Alcohol’s effects on the body are compounded as use increases.  Social drinking is not at issue here.  Once that line is crossed into binge drinking and hangovers, the damage has begun.  Most people realize that a simple hangover is a sign of alcohol withdrawal.  But some accept it as a side effect, and continue to harm themselves.

What deserves publicity, though, is the profound effect alcohol dependence has on the human body.  In most cases medical detoxification can reverse the physical symptoms of withdrawal, opening the door to outpatient rehab or residential alcohol and drug treatment.  This article is a public service to those who are currently in need of alcohol detox, or find themselves on the road to alcohol dependence.

The following is from the Daily Strength website, and offers some good information about alcohol withdrawal.  The full article is linked below and provides details on the stages of alcohol dependence.

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Alcohol detox or withdrawal symptoms that are experienced by people who have stopped drinking alcohol abruptly (cold turkey) can range from mild to life-threatening if not properly treated.  The severity of these alcohol withdrawal symptoms is usually dependent upon how “alcohol dependent” the chronic drinker has become.  

Those who drink heavily of a daily basis of course have developed a high level of dependency on alcohol and will almost certainly experience at least some sever withdrawal symptoms, but even those who drink alcohol daily, but not heavily and those who drink alcohol heavily but not daily, can also be chemically dependent upon alcohol.

When someone who has become “alcohol dependent” stops drinking abruptly, they will experience some level of physical discomfort.  This is why it is extremely difficult for alcoholics to stop drinking “on their own” without the assistance and support of an alcohol rehab center of support group.

For some who are less chemically dependent, withdrawal symptoms might be as mild as merely getting the shakes, the sweats or night sweats – maybe nausea, headache, anxiety, a rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure.

Although these alcohol withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable and irritating they are not necessarily dangerous.  But they are often accompanied by the craving for more alcohol, making the decision to continue abstinence much more difficult to make without counseling or support.

…

Within six to 48 hours after not drinking, hallucinations may develop for the more seriously alcohol dependent.  These are usually visual hallucinations but they can also involve sounds and smells.  They can last for a few hours or up to weeks at a time. Also within this time frame after quitting, convulsions or seizures can occur, which is the point at which alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal becomes dangerous if not medically treated.

…

Chronic alcoholism and it`s severe withdrawal symptoms may progress to delirium tremens (DT`s) after three to five days without alcohol.  The symptoms of DT`s include profound confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, hyperactivity and extreme cardiovascular disturbances.  This condition causes shifts in your breathing, your circulation and your temperature control.  It can cause your heart to race or can cause your blood pressure to increase dramatically and it can cause serious dehydration.
Once DT`s begin, there is no known medical treatment to stop them.  Grand mal seizures, heart attacks and strokes can occur during the DT`s all of these serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be fatal to an alcoholic if not properly treated.

-- Source: http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Alcoholism/forum/6363758-stages-alcohol-withdrawal-symptoms --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides alcohol detox in alcohol treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcoholism, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Alcoholism is a disease — a chronic, progressive, fatal disease if not treated. That is putting it bluntly, yet in this country every year; more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product. It sounds insane, but as we often say, “it is what it is” till we do something about it.

Here are some facts that validate the insanity of alcohol abuse and addiction:
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• More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke.
• At least once a year, the guidelines for low risk drinking are exceeded by an estimated 74% of male drinkers and 72% of female drinkers aged 21 and older.
• 65% of youth surveyed said that they got the alcohol they drink from family and friends.
• Nearly 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders.
• Youth who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than those who never drink alcohol.
• Among current adult drinkers, more than half say they have a blood relative who is or was an alcoholic or problem drinker.
• Across people of all ages, males are four times as likely as females to be heavy drinkers.
• More than 18% of Americans experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some time in their lives.
• Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for persons aged 6–33. About 45% of these fatalities are in alcohol-related crashes.
• Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year — enough to buy every public school student a state-of-the-art computer.
• Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among young people.
• Problem drinkers average four times as many days in the hospital as nondrinkers — mostly because of drinking-related injuries.
• Alcohol kills 6½ times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.
• Concerning the past 30 days, 50% of high school seniors report drinking, with 32% report being drunk at least once.

