Alcohols usually refer to ethyl alcohol, which are manufactured by the fermentation of the molasses, a byproduct of sugar industry. There are large verities of alcoholic beverages, which are classified as
Alcoholic Beverages
Malted liquors in which alcoholic content low as 3-6%.e.g.Beer, stout.
Wines produced by fermenting of grapes and fruits has content of 9-22% which includes port, cider, champagne etc.
Sprits are alcohols, which are distilled after fermentation, contain 40-60% alcohol content. Examples are wine, whisky, brandy, rum and gin.
Other form of alcohol is absolute alcohol, rectified spirits etc.
Alcohol is primarily a neuronal depressant. Apparent excitation and euphoria are produced at lower plasma concentration. Moderate amount of alcohol drinking has been found responsible for 15-35% lower incidence of coronary heat disease by raising high-density lipids and lowering low-density lipids. Alcohol produces a sense of warmth and help to combat cold and also be reputed as an aphrodisiac.
Diseases caused by alcohol abuse
Liver: Alcohol cause fatty change, acute alcohol hepatitis, and cirrhosis of liver. Chronic alcoholism leads to massive enlargement of liver and cellular necrosis.
Nervous System: Ataxia, disturbed cognition, opthalmoplegia, wernicke syndrome and korsakoff syndrome. At conc. 30-100mg/dl of plasma causes excitation and increasing conc. of 100-150mg/dl causes mental clouding, disorganizing of thought and impairment of memory and at 200-300mg/dl stupor and unconsciousness prevails and medullary centers are paralyzed and death may occur.
Heart: Chronic alcoholism causes hypertension and lead to cardiomyopathy. Atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias occur.
Gastrointestinal Tract: Chronic Gastritis, Acute and Chronic pancreatitis are due to alcoholism. Acute pancreatisis is due to heavy drinking.
Skeletal muscle: Alcohol produces a little direct effect. Fatigue is allayed by small doses but weakness pain and myopathy result to chronic alcoholism.
Reproductive system: Though an aphrodisiac, chronic alcohol decreases fertility in both men and women. Testicular atrophy in men and spontaneous abortion in women are some adverse effects seen
Other complications
Fetal alcohol syndrome: It is caused by the maternal consumption of ethanol at levels of only one drink per day. The syndrome produces microcephaly, facial dysmorphology and malformation of brain and growth retardation. This is the most common type of mental retardation in United States and it affects 1200 children per year.
Alcoholic palimpsests: condition seen among alcoholics, behaviour resembling blackouts in anoxaemia. This may result in loss of memory of a period during a drinking spell. Amnesia may be fragmentary or total. During such state a person may perform a criminal act and may not remember after he recovers from intoxication.
Food Value: alcohol requires no digestion and rapidly metabolized producing 7cal/g energy, which cannot be stored. Thus alcohol is an imperfect and expensive food.
Fatal Dose and Period: 150 to 250 ml of absolute alcohol consume in one hour. Fatal period is 12 to 24 hours.
Alcohol addiction and withdrawal
Alcolhol addicts are those who cannot stop drinking for long or who experience withdrawal symptom, if they do. It results in impaired social and occupational functioning.
Withdrwal symptom appears after 12-24 hrs after reduction in alcohol intake.
The essential features are tremor of hand tongue and eyelids. In association with nausea and vomiting, malaise weakness tachycardia anxiety hallucination headache and insomnia. Alcoholic treatment of withdrawal symptoms is controlled by chlorodiazepoxide or diazepam.
Alcohol and Traffic accidents
A blood level concentration of 80-100 mg/dl is the legal definition of driving under the influence of alcohol in many states. At or before 100mg all individual are affected and accidents are common, at 150mg driving becomes impaired and 200mg and above most persons are intoxicated and risk of accidents occur.
Alcoholic Treatment
Psychological and medical supportive measures are needed during withdrawal. During past CNS depressants were been used but now benzodiazepines are preferred now. Recent involvement of opioids antagonists in the alcoholic treatment is seen. It has reduced craving and chances of heavy drinking. Naltrexone is approved by US-FDA for use as an adjuvant. Drugs like Disulfiram have an aversion technique in chronic alcoholics.
Safe Drinking
On average 1-2 drinks per day are safe and not more than 3 drinks on an occasion. Do not engage in hazardous activity or driving after drinking. Safe limits are lower in women because metabolism is slower and bioavailiabilty is higher in women.
Note 1 drink = 50ml of spirits = 150ml of wines = 400ml of beer all have 18-20 g of alcohol.
Alcoholic rehabilitation
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international voluntary agency which has branches throughout everywhere. It consist of mainly ex-alcoholics who usually meet once a week, share their experience and try to encourage one another to abstain from alcohol.
1 comment:
Like many people, at the start of the year, I made a resolution to decrease my alcohol intake.
Drink Less in Seven Days by Georgia Foster has really helped me stick to this resolution. Georgia is a clinical hypnotherapist and alongside the written version of the book, there are also 4 "Hypnosis Hub" recordings that readers are encouraged to access to help them with the program.
One of the great things about Drink Less in Seven Days is that Georgia (and I"m going to call her Georgia because she kind of feels like a friend) is totally non-judgemental about how much you drink, why you drink, why you feel you drink too much etc. I feel that this is an area where people carry a lot of shame and negative feelings and to have someone who approaches an emotional issue like this with absolute objectivity is helpful in driving the desired behaviours. She's on your side!
There are two main parts to Drink Less in Seven Days. The first is how your amygdala (the part of your brain that deals with emotions and fear/stress responses) can actually work against your efforts to quit or reduce your drinking. It shows you how to move your decision to drink away from this very instinctive part of your brain to your prefrontal cortex which is the part of your brain that is more concerned with considered decision-making.
I found this part of the book fascinating, particularly the parts where she spoke about silencing your inner critic.
However, it was the second part of the book, where Georgia broke down different personality types. what triggers them to drink and how to circumvent these triggers that I found most useful. (Also fascinating, if like me you love a good theory of behaviour and the ability to proclaim "Yes!!!! That's me!"). Because it makes total sense right? If you drink out of social anxiety (which is me a little bit) your methods to success will likely be different to someone who drinks because everyone around you is (also me a little bit).
The biggest take away for me was starting to understand what triggers my wanting to drink and learning alternative strategies should I decide not to. I think a really important thing about Drink Less in Seven Days is that it is NOT about quitting drinking altogether. It is about cutting down to a level that you are comfortable with, whatever that is for you. And this feels more manageable than quitting altogether.
The cru of this type of book though is does it work?
So here's the real deal. I started this program in January. It's now March and I can count the times I have drunk alcohol on one hand. During this time I have been to pubs, bars and restaurants, entertained at home and been entertained at other people's homes so it's not like I have been hiding myself away. I have been around alcohol and people drinking as much as I ever was.
Will I drink again? Almost definitely. For me, this experiment was never about giving up altogether. And I have far too much fun making cocktails for this to give it up completely! However, I feel that moving forward I will be able to drink in a more mindful considered way.
Thank you to Georgia Foster for a thoroughly fascinating book that does exactly what it says on the cover!
Here's a link to The 7 Days To Drink Less Online Alcohol Reduction Program.
John
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