Females Health and Wellbeing

Posts Tagged ‘Drinking’

Alcoholism can be inherited but can also be avoided

More and more countries are trying to act responsibly in dealing with alcohol. This is in light with the fact that alcoholism affects not only the person who acquired the disease but the people surrounding them as well. There’s growing concerns about consumption of alcohol, especially, with teens below 15 years old. Medical experts have grounds to be worried since alcoholism can be inherited. Studies also show that men are more likely to be alcoholics than women.

A child whose father or mother suffers from alcoholism is at risk of developing the disorder even if he is adopted by another family. But, responsible behaviour can prevent development of the disease in later life. Just like any other genetically influenced diseases, people can control their exposure to risk by knowing how to control the urge of gravitating towards the same path. Daughters of alcoholics have lower risks of inheriting the illness because they are more exposed to depression. A lot of women choose to fall into depression when experiencing extreme problems than wallowing themselves in alcohol.

So how much one can drink before reaching his limits? Men have higher tolerance to alcohol than women because their livers can take twice as much. While drinking wine shows health benefits, two glasses a day can put women at risk of developing liver troubles. A glass of wine is fine while men can drink twice that amount to enjoy benefits.

Treatment for alcoholism involves closely watching for signs of relapse. Medical therapy is not worth a thing if a person being treated isn’t willing to change his lifestyle pattern. Treatment begins with recognition of the problem. If the person recognizes that his alcohol consumption is becoming an addiction then working towards altering his behaviour can be done. Medication and therapy works hand in hand in treating alcoholism. To really get better, a person must be willing to seek help. A lot of alcoholics fall into relapse after months of sobriety thinking that they can already handle alcohol. Working with support groups also helps overcome problems that come with medical treatment.