Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

History

In the early 1900s, it was believed that alcoholism was a way to hide that you felt ashamed of such things as homosexuality impulses, incestuous thoughts and masturbation. Some believed that the basis of alcoholism was a hidden depression, and by most, alcoholism developed in chronically suicidal people.

Many psychoanalysts believed that the basis of alcoholism was the childhood dependency. They argued that if the children did not feel dependent on anyone, it was a great risk that they became alcoholics. Many of these theories are still valid.

Why People Become Alcoholics

There is no simple answer to the question of why someone starts to abuse alcohol and how to prevent this.

It is known that alcoholics are found in all social classes, cultures and environments. We know that some alcoholics have had abusive parents, but that is about as many alcoholics who have not had. Many alcoholics suffer from mental illnesses or depression, and many have been abused as a child.

Scientists have been trying to find a genetic explanation for why some become alcoholics and have found some things that could influence. For example, it is known that there are three groups that have some sort of protection against alcohol dependence. These are Chinese, Jews and women.

The fact that alcohol problems could be inherited is something that scientists disagree on. If a child grows up in alcoholics, it is clear that it will be affected. This is why it is common if the father in the family drinks, so the son becomes an alcoholic too, while the daughter is usually married to an alcoholic.

It is less common that the daughter becomes an alcoholic if it is the father who abuses alcohol than if the mother. So in this way, one can say that the abuse is inherited but it is a social inheritance, not a genetic one.

Facts about Alcohol

Alcohol is a food that contains seven calories per gram and has an energy value which means that you could live solely on it for months. The damage that the body would, however, receive is considerable.

Alcohol is a cytotoxin produced by yeast cells. The yeast cell only works up to 15%, so when you want to get a higher alcohol content, it is necessary to add distilled spirits. This is why wine would never especially contain high percentage of alcohol.

After swallowing, the alcohol is broken down into the stomach and converted into a substance called acetaldehyde. This substance is a part of the cell cycle and the end product is water, carbon dioxide and energy.

Unfortunately, not all alcohol is burned at high intake. Adult male burns around. two cl. spirits or seven grams of alcohol per hour. The rest of the alcohol escapes into the blood.

It is much more dangerous for young people to abuse alcohol than it is for an adult, because the growing organism is very sensitive to toxins. If a 15-year-old begins to drink alcohol, it takes only a few years before he or she becomes dependent, while an adult can take up to 20 years. Although, diseases caused by alcohol affect adults faster than young men.

Alcohol, Desire and Erectile Dysfunction

"Alcohol increases the desire but diminishes the ability", they noticed in the 1500s already, but no one knew why this was so. Today we know much more about the harm caused by alcohol in the footsteps.

Desire is increased due to alcohol on the testes, but this is not for long. Testicles have no protection from alcohol so the more you drink the more damage they receive. The desire in males is affected by the male hormone testosterone, produced in the testes. Regular alcohol consumption reduces the production of testosterone and eventually it ceases almost completely. This means that the desire completely disappears and the man is unable to reach or maintain an adequate level of erection needed for the sexual intercourse to happen. This condition, being in progress over 6 months, is called Erectile Dysfunction (or Impotence).

Male alcoholics often show feminine traits and this is because the female hormone, estrogen, which is found in all men (and women), is not incinerated as it should be. The burning should normally take place in the liver, but with regular consumption of alcohol, the liver is damaged, and combustion ceases.

With the increased amount of estrogen and the decreased amount of testosterone, the male alcoholic's appearance will change and he becomes more feminine. This is evidenced by the breasts begin to grow, erectile function subside and abdominal fat increase. The man gets a special body shape with slim legs, small butt, big stomach and big breast.

Women's long misuse of alcohol may result into disturbances in the menstrual cycle; ovulation becomes irregular and almost disappears. Over time, this leads to infertility. The woman's appearance is also changing, the face becomes puffy and wrinkled, and the skin becomes red mottled due to broken capillaries. Those who combine alcohol and tobacco may also hoarse and have rough voice.