Sources
     1  Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem, Feb. 2001
     2  Mothers Against Drunk Driving
     3  National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
     4  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
     5  Alcohol Health & Research World
     6  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Analysis
     7  The Century Council

-- Source: http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/alcohol.htm --

Here are some more facts that may surprise you:
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• Alcohol is the number one drug problem in America.
• There are more than 12 million alcoholics in the U.S.
• Three-fourths of all adults drink alcohol, and 6% of them are alcoholics.
• Americans spend $197 million each day on alcohol.
• In the United States, a person is killed in an alcohol-related car accident every 30 minutes.
• A 2000 study found nearly 7 million persons age 12 to 20 were binge drinkers.
• Three-fourths of all high school seniors report being drunk at least once.
• Adolescents who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than their counterparts who do not begin drinking until the age of 21.
• People with a higher education are more likely to drink.
• Higher income people are more likely to drink.

We hope some of these statistics surprised you. You may have found yourself in them or you may have seen a friend or loved one listed above.  But even if not, we cannot ignore the fact that whether or not we use alcohol ourselves, many others are affected by those who do use.

Consider that alcohol is a factor in the following:

• 73% of all felonies
• 73% of child beating cases
• 41% of rape cases
• 81% of wife battering cases
• 72% of stabbings
• 83% of homicides

-- Source: http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/statistics-on-alcoholics.html--


So, adding it all up, 12-14 million alcoholics affect an estimated 40-50 million people.  Statistics on alcoholics tell us that alcoholism costs the people in the US about $60 billion each year, paying for things like traffic accidents, health care costs, and social programs that respond to alcohol problems. Needless to say, the dollar amount is nothing compared to the amount of grief and human suffering caused by alcohol abuse.

What do these statistics on alcohol abuse mean and what can you do about it? Quite simply, alcohol abuse is a serious national problem but the work begins at home.  Alcohol treatment must be sought by alcoholics, or loved ones must urge them to get help for alcohol dependence before problems develop.  If you or a loved one is having problems with alcohol, get help.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides alcohol treatment including medical detoxification as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs alcohol detox with residential or outpatient treatment, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Many people with chronic alcohol dependence or other drug addictions experience liver disease. This is no accident. The liver is used to digest food, absorb nutrients, and get toxic substances (like alcohol and drugs) out of your body. The liver is an important organ in the body; you only have one and cannot survive without it.  And with alcohol’s effects on the body, liver problems could just be the beginning.

Alcohol abuse is not the only way to damage your liver. Unprotected sex, sharing needles, prescription drug abuse and addiction, and getting tattoos or piercings from places that do not properly sterilize the needles also can put you at risk of liver disease and damage.

There are many forms of liver disease; the conditions listed below are most common among alcohol and other drug abusers.

Cirrhosis – scarring of the liver that is caused by having another liver disease (like Hepatitis), or by many years of heavy alcohol drinking. Cirrhosis is not curable, but there are treatments that can help slow the scarring.

Hepatitis C – a disease that is passed through blood-to-blood contact. It is caused by a virus that attacks the liver, causing the liver to become inflamed. There is a cure, but it takes months to complete treatment, has severe side effects, and does not work for everyone.

Hepatitis A – a disease that is similar to the flu.  You get Hepatitis A by eating food containing human waste. People rarely die from it, and there is a vaccine to prevent you from getting it.

Hepatitis B – a disease that is passed through body fluids during sex, through the breast milk of infected mothers, and through contact with contaminated blood. People can die from it, but there is a vaccine to prevent it.

The best way to prevent liver disease is to not abuse alcohol or use illegal drugs.  Only use drugs as prescribed by your doctor, or as indicated on over-the-counter packaging.  Never engage in unprotected sex (unless you and your partner are completely monogamous and have tested negative for all STI’s recently).

