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Alcoholism and addiction in general are neither a defect of the character nor a weakness of self-control. It is a disease. And, if you’re like most of us, you’ve probably been affected. Maybe you are struggling with alcohol yourself or have a friend or family member who does. I rarely talk to someone who has no personal history of how addiction has affected their lives.
In fact, about 14 million adults have an alcohol-related disorder and there are about 95,000 alcohol-related deaths each year in that country.
Unfortunately, we don’t think of it like any other medical condition, so we don’t usually talk about it with our primary care physician. But this is one of the best places to start the conversation, during the annual review, when you talk about health goals. not bad to say, “I think I have a problem with alcohol.”
Some of the warning signs to look for in yourself or a loved one include sacrificing family ties for your addiction, such as missing a child’s ball game, concert, or graduation. The things you used to be passionate about fall by the wayside. You are tired and foggy, you can barely get up in the morning. You feel like the substance. Count down the time until you can get out of work and have a drink. You are in danger of losing your job or important relationships or you have had problems with the law. You tell yourself and others that you could easily quit smoking; but you never do.
By starting the conversation, you will have a clearer path to the help you need. Your doctor can guide you to outpatient support or counseling groups, or perhaps treatment at a center.
There is an overlap between behavioral health and addiction in terms of risk factors. Like behavioral health, addiction has a genetic heritability of approximately 60%. Mental health conditions and a history of trauma pose a higher risk of addiction. And the more health conditions you have, the sooner you start, the worse the disease will be. Those who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop an alcohol-related disorder.
I have spent my career talking and dealing with addiction. I see that the conversation is changing and it encourages me. There is a growing social awareness about addiction. We are more and more willing to have sincere and productive conversations about it.
The next time your doctor asks you about alcohol consumption, take it as an indication to have an honest conversation.
Matthew Stanley, DO, a psychiatrist from Sioux Falls, is a columnist and guest contributor to Prairie Doc this week on the Prairie Doc TV show. To access the entire Prairie Doc library for free and easy, visit www.prairiedoc.org and follow Prairie Doc on Facebook with On Call with the Prairie Doc, a medical question-and-answer program that airs on Facebook and is ‘broadcasts on SDPB most Thursdays at 7pm central.
[ad_2]Source: https://brookingsregister.com/article/alcoholism-start-the-conversation [ad_2]
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