To put it simply, alcohol abuse makes women less feminine and man less masculine.

Muscle and Bone Injuries

Alcoholics are one of the most unfortunate members of society; this is largely due to impaired balance, reduced pain-protection and increased activity associated with alcohol consumption. The most common injury suffered by an alcoholic is rib fractures due to falls, but fractures of the arms, legs, hands, etc. are also common.

Wear and tear injuries are common in alcoholics because alcohol numbs the pain and alcoholics do not notice it. Although injuries to the head is a common "alcoholic damage" also due to falls, since the alcoholics cannot keep themselves, and head must bear the worst blows.

Alcohol on the Nervous System

One of the most common side effects of alcohol abuse is permanent nerve damage. It usually starts as a tingling or numbness in the limbs that have the least blood supply, and the alcoholic feels clumsy and stumbles a lot. The next stage is painful muscle cramps in the thighs and calves and a progressive paralysis of the leg muscles. It also happens that some parts of the body cease to function. If no motion is withdrawn within one to two months, it is permanent.

During these two months you have to train the muscles of the affected body part, and sobriety is a compulsion.

The cause of nerve injuries is that alcoholics almost always suffer from vitamin B deficiency; it is namely the amounts of B vitamins used in the combustion of alcohol. Supplements of vitamin B are possible only if used in injections with vitamin C, otherwise these have no effect. There once was an experiment in attempting to add the B vitamin into the spirit, but the vitamins were not taken up by the body. There was also an attempt with vitamin tablets with the same result.

With regular use of alcohol, you risk losing both short-term memory and ability to follow conversations, and these injuries (and everyone else that affects the brain due to alcohol abuse) are permanent, i.e. they do not heal if you stop using alcohol. Alcohol is a "dirty drug", i.e. it does not only affect a limited area of the brain, but ‘hits across the board’.

Alcohol and Women

If you're pregnant, it is important not to drink alcohol, scientists have done tests that show that children whose mothers drank during pregnancy have been much harder to learn to read and write than other children.

Women's alcoholism has always been overshadowed by the men but there are studies that show that one in five women are alcoholic. The female alcoholism manifests itself in other ways than men’s: they suffer from insomnia, become very depressed and have a mortality of 6-7 times higher. The female alcoholics often seek medical help, but almost never for their alcohol problems, but for other things, for example, broken bones, etc.

Preventing Alcohol Dependance

If you are going to be a risk consumer, try to cut down on your consumption. You can do this by, for example:

1. drinking water to the food instead of beer or wine
2. skip the drink before the party
3. alternating alcohol with non-alcoholic beverages, such as drinking water to wine
4. not to have liquor and wine standing at home
5. tell the people around you that you are going to change your drinking habits.

Treatment for Alcohol Dependence

There are different approaches in the treatment of alcohol problems. A combination of different approaches in treatment. Several treatments are also involved relatives.

1. Motivation. This is about the person's own willingness to change their habits. The aim is that if you have an alcohol problem should reach their own decisions and deal with your problems.
2. Behavior. The treatment focuses on changing behavior. It highlights the consequences of addiction and are working to find alternatives to harmful behavior. The aim is to provide knowledge about how alcohol addiction affects the whole of existence.
3. Underlying factors. This directs you in on the reasons why people drink. The aim is to help you understand the background of your addiction.
4. Drug treatment. Sometimes you need medicatiosn to treat withdrawal symptoms or to prevent relapse. NALTREXONE is the very prescribed drug for the treatment of alcohol dependance.  The drug is typically used in combination with psychotherapy.

Remember that the hard part in getting out of an alcohol addiction is self-realizing that you are an alcoholic. Once you have made it, you can make contact with rehabilitation or the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Useful Information

Useful Links

1. Naltrexone - Description and Prices
2. Official site of the Alcoholics Anonymous
3. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) Great Britain

Useful readings

1.  Alcohol Abuse and Dependence - Symptoms
2. Am I An Alcoholic? Take a Self-Assesment Test
3. Treatment for Alcohol Abuse
4. Drug Treatment for Alcohol Dependence