Alcohol and drug addiction can be classified as a chronic relapsing disorder since a higher percentage of the patients fall off the wagon or return to old habits.

Although most people who relapse implicate the cravings they feel for the drug as the reason for the relapse there are other factors involved which play a significant role in the relapse process. One of the roles in the relapse process which has recently been studied is the gender of the addicted person.

Studies show that women who enter and complete a treatment program will relapse less frequently than men, partly because women are more likely to engage in group counseling. Women in general tend to share their feelings more openly and be more helpful to other group members.

A recent study of more than 1,700 addicted men and women found that alcoholics and drug addicts who entered treatment centers and continued to attend Alcoholics, Narcotics, or Cocaine Anonymous meetings after discharging from treatment were less likely to relapse in the first year.

Relapse doesn’t occur overnight in most instances but instead begins as a slow, gradual process which will eventually lead the patient back to their drug of choice. If you think you’re headed for a relapse there are a few things that you can look for which will be good indicators of a possible relapse.

You may be headed for a relapse if:

You begin to change the daily schedule and routine which you established while you were in treatment. You stop going to AA or NA meetings every day or begin to make excuses to miss meetings. You begin avoiding sober friends.

Another indicator is if you stop taking phone calls from friends and family and refuse to socialize with people who want to help you in your effort to stay sober. You begin to spend more time alone at home thinking about the past or about friends who are still using.

A sign might also be that you get angry when people ask you to go to AA or NA meetings. Have you stopped participating in your recovery program because you feel it isn’t as important anymore to stay focused on sobriety? You think you have better things to do than to attend meetings.

Are you too confident and tell yourself that you have a few months of sobriety under your belt and you feel that you have the addiction problem under control. Do you say to yourself that you can drink just one beer and stop when you want to since now you know more about the addiction process.

Relapse prevention literature is perhaps the most important drug recovery material which you can read. Know the warning signs of relapse so that you can take the necessary steps to avoid relapsing and continue to make healthy decisions. Take action by attending meetings and talk to group members on a daily basis.

Studies show that people who attend AA or NA meetings on a regular schedule tend to stay sober for longer periods of time. However, there are also ways to remain clean that don’t involve these methods as Amy Lee Coy discusses in our interview.

Just like any other addiction, alcohol addiction affects your overall health but is something that you can still stop. There are many effective methods that can help you to stop drinking alcohol once and for all. From specialized government programs to medical professional help, self help and support groups among others, finding the most appropriate method to help you live an alcohol free life is very possible. If you believe that it is high time you stopped drinking alcohol, you must be honest with yourself and know the reasons why you should quit. The following pointers give you more information why you need to stop drinking alcohol.

One major demerit of heavy drinking is that alcohol can lead to early death or permanent damage of vital body organs like the liver and the brain. This is because alcohol depletes your body of the vital nutrients thereby raising your blood pressure, increasing your exposure to cancer as you will have a weaker immune system. With a weak immune system, you will be more exposed to allergies, infections and other diseases. If you are a man, you might experience impotence as a result. On the other hand, women tend to experience problems with their thyroid function.

The second reason why you need to stop drinking alcohol is that when you become dependent on alcohol, your finances are likely to suffer as a prolonged exposure to this destructive substance results to cravings – just like any other drugs.

The third reason why you need to stop drinking alcohol is that alcoholism affects relationships in a very big way. This means that it can have major impacts on your family and social life. Given that alcohol will interfere with your mental wellness, you will not even know that your behavior is affecting the people around you. In many cases, working alcoholics end up losing their jobs, getting into arguments, behaving improperly with some having violent and abusive behavior.

Drinking alcohol can often lead to impaired judgment as well as lack of coordination. Often, this leads to road accidents. Given that the alcoholic will experience physical effects as a result, the drinker is more likely to engage in other harmful activities like using drugs, unprotected sex and even gambling. In some situations, the drinker might experience memory loss or blackout and will not remember some events afterwards.

