Question 1

is alcohol dependence rare?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol dependence: Is not rare, but most people who use alcohol have no significant problems from it.  In hawaii, a state that has good data, about 4% of adults admit to moderate or severe alcohol dependence.  A national study found that of those who use alcohol, 3% drink heavily and have 3 or 4 signs of dependence & 1% are chronic or relapse drinkers with 6 or 7 signs of dependence.

Question 2

what sort of problem is alcohol dependence?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol dependence: Alcohol dependence is a serious problem because the natural history of this disease is to progress. Excess drinking tends to interfere with home life and social relationships, can impair your performance at work, get you into legal troubles (dui), and severely impairment your health--nutritional deficiences, neuropathy, liver dysfunction, pancreatitis, and sexual dysfunction.

Question 3

how can i medically help me with my alcohol dependence?

Accepted Answer

Thiamine: Alcohol causes thiamine deficiency (so does sugar). Get rid of sugar in all its different forms and take some large doses of thiamine like 100 mg 3 times a day and a supplement of magnesium + a multivitamin.  You can get them at the healh food store.

Question 4

is there anything you can take to end alcohol dependence?

Accepted Answer

No: But, there are excellent treatments. I often prescribe a medication called Antabuse (disulfiram) for my patients with drinking problems. It works by making the person very sick if they drink while it's in their system. There are two other medications indicated for alcohol dependence-naltrexone and campral. Sadly, there is no cure. It's one day at a time.

Question 5

what is the definition or description of: alcohol dependence?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol dependence: Alcohol and any other form of dependence can be thought of as a need to drink, not to feel good, but rather, in an effort to avoid feeling bad.

Question 6

developing alcohol dependence on a glass a day. should i stop?

Accepted Answer

Not really: A person cannot become dependent on a glass per day. Unless of course it is a very large glass. How much are we talking? One to two "beverage alcohol equivalents" per day are not usually harmful nor dependence producing. One beverage alcohol equivalent is one 4 ounce glass of wine, one 12 ounce beer or one ounce of whiskey or liquor.

Question 7

how are alcoholism and alcohol dependence different?

Accepted Answer

They are one in the: Same. When you become dependent on alcohol, i.e., addicted to alcohol, you suffer from alcoholism.

Question 8

how can i tell if i'm experiencing alcohol dependence / addiction?

Accepted Answer

Check symptoms: These terms are used interchangeably     
alcohol dependence occurs when you have to take higher doses to get the same effect and you develop withdrawal symptoms when you quit "cold turkey"
addiction is the case when you have major areas in your life negatively being impacted and you are still not able to stop.

Question 9

what is the medical definition of alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse?

Accepted Answer

Addiction: Alcohol can be robustly abused by someone but as long as the person is not addicted to it, and doesn't miss it after putting it down, the diagnosis is alcohol abuse. If, however, the person feels either physically or psychologically addicted/dependent on it and either cannot go a day without it, or binge drinks uncontrollably the diagnosis is alcohol dependence.

Question 10

how long does it take for withdrawal symptoms from alcohol dependence to stop?

Accepted Answer

5 to 7 days: Depends on how much and how often you drink.

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Developing alcohol dependence on a glass a day. should i stop?

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