If you have not been vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B, talk with your doctor to see if it is right for you. There are treatments and some liver disease is reversible, so talk to your doctor about the choices that are out there.

For most information, check out the American Liver Foundation website: http://www.yourliver.org/learn.html.

If you or a loved one need help for alcoholism or drug addiction, and also suffer from liver disease, Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles can help.  As part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare, our alcohol and drug treatment program includes primary medical care.  Please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

We know that drug and alcohol abuse has many negative health effects, but something that is not frequently discussed are the harmful effects that drugs and alcohol can have on the health of our teeth, gums, and mouth in general.  Good oral health is not just about having pearly white and straight teeth.  

Having strong teeth and healthy gums/mouth helps you eat and digest food, and helps you speak and pronounce words clearly. Left untreated, decay on the teeth leads to the formation of cavities which can become infected and spread throughout your whole body making you sick

While all drugs can have negative effects on your teeth, gums, and mouth, methamphetamine (meth) and tobacco (both in cigarettes and smokeless) are the worst offenders.

Methamphetamine: The use of meth has been linked to rapid formation of cavities. Dentists think this could be due to teeth grinding and clenching, dry mouth, or poor oral hygiene all of which are linked to meth use. When left untreated, the only treatment is to pull out all the teeth and wear dentures.

For more information about meth and oral health go here: http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/methmouth.asp#additional

Tobacco: Both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco have harmful effects on the health of the mouth. Cigarettes can lead to dry mouth and gum disease. Dry mouth negatively affects oral health because without saliva to rinse off the teeth, bacteria grows on teeth and near the gums which can quickly become decay which then leads to cavities. Smokeless tobacco seriously damages gums and increases the risk of oral cancer.

For more information about tobacco and oral health go here:
http://www.hooah4health.com/prevention/disease/dentaldisease/oralfitresources/TobaccoAndOralHealth.pdf

If you are concerned about the health of your teeth/gums there are a few easy steps to take:

1. Make an appointment with your dentist; current guidelines recommend seeing your dentist every six months.
2. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride keeps teeth strong and may stop or slow down the formation of decay.
3. Floss your teeth daily. You must floss in order to remove food from in between teeth and near the gum line – your toothbrush does not reach everywhere in your mouth.
4. Drink water – Sugary drinks (including alcohol) coat your teeth in sugar, which is the basis for tooth decay. By drinking water you are removing food and sugar from your teeth.

Visit this site for basic information about keeping your mouth, teeth, and gums healthy:
http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/index.html


Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides alcohol and drug treatment that includes nutritional education as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  For more information, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Often, problems due to alcohol abuse or dependence sneak up on an individual.  This is because it is a progressive disease.  Non-drinkers simply do not become alcohol abusers and alcoholics over night.  But it can happen over time, so it is not a bad idea to take a self-evaluation to see if a problem is developing.

Most people can make a choice between drinking alcohol or not in social situations.  They can also decide when to stop once they start.  This is normal social drinking, and the pattern generally remains the same for life with few exceptions.

Some individuals increase the amount of alcohol they drink per session or of days per week they imbibe.  The change is typically gradual so it can go unnoticed for some time, even by those who are changing habits, to some extent.  But they know something is different and may not know where to get information.  Friends and family may not know how to point out the increases without confrontation.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has posted a resource that helps individuals evaluate their drinking patterns.  It is very simple and can encourage individuals to change drinking habits before alcohol treatment is needed.  Loved ones can possibly use it to convince someone to enter alcohol detox and treatment.

Click on the link below to take the test:
http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/default.asp

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment resources that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley, and in Santa Ana.

April, 2009 marks the 22nd year of Alcohol Awareness Month.  

Tarzana Treatment Centers is participating with a series of articles meant to inform and educate the general public about alcohol abuse, dependence and treatment.  Considering that over 21 million Americans meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and over 53 million admit to past-month binge drinking, not to mention the many loved ones affected by each, our efforts are worthwhile.

The percentages of women who enter alcohol treatment and remain through completion are lower than for men.  Reasons for the difference appear to revolve around family and security.

