, that sometimes the desire is overwhelming.

This may mean you:
DRINK ALONE OFTEN.
NEGLECT OTHER INTERESTS OR PLEASURES BECAUSE OF ALCOHOL DRINKING.

DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING YOUR DRINKING
Once you start drinking you find it hard to stop

YOU NEED MORE ALCOHOL TO NOTICE ANY EFFECTS AND TO BECOME DRUNK.
The more you drink the more your body becomes used to lots of alcohol. This 'tolerance' to the effect of alcohol means that you need to drink more and more to feel drunk.

WHEN YOU ARE NOT DRINKING YOU FEEL SICK AND SWEAT HEAVILY
These are common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

MORE ON ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL

Alcohol “tolerance” means you can develop 'withdrawal' symptoms as soon as 3-8 hours after your last drink, as the effect of the alcohol wears off. This means that if you want to stop drinking, it is often difficult because of the withdrawal symptoms.

Along with nausea and sweating you will also have a strong feeling to “drink”.

You may be drinking small amounts regularly to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. By doing this you may be thinking you are 'hiding' your problem from others. This is often a false belief – people close to you probably are aware of your actions, however much you think you are hiding them.

The “DT’s” (Delirium tremens)

This occurs in about 1 in 20 people who have alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms include: marked tremor (the shakes) and delirium (agitation, confusion, and seeing and hearing things that are not there). Some people can even have convulsions.

If you do not have any more alcohol, withdrawal symptoms usually last 5-7 days, but the craving for alcohol may persist longer.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
There are many people who struggle with alcohol dependency. In this video, singer Cat Power talks about her battle with alcohol.