Alcohol Dependence

In small amounts, alcohol can relax you for a few hours. With larger amounts, it can make you feel worse.

The desire to have this short-lived feeling then does not work, particularly if your body has developed tolerance to alcohol and you drink more to feel the same effects.

The problem is that it is easy to slip into drinking regularly, using it like a medicine. The benefits soon wear off and the drinking becomes part of a routine.

You also start to notice that:

• instead of choosing to have a drink, you feel the urge to have one
• you wake up with shaky hands and a feeling of nervousness
• you start to drink earlier and earlier in the day
• your work starts to suffer
• your drinking starts to affect your relationships
• you carry on drinking despite the problems it causes
• you start to ‘binge drink’ (see below) regularly
• you start to neglect other parts of your life

What problems does alcohol dependence cause?

If you use alcohol a lot, it can have a negative impact on your day-to-day life. For example, it could lead to problems with:

• money
• education and employment
• relationships
• housing
• low self-esteem
• finding it hard to maintain commitments, including appointments related to your alcohol use or mental health

Long-term effects

Alcohol can lead to:

• psychosis - hearing voices when there is nobody there
• memory problems either on their own (Korsakoff’s Syndrome) or also affecting other areas of the brain (alcohol related dementia) - rather like but not the same as Alzheimer's dementia
• physical - damage organs, such as the liver or brain

How much is too much?

• A ‘unit’ of alcohol (10 mL, 8 g) is roughly a small glass of wine, a 25ml single measure of spirits or most of a bottle of regular strength (4%) beer.
• Recent studies show that any amount of alcohol is potentially harmful but the conventional safer drinking limits are 14 units per week for men and women, with at least two alcohol-free days each week. Drinking any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can seriously harm the unborn baby.

How can I get help for dependence?

Simple practical steps

• Use a drinks diary to record how much your drinking each day. This will help you identify when, where and with whom you are most likely to drink alcohol.
• Once you have identified these triggers, look for ways to avoid them
• Do not keep alcohol at home
• Use peer support groups e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous where available, religious organizations etc.
• Set yourself a target to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink
• Drink lower-strength, though full-taste, drinks, like 4% beers or 10% wines
• Involve your partner or a friend. They can help to agree a goal and keep track of your progress

Warning: if you are a heavy drinker, suddenly stopping all alcohol can lead to fits and confusion. Talk to your doctor first if planning to stop as you may need a medication called diazepam to replace the alcohol for the first few days.

Kodi kumwa mowa mwauchidakwa ndi chani?

Ngati munthu akumwa pang’ono, mowa ungathe kukhazikitsa mtima pansi kwa maola angapo. Koma mowa wambiri ungathe kubweretsa mavuto aakulu.

Pakadutsa nthawi munthu ukumwa mowa pang’ono, zikhumbokhumbo zokhazikitsa pansi mtima ndi mowa sizimathekanso makamaka ngati thupi lanu lafika pa mlingo wa uchidakwa ndipo munthu amamwa mowa wambiri kuti aledzere.

Vuto lalikulu ndilakuti ndikwapafupi kukhala chidakwa nkumamwa mowa ngati mankhwala. Zikatelo ubwino wa mowa onse umatha ndipo kulezera kumasanduka mbali ya moyo wanu.

Munthu amayamba kuona izi:

• Mmalo mosankha kukamwa chakumwa, munthu amakhala ndi chibaba chokamwa mowa
• Munthu amadzuka ndi manjenje mmanjamu komanso osamva bwino m’thupi
• amayamba kuledzera kudakali m’mawa
• Ntchito imayamba kuvuta chifukwa cha mowa
• Mowa umayamba kukhudza maubale
• Amapitilizabe kuledzera angakhale mowawo ukumupatsa mavuto
• Amayamba kuledzera kwambiri nthawi zambiri
• Amasiya kulabadira mbali zina za moyo wake Kamba ka mowa

Kodi kudalira kuledzera mowa Kapena uchidakwa kumabweretsa mavuto anji kwa munthu?

Ngati ukuledzera kwambiri, mowa ungathe kubweretsa mavuto pa moyo siku ndi tsiku. Mwachitsanzo, munthu angagwe mmavuto ndi zinthu izi:

• Ndalama
• Sukulu komanso ntchito
• Maubwenzi
• Nyumba
• Kukhala munthu osadzikhulupilira
• Kuvutika kukwanilitsa zoyenera kuchita monga kukalandira thandizo la uchidakwa komanso maganizo angwiro

Mavuto a m’gonagona a uchidakwa

Mowa ungapangitse:

• Misala-kumva mau palibepo munthu
• Vuto lokumbukira zinthu komanso mavuto a kuubongo
• Mavuto a thupi monga kuonongeka kwa ziwalo monga chiwindi komanso ubongo

Kodi tikamati mowa ochuluka timatanthauza chani?

• Gawo la mowa (10ml, 8g) ndi ka kapu ka galasi pamene ka 25ml ya toti kapena theka la payinti ya mowa (4%)
• Ndibwino kusamwa mowa. Ngati mukumwa, musapyole mlingo wa pa sabata imodzi omwe ndi kuchepela pa magawo 14 kwa amuna komanso akadzi komanso kukhala ndi masiku awiri pasabata osamwa mowa.

Ndingapeze bwanji thandzizo la kumwa mowa mwauchidakwa?

Njira zapafupi ndi izi

• Lembani kuti pa tsiku mumamwa mowa ochuluka bwanji. Izi zingakuthandizeni kudziwa kuti kodi mowa mumamwa ndi ndani, mumamwera kuti, ndi ndani ndiponso nthawi zake ziti.
• Mukangodziwa zinthu zomwe zimakupangitsani kuledzera, pedzani njira zomwe mungadzitetedzere
• Osasunga mowa kunyumba
• Gwiritsani ntchito magulu aanzanu omwe ankamwa mowa ndipo anasiya, kapena mabungwe komanso mipingo kuti akuthandizeni
• Muzipatse nokha zoti mukwanilitse kuti muchepetse kumwa mowa
• Imwani mowa wamphamvu yochepa monga omwe uli ndi 4% kapena wine wochepela 10%
• Aloleni abwezi anu kapena wachikondi kutengapo gawo kuti musiye mowa

Chenjedzo: ngati mumaledzera mwauchidakwa, kungosiya mowa mwazizizi kungathe kubweretsa mavuto monga kukomoka, komanso kubaizika. Afotokozereni adokotala anu mukafuna kuyamba kusiya mowa. Mungathe kupasidwa mankhwala     monga Valium kuti alowe mmalo mwa mowa makamaka matsiku oyambilira.