Alcohol dependent mothers may know they need detox and treatment.  But some do not have the resources or family to provide child care in a time of absence.  Also, depression and false sense of reality due to alcoholism creates fear in leaving children with even the most trusted family members.

Many women with alcohol problems have histories that could make them feel uncomfortable in a coed treatment setting.  The distraction of discomfort, and inability to share feelings freely, makes treatment less effective and is a major reason for early discharges.

Tarzana Treatment Centers offers women-only treatment, including a facility for women and children.  As noted in the report excerpt below from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration this helps women enter treatment and complete it, leading to better lives for our patients and their children.

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Child Care Services

Most studies that evaluated the effectiveness of providing child care services to female clients in substance abuse treatment examined services for children living with their mothers in a residential treatment program. In one clinical trial, females who lived with their children in therapeutic community treatment programs remained in treatment significantly longer (mean length of stay [LOS] = 300 days) than females whose children were placed with caretakers (mean LOS = 102 days) (Hughes et al., 1995). Less rigorous studies also found that program changes enabling women to bring their children into residential treatment were associated with increased LOS (e.g., Stevens, Arbiter, & Glider, 1989; Wobie, Eyler, Conlon, Clarke, & Behnke, 1997). One study found that measures of depression were lower and measures of self-esteem were higher for females whose infants accompanied them to the treatment facility compared with females who did not have their infants in the treatment facility (Wobie et al., 1997). This study suggested that the earlier a mother's infant resides with her in the treatment setting, the longer the mother will stay in treatment.

Women-Only Treatment

Using a nonrandomized design, Grella and colleagues (1999) found that females treated in publicly funded women-only residential treatment programs in Los Angeles reported they had more problems, such as mental health issues and substance severity, than females at mixed-gender programs. However, the clients in women-only programs actually spent more time in treatment and were more than twice as likely to complete treatment than females in mixed-gender programs. In contrast, programs that treat male and female clients together are less able to attract and retain especially vulnerable females, such as lesbian women, women with a history of physical or sexual violence, women who have worked as prostitutes, and single parents (Copeland & Hall, 1992; Fullilove, Lown, & Fullilove, 1992; Grella, 1997; Pottieger, Inciardi, & Tressell, 1996).

-- Source: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/WomenTX/WomenTX.htm#2.4.1 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles, California knows that the bad economy has had a negative effect on everyone.  Tough financial times are especially difficult for alcoholics and drug addicts.  Those who have recovered from alcoholism and drug addiction are at risk for relapse.  Also, many others will notice that they are using more alcohol or drugs to relieve the stresses of a bad economy.

The current economic crisis is a classic example of a relapse trigger for those in recovery.  An alcoholic may be sober for several years, going to AA meetings, using the tools of recovery, and enjoying good relationships with family and friends.  Economic conditions that may result in a lay-off, delinquent bills, foreclosure, or other financial problems can lead to a feeling of “what’s the use” and a drink.  For an alcoholic, that one drink is like medicine that cures all problems, naturally leading to many more drinks.

Using substances for relief is a clear sign of trouble for people in recovery, but denial of reality sets in quickly.  Knowing that alcohol or drugs led them to personal destruction before sobriety is not always enough to overcome the perceived benefits they currently bring.  Alcohol and drug use will most likely be hidden to avoid confrontations with family, friends, and co-workers, so changes in behavior may be the only clues that relapse has occurred.  

These problems can also affect people who control their drinking, take drugs as prescribed by a doctor, and have rarely or never used illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.  The diseases of alcoholism and drug addiction do not always take hold upon first use.  A life event usually triggers the use of substances for relief.  The discovery of this dramatic relief from overwhelming stress is quickly related to substance use by the addict and alcoholic brain, which leads to cravings and then dependence.  This process usually occurs early in adulthood, but can at any time.

In most of these cases increased alcohol or drug use is waved off as being needed to get through the current crisis.  Family and friends will usually go along with it for some time because they don’t know bigger problems may be ahead.  Most of the time, though, loved ones notice there is a problem before the alcoholic and drug addict.  So risking an argument for the sake of a better future can at least bring awareness to the individual.

