ALCOHOL

ADDICTION
PRESENTATION BY EFUA POMAAH GYAN

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 OUTLINE

What Alcohol Addiction is.

Cultural Perspective
Causes
Symptoms
Treatment and Management

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 INTRODUCTION

• First of all, an addiction is a disorder characterized by a compulsive use of a rewarding substance

or activity regardless of its negative effects.
• Alcohol addiction is a disorder that occurs when an individual is unable to control their intake of
alcohol which leads to alcohol dependence.
• May start each day with a drink.
• The regular consumption of alcohol causes the brain to associate the drinks with feelings of
euphoria which in turn leads to craving.
• It also triggers the neurotransmitter dopamine giving the brain feelings of pleasure and this
encourages the brain to repeat the drinking.
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 What Does It Mean to be An Addict?

According to the DSM-V, if an individual has experienced more than two of these symptoms in the
past 12 months, then he can be considered an addict;
• Consuming more alcohol than one intends.
• Craving alcohol
• Giving up important activities to take alcohol.
• Withdrawal symptoms from not taking for some time.
• Using alcohol even though it is causing problems for the individual.
• Becoming tolerant to alcohol.
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 CONT’D

• Being unable to cut down on alcohol.

• When alcohol use takes up a lot of time.
• Using alcohol even if it causes interpersonal problems.
• Using alcohol in physically dangerous situations e.g. driving
• If alcohol use affects responsibilities.
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 CULTURAL Perspective

• A study by Tampah-Naah & Amoah(2015) found that 33% of women and more than 60% men in Ghana
consume alcohol regularly.
• According to the Ghana Demographics and Health Survey, there is little control on the sale and
consumption of alcohol among the youth in Ghana.
• Alcohol addiction is a disorder that many Ghanaians ignorant of.
• Alcohol is a major ingredient in most traditional medicines in Ghana which may lead to alcohol
dependency.
• In Ghana, a lot of alcoholic beverages are advertised in the media promoting the regular consumption of
it. It is usually advertised that alcohol can improve sexual performance, for other medicinal purposes etc.

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 Causes

• Social factors e.g employment issues, marital issues etc.

• Biological factors (genetics, dopamine).
• Tolerance to alcohol.
• Psychological issues like anxiety, depression etc.
• Withdrawal.
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 Symptoms

• Fatigue
• Seizure
• Slurred speech
• Loss of appetite
• Delirium; visual and tactile hallucinations
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 Symptoms Cont’d

• Nausea or vomiting
• Agitation
• Lack of restraint
• Dizziness
• Sweating

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 Management & Treatment

• Group/Individual Therapies.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapies.
• Peer support groups.
• Medications.

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 Conclusion

From the onset of this discussion the objective have been to enlighten or
educate ourselves of what;
• ALCOHOL ADDICTION is.
• Causes
• Symptoms
• And effects of this alcohol addiction.
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 REFERENCES

• Bommersbach, T. J., Lapid, M. I., Rummans, T. A., & Morse, R. M. (2015). Geriatric alcohol use disorder: a
review for primary care physicians. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 90, No. 5, pp. 659-666). Elsevier.
• Gill, J. S. (2002). Reported levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking within the UK undergraduate
student population over the last 25 years. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 37(2), 109-120
• Ries, R. K., Fiellin, D. A., Miller, S. C., & Saitz, R. (2014). The ASAM principles of addiction medicine.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Tampah-Naah, A. M., & Amoah, S. T. (2015). Consumption and drinking frequency of alcoholic beverage
among women in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. BMC public health, 15(1), 1-10.
• Winslow, B. T., Onysko, M., & Hebert, M. (2016). Medications for alcohol use disorder. American family
physician, 93(6), 457-465.
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