While it may seem like a silly cliché, the idea that one is too many and a thousand alcoholic beverages never enough rings true for an alcoholic. What makes this odd, unrealistic statement so true for a person who suffers from alcoholism? Is it in our mind?
Why does a phenomenon that neither medical nor physiological minds have been able to pinpoint, create such a debilitating problem? While an unscientific explanation, the problem seems to be in our mind. Alcoholics succumb to a malady that ignites a phenomenon of craving. When these cravings take over, one is too many and a thousand never enough.
What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is said to be an inability to stop drinking once we start. Furthermore, it’s an unexplained mental craving that drives us to drink beyond what is deemed normal. We will neglect people, places, and responsibilities all in pursuit of an alcoholic stupor.
When someone drinks at the most inopportune times, or to excess in spite of pressing responsibilities, there is a reasonable likelihood he or she may well have a drinking problem. The issue is that alcoholism has been shown to be but a symptom of more profound mental health concerns. Just stopping drinking rarely solves the underlying issues.
Therefore, the best way to define what constitutes an alcoholic is to assess the mental balance of the person. What trained therapists have found is that alcoholics drink to drown some deep-rooted issue of the mind. Alcoholism is but a problematic symptom of a more significant dilemma.
Why Do We Drink Alcohol?
Most people consume alcohol for the effect that it produces in our brain. Normal drinkers use it to relax, or as a social elixir. In alcoholics, it creates a feeling of euphoria that we cannot seem to acquire without it. This appears on the surface to be an odd explanation.
However, thinking about it as a means to deal with life’s stress, begins to make it more plausible. We consume copious alcoholic beverages in an attempt to escape. That’s why one of the most beneficial aspects of mental health counseling for alcoholics is the pursuit of the core reasons why we strive to escape.
While others seem to be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages with impunity, the alcoholic consistently falls prey to the phenomenon of craving. One invariably turns out to be too many, and life consequences are usually the result.
What Happens When We Drink Alcohol
Those in recovery from alcoholism have undoubtedly heard the saying, “the first one is always the one that gets you drunk.” To most logical minds that seems rather senseless. However, when you factor in the phenomenon of craving and the mental obsession that cripples an alcoholic, it’s easier to understand what happens when we consume the first alcoholic beverage.
We neither anticipate getting drunk nor are we able to explain why we did the next morning. What happens is, a sense of craving takes over, supported by an unstoppable mental obsession to get more.
Many have tried to fight these two unexplained reasons why someone cannot stop drinking. Most have fallen victim to the cunning and baffling nature of alcoholism. Those who are successfully recovering from alcoholism have sought help in some form.
If you feel you need help with your alcoholism, contact a professional agency such as Kolpia Counseling Services. To whomever you make that call for help, be sure to make the call, because your life may depend on it.
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