Both groups described above should seek alcohol or drug treatment, and medical detoxification if necessary, at the earliest signs of abuse and dependence.  The temporary relief of alcohol and drugs do not make the problem go away.  Problems will worsen and mount as long as they are ignored.  The short-term investment in alcohol or drug treatment now will pave the way for a better future.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley, and in Santa Ana.

April, 2009 marks the 22nd year of Alcohol Awareness Month.  

Tarzana Treatment Centers is participating with a series of articles meant to inform and educate the general public about alcohol abuse, dependence and treatment.  Considering that over 21 million Americans meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and over 53 million admit to past-month binge drinking, not to mention the many loved ones affected by each, our efforts are worthwhile.

Some issues that come with aging may be slowed or even reversed by simply abstaining from alcohol use.  Of course it depends on the amount of alcohol a person consumes before they abstain.  Recovery from alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence will have a more dramatic effect on senior citizens than if they only occasionally drink.

Taking interactions with medications into account, it is probably a good idea for seniors to abstain from alcohol consumption anyway.  Add to that a habit of more than 1 drink per day, and the progression of physical or mental health problems can accelerate.  

Much worse, alcohol dependence places an added burden on vital organs that are already deteriorating.  Alcoholic senior citizens suffer higher rates of problems with the heart, liver, and pancreas, along with more severe depression and dementia.

Senior citizens can benefit from alcohol detox and treatment the same as anyone else.  Using this information can help to convince an older family member to enter treatment so their golden years can indeed be golden.  

The following paragraph is from a report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  If you are a senior citizen with an alcohol problem, or know someone who is, please read the report.

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The potential for drug interactions increases with greater reliance on prescription drugs, multiple prescriptions, difficulty in correct self administration, and age-related changes in physiology and is further aggravated by the use of alcohol (Williams 1988). For example, Abrams & Alexopoulos (1987) emphasize that alcohol abuse among older persons can mimic and/or contribute to major depression. Also, Larsen and colleagues (1987) discovered that some apparent dementia in older patients is actually a form of drug-induced cognitive impairment, reversible in the absence of the drugs. Thus, it is likely that reduction of alcohol consumption could improve treatment outcomes among the elderly.

-- Source: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa02.htm --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

April, 2009 marks the 22nd year of Alcohol Awareness Month.
 
Tarzana Treatment Centers is participating with a series of articles meant to inform and educate the general public about alcohol abuse, dependence and treatment.  Considering that over 21 million Americans meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and over 53 million admit to past-month binge drinking, not to mention the many loved ones affected by each, our efforts are worthwhile.

As we age we become more susceptible to problems related to alcohol and prescription drugs.  Senior alcohol abuse and prescription drug abuse often is the result of self-medicating for physical and emotional issues that afflict older men and women.

One particular danger in cases of senior alcohol abuse or dependence is severe withdrawal symptoms.  There are several reasons that older men and women suddenly quit drinking, unaware of the health risks involved.  One example is quitting for a few days when family or friends visit.  

With emergency hospitalizations, lacking knowledge about alcohol withdrawal symptoms coupled with shame can lead to serious issues.  For example, if an elderly man is admitted to a hospital and a family member needs to give admitting information, they may not mention that he drinks throughout every day due to shame.  This could complicate primary treatment when withdrawals occur because of the hurdle the symptoms create for medical staff.

For those with older family members, a little knowledge about alcohol withdrawal symptoms and their impact on seniors, and alcohol detox, can save a life.  Seniors should consult with their doctors if they abuse alcohol or have become dependent.  It should be noted that older women are at greater risk of developing alcohol problems than older men.

The above examples are meant to encourage readers to seek more information.  A sample of a report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism follows.  

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OLDER WOMEN HAVE INCREASED RISKS FOR ALCOHOL PROBLEMS

Older women tend to have longer life expectancies and to live alone longer than men, and they are less likely than men in the same age group to be financially independent. These physical, social, and psychological factors are sometimes associated with at–risk drinking in older adulthood, so they are especially relevant for older women.

