Alcohol is present in most of the events on our tables; celebrations, commemorations, ceremonies and is part of our eating and living habits. However, its ubiquity and high social acceptance makes it extremely easy to obtain an alcoholic beverage and for anyone who has developed a problem with alcohol that can be extremely difficult to overcome.
Alcohol dependence is a medical and psychiatric term that refers to a condition in which an affected person has become physically and/or psychologically dependent on alcohol.
Addiction is a condition in which a person’s brain and body have become accustomed to the presence of a certain substance – in this case, alcohol – that they have consumed repeatedly over a long period of time and require a certain level of that substance to function normally. If that level is not maintained. For example, if the person in question suddenly stops drinking alcohol, the system may respond by functioning abnormally until it is able to re-stabilize over time. This abnormal function manifests itself in potentially unpleasant and even dangerous effects that are known as withdrawal syndrome.
