The number of alcoholics is increasing in the country and it is quickly becoming a serious problem. According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 86 % of adults above the age of 18, drink alcohol at least once, and about 56 % of the people who were a part of the study admitted to drinking alcohol at least once during the month. People have grown accustomed to drinking wine at dinner or going out for beers with their friends or co-workers. This is due to the fact that alcohol has become a socially acceptable drug and has become a common part of our lifestyle. This includes the nightlife as well as other social gatherings. We have paired alcoholic drinks with nearly everything. Some people often use wine as a cooking ingredient. People often use drinks as a substitute for water and this can be very unhealthy. The real danger lurks in the fact that some people often use alcohol in order to ingest their medicine. Some people do it out of laziness and with no ulterior motive but some people do it in order to improve the high of prescription drugs. This can lead to a lot of health issues and in some cases even death.
As the addiction rates are climbing we need to raise awareness about the dangers that are posed by addiction. We also need to reduce the number of addicts that are present today by guiding them to rehab programs. Rehab programs are specially designed to help addicts through their addiction. They are equipped in order to deal with every type of drug addiction and are the best chance an addict has to return to sober life without drugs. Going to a rehab clinic in some cases is better than just going cold turkey and stopping using drugs since in the case of some drugs the withdrawal symptoms can be very dangerous and the rehab centers are able to manage them easily. So if you have someone who is struggling with addiction and is willing to try and leave it behind then help them by getting them to a rehab center. Look up local centers online i.e. orange county drug rehab.
Some drugs that can have serious reactions when taken along with alcohol are mentioned below:
- Opioid
Opioid painkillers include drugs like codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. These drugs are often prescribed for people with complaints of pain. These drugs also are one of the most abused prescription drugs in the country. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid painkillers drugs cause more than 90 deaths a day due to overdosing. These drugs are dangerous on their own when abused but when coupled with Alcohol even doses that are normally considered safe can result in serious health conditions. These conditions include having trouble breathing and reduced brain function.
- Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are drugs that are prescribed for different sorts of mental disorders. This includes anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and seizures. These drugs affect the same part of the human brain that is affected by drinking alcohol so some doctors use mild Benzodiazepines as a way to help addicts slowly leave alcohol. This is the same reason that some people abuse this drug in order to improve upon the high that is given by alcohol. Mixing these drugs results in the person losing motor control and thus they are often the cause of accidents. They also have a hard time remembering events in some cases totally blacking out for hours. This combination can also seriously harm your liver.
