ALCOHOLISM & ADDICTIONPlease click on one of the forms of addictive disorders below for more information on that disorder. |
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ALCOHOLISM & ADDICTION
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction There are many definitions of alcoholism and addiction. Of the many definitions, some of them provide conflicting information. However, almost all agree that alcoholism and drug addiction are used to describe the person who has lost the ability to control their drinking or drug use despite adverse consequences.
The American Medical Association, Alcoholics Anonymous and the DSM are just a few sources that provide information on this complex behavior. The Journal of American Medical Association defines Alcoholism as “primarily a chronic disease characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol…”
Alcoholism and addiction are behaviorally similar, distinguished primarily by the substance consumed by the abuser. In some cases, in the absence of alcohol a person will consume drugs and vise versa. The DSM classifies disorders related to addiction based on states of abuse, dependence or withdrawal. Regardless of how addiction and alcoholism are labeled or classified it is when a person puts harmful substances in their bodies and hopes for positive results.
Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous claim that alcoholism and addiction is a condition that persists even after the person quits drinking or using drugs. Members of these programs generally commit to a life long process of recovery that involves personal and spiritual growth. Although there are alternative approaches to recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve step programs have been the single most effective solution in helping people recover from alcoholism and addiction.
DRUG ADDICTION & ALCOHOL ABUSE: SOME PERSPECTIVE ON A HUGE PROBLEM
Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family. Drugs take a tremendous toll on our society at many levels.
Substance Abuse Costs Our Nation More than $484 Billion per Year.
The Costs of Drug Abuse are as Substantial as that of other Chronic Conditions:
• Diabetes costs society $131.7 billion annually
• Cancer costs society $171.6 billion annually
This includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents. This is an enormous burden that affects all of society - those who abuse these substances, and those who don't.
Drug Abuse is a Major Public Health Problem
Americans Perceive Drug Abuse as a Major Public Health Problem. Many of America's top medical problems can be directly linked to drug abuse:
• Cancer: Tobacco contributes to 11 - 30% of cancer deaths.
• Heart Disease: Researchers have found a connection between the abuse of tobacco, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, and steroids and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Tobacco is responsible for approximately 30% of all heart disease deaths each year.
• HIV/AIDS: Approximately one-third of AIDS cases reported in 2000 (11,635) and most cases of hepatitis C (approximately 25,000 in 2001) in the United States are associated with injection drug use.
• Approximately half of pediatric AIDS cases (4,700 reported through 2002) result from injection drug use or sex with injection drug users by the child's mother
Many of America's top social problems also relate to or impact drug abuse:
• Drugged Driving: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drugs are used by approximately 10 to 22 percent of drivers involved in crashes, often in combination with alcohol.
• Violence: At least half of the individuals arrested for major crimes including homicide, theft, and assault were under the influence of illicit drugs around the time of their arrest.
• Stress: Exposure to stress is one of the most powerful triggers of substance abuse in vulnerable individuals and of relapse in former addicts.
• Child Abuse: At least two-thirds of patients in drug abuse treatment centers say they were physically or sexually abused as children.
Drug Abuse is a Major Public Health Problem - Addiction Affects Everyone:
• Mental Illness: People with mental illness are particularly at risk for problems related to substance abuse.
• Consequences of Substance Abuse: These can include illness, injuries, and death. Each year approximately 40 million debilitating illnesses or injuries occur among Americans as the result of their use of tobacco, alcohol, or another addictive drug.
• Deaths: In 2000, approximately 460,000 deaths were attributable to illicit drug abuse and smoking.
Families can be destroyed by drug abuse:
Prenatal:
• Smoking: Infants born to women who smoke during pregnancy have a lower average birth weight and may be at increased risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, and childhood obesity.
• Cocaine: Babies born to mothers who abuse cocaine during pregnancy can be born prematurely and have low birth weights. There may be as many as 45,000 cocaine-exposed babies per year.
• Child Abuse: Approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases substantiated by child protective services involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents.
Community:
• Homelessness: 31% of America's homeless suffer from drug abuse or alcoholism.
• Crime: As many as 60% of adults in Federal prisons are there for drug-related crimes.
• Education: Children with prenatal cocaine exposure are more likely (1.5 times) to need special education services in school. Special
education costs for this population are estimated at $23 million per year.
• The Workplace: In 1997, illicit drug users were more likely than others to have missed 2 or more days of work in the past month and to have worked for three or more employers in the past year.
Wonderland Center is dedicated to providing the very best drug and alcohol treatment possible. If you or someone you love needs help please call 877-777-1963 at any time.