Another reason why you need to stop drinking alcohol is that drinking is known to make one an easy target for other dangers like rape, abuse and even robbery. One may also suffer from hangover which will make them have serious migraines, feel dehydrated, or fatigued. The drinker is also likely to suffer from stress and severe insomnia.

If you are pregnant, you should stop drinking alcohol as the habit can lead to mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities for the unborn child. What is more, children of alcoholic parents have higher chances of becoming alcoholics themselves.

Basically, there are many reasons why you need to stop drinking alcohol. Lucky enough, there are many ways to kick the habit and start enjoying a healthier life. If you are addicted to alcohol, take the first step into fighting this destructive habit and you will live a quality life.

A drug problem is an everyday struggle of not only the user, although some users haven’t realized yet that it is a problem, but the users family, friends, or special loved one. You may not instantly determine or realize that someone you care about is having problem with drugs.

People involved with drug problems or know someone who has at times thinks that drug addiction and drug abuse are basically the same thing, and should just be used interchangeably. But actually they are both different terms with different meanings. Complexity revolving drug abuse and definition has become increasingly clear and several efforts have been done to look of the right meaning both terms.

Drug Addiction:

The World Health Organization committee (WHO) had collected numerous of definitions concerning Alcohol And Drug Addiction and had suggested a generic term “drug dependence”. This addiction is defined as a disorder wherein the drug user’s behavior is being strongly influenced and dominated by the drug. It is a condition of recurring intoxication that happens when there is constant consumption of drug. It has characteristics of intense need or desire of continuous use, tendency of increasing dosage, unfavorable effects on both individual and society, and dependence on effects.

Drug Abuse:

Drug abuse is defined as the misuse of the drug or substance according the culturally acceptable standard. It is simply an abuse usage of substance which may involve excessive and habitual use in order to attain a certain effect. These so-called substances may be illegal, can be taken from streets and syndicates against the law, or can be legal as well in a form of prescription that are used in a pleasurable manner rather than medical.

Causes of Drug Addiction and Drug Abuse:

As both terms have different definition, their causes are different as well. Drug abuse is more complicated than drug addiction, although drug addiction has more forceful motivational condition. With drug addiction, it comprises the drug’s effect on the brain wherein it can become a strong motivational factor to use the drug again. On the other hand, drug abuse as a misuse of a substance, may or may not go together with a strong motivational factor to continue the use of the drug. In many cases, therefore, drug abuse does not necessarily make drug addiction, but drug addiction can constitute drug abuse.

Patterns of Behavior:

Drug addiction and Drug abuse have basically the same effects. Both have unwanted or unfavorable consequences both to society and the individual. Some symptoms and patterns of behavior of drug addiction and abuse comprise an abnormally slow in speech, reaction or movement, cycles of restlessness, inability of sleep or intensified energy, sudden gain or loss of weight, series of excessive sleep, sudden constant wearing of long-sleeved tops even under high temperature just to hide scars of injection points, loss of physical control, sudden impulse and confidence in doing risky activities, and withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop drug use.

Knowing the fact that drug users are prone to deny their drug-related symptoms and behavior, the family, friends, and loved ones must be sensitive and be more aware of these signs.

Being with a Drug Abuse or Addiction Problem:

At times it is not easily recognizable that someone so important to you is struggling with drug problem. It could be that it has started very early but not noticeable since the progression is slow, and that person might have been good in hiding the level of drug use from you. Or since that drug has been used early on and slowly, you might have easily adapted to the users behavior to the point that it seems normal still. It can be that the realization that someone so important to you is a victim of drugs is painful. You should never feel embarrassed. There are so many people who are in the same position as you. Alcohol And Drug Addiction have affected millions of families all over the world.

There are available help and support everywhere. You can start by looking for support groups locally. Support groups can be in your very own religious area, private or government institutions, and small communities. By just listening to others who share the same experiences and dilemmas can be a very good way of support and give comfort. Other sources to find support and help would include a therapist, spiritual leader, a trusted friend or family member.