Older women have major physical risk factors that make them particularly susceptible to the negative effects of increased alcohol consumption (Blow 1998). Women of all ages have less lean muscle mass than men, making them more susceptible to the effects of alcohol. In addition, there is an age–related decrease in lean body mass versus total volume of fat, and the resultant decrease in total body mass increases the total distribution of alcohol and other mood–altering chemicals in the body. Both men and women experience losses in lean muscle mass as they age, but women have less lean muscle mass than men throughout adulthood and, therefore, are less able to metabolize alcohol throughout their lives, including into older adulthood (see Blow 1998 for further information). Liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol and certain other drugs become less efficient with age, and central nervous system sensitivity increases with age for both genders. In sum, compared with younger adults, and with older men, older women have an increased sensitivity to alcohol.

Older women also have a heightened response to over–the–counter and prescription medications (Smith 1995; Vestal et al. 1977; Blow 1998). The use and misuse of alcohol and prescription medications are therefore especially risky for women as they age because of their specific vulnerabilities regarding sensitivity to alcohol and medications. For most patients, any alcohol consumption coupled with the use of specific over–the–counter or prescription medications can be a problem. For example, combining alcohol with psychoactive medications such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and antidepressants can be especially problematic for this population. Older women are more likely than older men to receive prescriptions for benzodiazepines in particular, and are therefore more likely to be faced with problems related to the interaction of these medications with alcohol (see Blow 1998 for further discussion). There is a paucity of data available on rates of the co–occurrence of alcohol and medication use in older people. This area needs more study.

Because older women generally drink less than older men or abstain from alcohol, health care providers may be less likely to recognize at–risk drinking and alcohol problems in this population. Moreover, few elderly women who abuse alcohol seek help in specialized addiction treatment settings. These problems stand in the way of effective interventions that can improve the quality of life of older women drinking at risky levels.

-- Source: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-4/308-315.htm --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

April, 2009 marks the 22nd year of Alcohol Awareness Month.  

Tarzana Treatment Centers is participating with a series of articles meant to inform and educate the general public about alcohol abuse, dependence and treatment.  Considering that over 21 million Americans meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and over 53 million admit to past-month binge drinking, not to mention the many loved ones affected by each, our efforts are worthwhile.

Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) suffer at least one of many problems.  They range from physical to emotional and learning disabilities.  The sad truth is that it is very easy for a child to get FASDs, and even easier for parents to prevent it from happening.

It is not only pregnant women who need to be aware of the effects alcohol has on an unborn child.  Women who plan to get pregnant can ensure prevention of FASDs by abstaining from alcohol before conception.  Men can also be supportive of their partners by avoiding alcohol.  Alcohol treatment can help for those who engage in alcohol abuse, and detox for alcohol dependence.

Considering the harm done to children by FASDs, parents should take every precaution to prevent it.  Prevention begins with knowledge.  The information below is part of a comprehensive report by the Centers for Disease Control, which every future parent should read.

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What are FAS and FASDs?

Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a range of disorders, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is one of the leading known preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects. If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby can be born with FAS, a lifelong condition that causes physical and mental disabilities. FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system (CNS) problems. People with FAS might have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of these. These problems often lead to difficulties in school and problems getting along with others. FAS is a permanent condition. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life and the lives of his or her family.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASDs is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis.

FASDs include FAS as well as other conditions in which individuals have some, but not all, of the clinical signs of FAS. Three terms often used are fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD). The term FAE has been used to describe behavioral and cognitive problems in children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol, but who do not have all of the typical diagnostic features of FAS. In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) replaced FAE with the terms ARND and ARBD. Children with ARND might have functional or mental problems linked to prenatal alcohol exposure. These include behavioral or cognitive abnormalities or a combination of both. Children with ARBD might have problems with the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing.

All FASDs are 100% preventable—if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant.

-- Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community.  The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.