Alcoholism is a term that can be used interchangeably with alcohol addiction. Alcohol abuse, on the other hand, is often used to describe a person who may not drink on a daily basis—in fact, he may not even drink on a weekly or monthly basis—but when alcohol consumption does occur, it continues until the person has reached an extreme state of intoxication.
A person who suffers from alcoholism actually reaches a point to where his body requires frequent, usually daily, alcohol intake in order to prevent the body from immediately entering the withdrawal phase. In other words, specific physical and mental effects occur if the person does not drink.
A person who has a problem with alcohol abuse, on the other hand, may not even feel the desire or urge to drink at all. Instead, as frequently happens, he takes a drink, perhaps in a social setting, of an alcoholic beverage, then finds that he cannot stop until he is totally intoxicated, sometimes to the point that his life is actually put in danger.
Once this episode passes, and the person has recovered, it may be months before it happens again. In the meantime, there is still no change in the desire or urge to drink. Depending on various factors—for instance, the amount of time between alcohol abuse episodes is becoming shorter, or the last episode was a particularly dangerous one—a person who considers himself, or is considered to be suffer from alcohol abuse may decide that alcohol abuse treatment is warranted. To this end, there are programs which concentrate on alcohol abuse treatment.
Alcohol abuse treatment programs are similar to programs designed to treat alcoholism. The methods in these programs, however, may focus more on the triggers for alcohol abuse, such as a social gathering or the fact that alcohol is otherwise available. The patient can then learn how to control these triggers without necessarily having to avoid the situation all together.
Alcohol abuse can be treated. By calling 1-800-559-9503 or visiting the website at http://www.recoverforever.com/, information can be obtained concerning alcohol abuse treatment programs.
