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Jun 28, 2024 · Alcohol or alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, a psychoactive and toxic substance that can cause dependence. Worldwide, around 2.6 million deaths were caused by alcohol consumption in 2019. Of these, 1.6 million deaths were from noncommunicable diseases, 700 000 deaths from injuries and 300 000 deaths from communicable diseases.
Alcohol is a drug. It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly. As for how it affects the mind, it is best understood as a drug that reduces a person’s ability to think rationally and distorts his or her ...
Oct 4, 2022 · Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.
- Watch for withdrawal symptoms, even if you don’t think you’re a heavy drinker. You may be surprised to learn that alcohol is one of the only substances with the potential for life-threatening withdrawal.
- Don’t panic at cravings or setbacks. Regardless of your reasons for going alcohol-free, you’re likely to have urges or cravings at some point. You may even have a setback or slip and find yourself drinking again.
- Your relationships may suffer at first. Contrary to what you may think, going alcohol-free may put some strain on your relationships at first. Depending on how much and how often you’ve been drinking, you’re probably going to be a bit on edge at first and you may have a shorter fuse.
- You’ll become acutely aware of social pressures to drink. Most of us realize that alcohol is heavily woven into modern culture, but going alcohol-free is going to increase your awareness of the direct and indirect social pressures to drink.
Addiction refers to the problematic use of a substance. The harms of substance use can range from mild (e.g., feeling hungover, being late for work) to severe (e.g., homelessness, disease). Treatment options for addiction include self-help, counselling, medications and withdrawal management.
Help with alcohol and drug addiction: Free help for people with problems with alcohol or drugs; Services include counseling, safe withdrawal support (detox) and intensive treatment programs; Support for families; 1-867-667-8473: Get naloxone: Free naloxone kits are available with a training session; Find a site. 1-867-332-0722
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For the past few decades, several drugs have been available for the treatment of AUDs. These drugs include medications to reduce or stop severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detoxification as well as recovery medications to reduce alcohol craving and support abstinence.
