MEDICINE FOR ALCOHOL
Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would bring on withdrawal symptoms. the term may also be used to refer to ingrained drinking habits that cause health or social problems. (Medical dictionary definition).
According to WHO,
Facts and figures
We know what can and needs to be done to help reduce the burden of psychoactive substance use. Therefore, WHO is committed to assisting countries in the development, organization, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and other services.
The harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths each year.
320,000 young people between the age of 15 and 29 die from alcohol-related causes, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group.
Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink.
How do you know how much alcohol is in your drink?
Even though they come in different sizes, the drinks below are each examples of
one standard drink:
Alcohol Use Disorders
Alcohol use disorders are medical conditions that doctors can diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. In the United States, about 18 million people have an alcohol use disorder, classified as either alcohol dependence—perhaps better known as alcoholism—or alcohol abuse.
Alcoholism, the more serious of the disorders, is a disease that includes symptoms such as:
Craving : A strong need, or urge, to drink.
Loss of control : Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
Physical dependence : Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
Tolerance : The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to feel the same effect.
People who are alcoholic often will spend a great deal of their time drinking, making sure they can get alcohol, and recovering from alcohol’s effects, often at the expense of other activities and responsibilities.
Although alcohol abusers are not physically dependent on alcohol, they still have a serious disorder. Alcohol abusers may not fulfill responsibilities at home, work, or school because of their drinking. They may also put themselves in dangerous situations (like driving under the influence) or have legal or social problems (such as arrests or arguments with family members) due to their drinking
Alcohol's Effects on the Body
Drinking too much – on a single occasion or over time – can take a serious toll on your health. Here’s how alcohol can affect your body:
Brain:
Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.
Heart:
Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including:
- Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle
- Arrhythmias – Irregular heart beat
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
Liver:
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including:
- Steatosis, or fatty liver
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
Pancreas:
Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.
Cancer:
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the:
- Mouth
- Esophagus
- Throat
- Liver
- Breast
Immune System:
Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows your body’s ability to ward off infections – even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.
SOLUTION:
Alcoholism Treatment:
It is your choice to continue drinking but if you have decided to stop, you have come to the right place.
For treatment you can contact any Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Research Center.
Alcoholism is a chronic brain disease. The brain has been hijacked by an illness. You must be disciplined and fight for your life. You are in a life and death struggle, and the war is played out in your mind, body, and spirit.
There are three things that you can do that will bring the illness under control. These new behaviors may seem unnatural for you at first, but you must do them all. If you leave one of the tools out, your chances of recovery significantly decrease.
Let's briefly go over the tools so that you can begin to understand them. You have to do three things to stay sober: (1) get honest, (2) go to 12-step meetings, and (3) get on a spiritual journey to the Higher Power of your own understanding.
You can be proud of yourself because now you are doing something right. Now you will step out in truth to help others and yourself.
Get on a spiritual journey to the Higher Power of your own understanding.
Islam’s holistic approach to health and well-being means that anything that is harmful or mostly harmful, is forbidden. Therefore, Islam takes an uncompromising stand towards alcohol and forbids its consumption in either small or large quantities. Alcohol is undoubtedly harmful and adversely affects the mind and the body.
The Quran is a book of guidance sent to all of humankind. It is a set of instructions from the Creator for His creation.
Alcohol affects the mind and makes sinful behaviour and evil actions fair seeming. It creates enmity and hatred between people, prevents them from remembering God and distracts them from praying, and calls them to participate in unlawful sexual relationships. Alcohol generates shame, regret, and disgrace, and renders the drinker witless. It leads to the disclosure of secrets and exposure of faults.
Allah (God) revealed a verse:
“Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of God and from the prayer. So, will you not then abstain?” (Holy Quran 5:91)
Alcohol is one of the tools Satan uses to distract humankind from the worship of Allah (God). Allah (God) states clearly in the Quran that Satan is an open enemy towards humankind yet by drinking alcohol, we invite Satan into our lives and make it easy for him to distract us from our real purpose in life, to worship Allah (God).
“Surely, Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.” (Holy Quran 35:6)
Allah (God) revealed a verse totally prohibiting Alcohol, Idolatry, Gambling.
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, idolatry, and diving arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid that so that you may be successful.” (Holy Quran 5: 90)
